Editorial Board: Importance of Biotin in Metabolic Processes
March 1993
in “
Neuroscience letters
”
TLDR Biotin is important for metabolism, with specific daily intake recommendations, and deficiency can cause health problems.
The document from March 1, 1993, discusses the importance of biotin, a water-soluble vitamin essential for various metabolic processes, including lipid metabolism, amino acid breakdown, and some nuclear functions. It outlines the recommended daily intakes of biotin, which are 0.7 μg/kg for infants, 8–20 μg/day for children depending on age, 30 μg/day for adults, and an increased 35 μg/day during lactation. The document notes that intestinal bacteria typically provide sufficient biotin under normal conditions. Foods such as soybeans, liver, cauliflower, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and eggs are rich in biotin. Deficiency in biotin can lead to a range of health issues, including impaired glucose tolerance, mental dysfunction, muscle pain, sensory disturbances, anorexia, nausea, dry eyes, skin conditions, hair loss, and weakened immune response. The deficiency may be exacerbated by a lack of pantothenic acid. Biotin is absorbed in the small intestine through a high-affinity, low-capacity sodium/multivitamin cotransporter and its uptake is regulated by protein kinase C and calcium/calmodulin signaling, which adjusts absorption based on intake levels.