Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, can be obtained from a wide range of food sources within a typical diet. There are some especially outstanding food options that contain higher levels of biotin that can be easily added to your family’s diet to help you reap the benefits of biotin. We’ll get into those foods in just a minute. First, we’d like to go over the basics of adequate biotin intake to give you an idea of ​​how much biotin your body needs.

Adequate Intake (AI)

The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, an independent, non-profit organization that works outside of the federal government to provide authoritative and non-judgmental guidance to the open public, considered that there is insufficient evidence to be able to calculate a Recommended Daily Diet. Allowance (RDA) therefore established adequate intake amounts. The Institute determined that your adequate intake of biotin should be between 35 and sixty micrograms (mcg) per day in adult men and women.

Biotin Food Sources

Biotin can be available in quite a few foods, although generally in smaller amounts than other water-soluble nutritional vitamins. Fortunately, the biotin your body requires can be obtained through a healthy diet that includes ingredients such as eggs, nuts, vegetables, fresh fruits, fresh fish, various meats, and certain dairy products. It is also important to note that fresh foods will offer you a higher level of vitamins and more biotin benefits compared to processed foods.

Eggs and Dairy

The foods that have the highest amounts of biotin are eggs, especially egg yolks. Eggs can contain between 13 and 25 micrograms of biotin depending on their size and how they are cooked. Cooking generally depletes foods of their total nutrients, but this doesn’t mean they lose all of their benefits. Eating raw egg whites is actually detrimental to raising biotin levels simply because they hinder the body’s ability to absorb the nutrient. The yolk is actually where you are sure to get the best benefits from biotin. In addition to eggs, milk, a number of cheeses, yogurts, and other dairy products include reasonable levels of biotin.

Fruits and vegetables

Fruits like bananas, avocados, and raspberries are good, nutrient-dense sources of vitamins like biotin. Vegetables that are high in biotin range from broccoli and cabbage to leafy greens like Swiss chard. Organic mushrooms, sweet potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower offer higher levels of biotin.

Meat, Poultry and Fish

Almost all varieties of meat, poultry, and fish are excellent and abundant sources of biotin. Chicken, turkey, beef, and pork contain low to high levels of vitamin B7. Beef livers can pack a full day’s worth of vitamin B7 in one serving. Fish such as tuna, haddock, and salmon also have good levels of the nutrient and are generally among the best sources of biotin in shellfish.

Nuts and Whole Grains

Almonds and peanuts are wonderful sources of vitamin B7 and contain a full day’s worth per 1/2 cup serving. Hazelnuts, commonly known by their somewhat funnier name “Filbert Nut,” offer you a great way to get thirty micrograms per 1/2 cup serving. Peanut butter can also provide up to 30 micrograms per serving. Whole grain breads, definitely not white breads, often have a good percentage of your acceptable daily requirement.

For those who currently eat a well-balanced diet, especially one that contains some or all of the foods mentioned here, chances are you are keeping your own biotin levels right where they should be. If after reading this article you have realized that you are not consuming as many biotin-rich ingredients as you should, simply start incorporating some of these foods into your next dinner.