Biotin replacement options
Biotin is part of the vitamin B group, and plays a number of roles in your overall health. “Biotin converts glucose from carbohydrates into energy for the body, and aids amino acids in carrying out normal bodily functions.” Along with providing your body with more energy, biotin helps to reduce inflammation, lower blood sugar, and improve the good/bad ratio of blood cholesterol.
Biotin is also essential for making a protein called keratin, which is what makes up your hair, skin and nails. You may hear biotin referred to as “vitamin h” because of the role it plays in hair growth. Many people are interested in increasing their biotin intake to both support better health and improve the quality of their hair, skin and nails.
Getting enough biotin from foods is possible, particularly if you eat foods such as organ meat, eggs, red meat and fish. You can also take biotin supplements to help boost your levels. For folks that don’t eat those foods and/or react poorly to biotin supplements, silica is a natural biotin replacement option.
Change your diet or your daily routine
Changing your diet to include the foods listed above can improve the amount of biotin you’re getting each day. This can be particularly difficult, however, if you’re vegetarian, vegan or simply don’t care for those foods. This is when changing your daily routine by taking healthy supplements may be the right choice. Biotin supplements are not a good option for everyone, however.
Some of the common, uncomfortable but benign side effects reported by people taking biotin supplements are acne, upset stomach and skin rash. On the more serious side, taking biotin can interfere with certain medications. “Biotin can cause interactions with medications, including cholesterol, diabetes, and anticonvulsants, and can lower the effectiveness of the drugs.”
The good news is that silica is a biotin replacement that offers the same benefits as the vitamin without the potential side effects and drug interactions.
Where to start
Biotin has gained quite a bit of attention recently as more people experiment with using the supplements. You’ve probably heard the claims about getting stronger nails or longer hair. And it can be frustrating if it doesn’t agree with you, or worse, interacts with an important medication you take. But don’t despair; taking supplements with silica can provide the same advantages as biotin.
Silica Plus from Vibrant Nutraceuticals is an excellent alternative to biotin that also promotes healthy hair, skin and nails. The supplement is a proprietary blend of colloidal silica, which makes it more easily absorbable, along with several other beneficial minerals.
Click on the site to read more about the benefits of taking natural biotin alternatives.
