What Dose is the Right Dose and How to Take It?
First Published November 21, 2018, Second Edit - April 2019
It is my opinion that different people require different dosages. There have been several studies done with their own take on what dosages of Biotin you should take everyday. For PwMS I now recomend 2mg/kg Body weight.
DOSAGES
Now I theorise that for most, sufficient levels of vitamins are obtained from a balanced diet. But for many, particularly those with a compromised gut and immune system, we need help and take supplements in all shapes and forms. Some of us need more of one and less of another and I feel we are starting to see this being linked to genetics, being more or less predisposed to certain ailments, such as cancers, MS etcetera.
The recommended daily Intake (or allowance, RDI/RDA) for Vitamin B7 (Biotin) is 10-30 mcg in most countries around the world. That is 10 micro grams, 10/1,000,000 of a gram.
10 mg, that's 10 milligrams (1000 times the RDI) has been provided as a dietary supplement for many years to help with hair, nail and skin care. Mainly promoted as helping with hair regrowth.
The French Pharmaceutical company have been trialing 100-500 mg for use in treating Progressive forms of Multiple Sclerosis. 100mg is 10,000 times the RDI. Or 10 times what is already readily available as a dietary supplement for promoting hair growth.
So in short 1000 time the RDI is okay as a dietary supplement, but 10,000 times the RDI is therapeutic. What a load of cods wallop I say. It is simply a way for a pharmaceutical company to make a tonne of money out of a cheap vitamin. It is not just Vitamin B7 this is happening to but other vitamins that pharmaceutical companies are being allowed to Patent and the FDA is categorising as therapeutic. Enabling the pharmaceutical companies to corner the market and charge what they like.
Anyway, back to Vitamin B7, I have been taking between 225 and 300mg a day for over 4 years now (Jun 2018). At first I took 100mg, three times a day. I found this a little harsh on my stomach. Additionally my research indicated unused quantities of the water soluble B vitamins are rapidly flushed out of the body in urine. A clear example of this is demonstrated by taking a multivitamin complex containing Riboflavin (another of the water soluble B vitamins, B2). It has a bright yellow colour and has the effect of turning urine bright yellow as unused quantities are flushed out of the body by the liver. A clear (or rather bright yellow) Indication of how excess of the water soluble vitamins are flushed out and wasted. So I started taking 75mg of Biotin 4 times a day. I have found this easier on my system, and hopefully better utilised. As my research progressed I also found that drinking a lot of water with each capsule helps absorption. The two natural forms of Biotin we are exposed to are typically bound to protein molecules in the food we consume. It is also produced by gut bacteria in similar forms (Hamid M. Said. J Nutr. 2009 Jan; 139(1): 158–162.). These forms of natural biotin are acted on by enzymes in our gut, breaking the biotin-protein bond and creating "free biotin" or more correctly ionised biotin. This charged biotin is then transported across the gut wall by system referred to as the sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT). But these two natural forms of biotin are not what we are using to supplement our biotin intake. We use pure biotin, not free or ionised biotin. Without a charge it can not be transported in this manner and has to be completely dissolved and absorbed with water. Although Biotin is classed and one of the water soluble B vitamins, its solubility is very low compared with other B vitamins. 100mg of pure biotin requires about 500ml (1/2 litre) of water to completely dissolve at STP (220 mg/L (at 25 °C) PubChem). Hence why you should always drink at least 1 glass of water with each 100mg of pure biotin consumed. Preferable two glasses. Another reason why I encourage 75mg doses not 100mg.
2017 Blog - Adjust your Biotin Dose