Biotin for Weight Loss/Gain

Biotin weight loss/gain effects is an issue that anyone who has been using this b7 supplement would love to hear about. Does biotin make you gain or lose weight? How much is required for you to shed some pounds? What do user reviews say especially on 10000mcg and 5000mcg? Follow along to discover

Biotin Weight Loss-does Biotin make you Lose Weight

Biotin is a vitamin B7 or commonly vitamin H. It is found in liver, egg yolk, and other foods. It is covalently bound to lysine side chain to enzymes that catalyze carboxylation reactions. It is a water soluble vitamin and a part of the vitamin B complex. Vitamin B complex is a group of key nutrients needed for healthy metabolic, digestive, neurological and cardiovascular function. The main task of this vitamin is to act as a coenzyme or a prosthetic to the carboxylation enzymes in the body metabolic processes especially those dealing in fatty acids, amino acids and glucose.

Biotin can work for both weight loss and gain. Much emphasis has however been put on weight gain due to the big role it plays in the fatty acid or lipid metabolic pathways. Most of these processes involve enzymes that require biotic as a co-factor for proper function and hence biotic can be said to promote storage of fatty acid molecules in the adipose tissue. This may lead to weight gain. But how does it lead to weight loss?

The British Journal of Nutrition, 2013, had a publication that revealed the role of biotin in improvement of blood sugar and insulin sensitivity in diabetic rodents. Much of this has been detailed in the sections below. Of biggest concern is the combination of chromium picolinate and biotin.

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How much biotin for weight loss-Dosage Details

Ready with your bathroom fat and weight scale, you want to try biotin to help you add or lose weight. But how much do you need to take to achieve this goal?

The amount of biotin that is required for weight loss should be a subject of individualization. In nutrition, not everyone will require the same amount of biotin to elicit the same effect. However, some of these detail can be derived from studies done. Combination of biotin and chromium picolinate has 2 mg of biotin in it. At least this could guide you. Some sources indicate some efficacy in a daily dose of 300 mcg to have some considerable loss of weight over a short time.

You may find these supplements packaged in the form of capsules. If you would wish to get this from your diet, then it is recommended that you consult your nutritionist. Most likely, you will get a better alternative to biotin nonetheless.

Note that this information should not be a substitute to your daily physical exercise or a leeway to undisciplined eating.

Biotin and chromium picolinate for weight loss

Now that you know a little about biotin, this section details on chromium as an essential trace mineral required by your body for normal carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.

Note that obese and overweight individuals have elevated triglyceride levels. They also have increased amounts of LDL which is considered ‘bad’ cholesterol. According to a study published in Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics, 2006, high doses of biotic in combination with chromium resulted in reduced triglyceride levels in diabetic subjects.

This has raised concerns on the potency of this combination in the lowering of the ‘bad’ cholesterol and an overall reduction in weight. The biotic and the chromium has also been shown to reduce the levels of LDL and consequent reduction in its precursor, VLDL. Despite this finding, biotin is still not preferred as part of management of high cholesterol or high triglycerides.

Biotin and chromium combination has been studied as a glycemic control. It is this mechanism that this material looks at as it explains how this might help with weight loss. In most countries, the dietary intake of chromium is below threshold and therefore many people are deficient in this essential mineral. There are links between rising sugar in the blood and the amount of chromium in the body. This relationship is inversely proportional.

The best source of chromium is one Chromium picolinate. This salt is absorbed well and utilized better than other salts such as chromium chloride among others. Chromium picolinate has been shown in some studies to have the ability to improve insulin sensitivity and it is such information that you can use to identify the potential of this combination in weight loss.

Chromium requires that you use 200 to 1,000mcgs. You can be able to derive this amounts from food source such as egg yolks, whole grains, yeast and organ meats among others. A single dose capsule can also be administered with it containing 600 mcg of chromium as chromium picolinate and 2 mg of biotin. The dose is most preferred taken as a single dose in a day in the morning.

Therefore, in a nutshell, the following is how the combination of chromium and biotic works:

1. Improved metabolism of glucose and HDL cholesterol levels – high doses of chromium picolinate/biotin work well to increase the HDL cholesterol in blood. This finding, derived from mice used as the specimen, led to the hypothesis by its researchers that the combination might be of benefit to people. This is beyond nutritional value including loss of weight and reduction of glycemic value of blood.
2. Increased glucose uptake – in reference to a study by researchers in the University of Vermont, an incubation of human skeletal muscle cell with chromium picolinate and biotin led to an enhancement of glucose uptake. This further led to an increased glycogen synthesis as the level of glycogen synthase increased. This reduces the blood glucose level by stimulating its uptake by body cells that need it to generate energy such as the skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle.
3. Increased insulin sensitivity – the combination of chromium picolinate and biotin in line with mounting clinical evidence supports its efficacy in regulating lipid metabolism. This can be explained by knowledge of insulin’s role in the increased uptake of fatty acids that can be used in generation of energy.

With such information, it is easy to postulate how weight loss may result. When your insulin levels are increased and the blood glucose is forced to be taken up by cells, there occurs a void in the blood. Therefore, glucose needs to be produced through other mechanisms such as the process of gluconeogenesis and inter-conversion between glucose and fatty acids stored as triglycerides. This allows the use of adipose tissue and therefore a reduction in its volume and mass. You will therefore notice yourself shedding off some weight in this accord.

Biotin 10000mcg, 5000mcg Weight Loss Reviews, Before and after photos Results

There are people who have lost weight after using biotin supplements. Most of these users claim to have taken either 10000mcg or 5000mcg of biotin. Note, there’s no scientific evidence that any of these dosage is the correct amount of biotin that can make you lose weight. This is entirely based on personal accounts. As mentioned earlier, the amount will vary from person to person.

The internet search has come across before and after photos of individuals who owe it up to biotin. Below are some of before and after results photos from around web.

Biotin might not be the best option for weight loss and maybe not even rank 20 in the list of ‘ways to lose weight’, but it seems to work for some people. With such a complicated role in the metabolic processes and its consequent ability to cause weight gain, it is not a reliable method.

Again, relying on a vitamin for weight loss goes against the norm. Multi-vitamins are known to be appetite stimulators and this has not changed.

Those who have had a taste of this have complained of the skin break-out on the face and the changes in the hair and nails. To cap it all up, biotin is insufficient in tackling your weight problems and limited evidence lies in review and light of its alleged ability to help you lose weight.

Does biotin make you gain weight?

Biotin has been known to cause weight gain. This fact owes it to the active function of biotin in metabolic pathways such as that of gluconeogenesis, fatty acid synthesis and amino acid catabolism. Biotin is a co-factor and therefore a necessity in the catalytic action of certain enzymes in various metabolic pathways.

As you read through this section, note that metabolic pathways in your body are linked and there is no cascade that proceeds without input from another. Therefore, when there is a deficit in a co-factor, chances are that there will be no end product that may be the starting compound to another metabolic process.

Biotin, as a co-factor, aids in the transfer of carbon dioxide groups to other target macromolecules. There are nine host enzymes that rely on biotin for proper action. This material takes a look at four of these enzymes as these are found in humans. In humans biotin is covalently attached via a lysine side chain to enzymes that catalyze carboxylation reactions. These include:

1. Propionyl-CoA
2. Pyruvate
3. Acetyl-CoA

Propionyl-CoA carboxylase

This enzyme facilitates the formation of methylmalonyl-CoA from Propionyl-CoA. This is an essential process in the degradation of odd-numbered fatty acid chains. Most fatty acids are saturated and even-numbered and are hence broken down via a process known as beta-oxidation.

However, those with an odd number of carbon atoms undergo a process that does not involve acetyl-CoA but instead involves the Propionyl-CoA carboxylase. Is carboxylates the propionyl CoA and the methylmalonyl CoA resulting is further isomerized into succinyl-CoA.

Pyruvate Carboxylase

This enzyme is essential for the catalysis of the gluconeogenesis synthetic pathway. Gluconeogenesis is a metabolic pathway that is taken up by the liver to supply other tissues such as the brain and the red blood cells. If the amount of food taken is not sufficient to provide blood sugar enough these cells, then liver synthesizes glucose.

The tubular cells have also been shown to have gluconeogenetic activity. This process mainly uses up amino acids and lactate for the synthesis of glucose. Glycerol produced from the degradation of fat is also used up. This normally leads to the manufacturer of several hundreds of glucose molecules in a day.

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase

This is the key enzyme in the synthesis of fatty acid which precedes and supplies the malonyl CoA. The latter compound is essential for elongation of fatty acid chain. This explains why your body produces both short chain and long chain fatty acids. The biotin is bound as a prosthetic group and therefore facilitates hormone-dependent activation by dephosphorylation.

The role of biotin understood, information concerning how the enzymes correlate with gain of weight in individuals taking it can be derived. Fatty acid synthesis leads to formation of fatty acids that when bound to glycerol, form compounds known as triglycerides.

These triglycerides are responsible for the formation of storage unites of fatty acids. Hence, the presence of excessive biotin in your blood circulation, and the liver, catalyzes the enzymes charged with fatty acid synthesis and more of the fatty acids are formed. These are normally stored in adipose tissue also known as fat tissue. This explains why overweight people have more of this tissue and hence gain of much weight.

The interplay between gluconeogenesis and fatty acid synthesis works in this manner; when more glucose is formed due to a deficiency in the glucose level in blood, it is most likely that you are hypoglycemic. Your body naturally sets on its use of fatty acids and the latter is mobilized to skeletal and cardiac muscles for uptake.

However, when gluconeogenesis takes this place, it prevents the use of further fatty acid by maintaining the level of glucose at an optimum level. This means that the fatty acids will have to be re-taken up by adipose tissue. Hence, the end result is an increase in adipose tissue content and further gain of weight.

Biotin Weight Gain Testimonials & Reviews?

Review attest to having had an increased appetite when taking biotin. As other vitamin supplements, biotin also boosts your appetite and makes you eat better and much heavier than your normal self. Perhaps this could be an additional reason as to why you gain weight when you are on biotin.

A larger percentage of user reviews especially those from Amazon and those from Beautylish have claimed an increase in weight. A few have noticed none of that kind and have rather complimented it for its ability to grow hair longer and thicker.

It happens that 95 % of the people on biotin are on it for its hair nourishing effects. The weight gain comes in as a side effect. Also, there have been complains about it causing acne. While weight gain is a rare complain among the few, it finds itself in the yellow sheets.

Side Effects & Safety

Other than acne, here are more negative effects you may experience while taking biotin for weight loss.

• Mild nausea
• Stomach cramping
• Diarrhea
• Skin Itching

For a detailed discussion, see this article on biotin side effects

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