What is Vitamin B7 or Biotin?
Vitamin B7 is also known as biotin. It is a water-soluble vitamin that is essential for the body. Biotin is involved in many important bodily functions, including:
- Metabolism: Biotin helps the body metabolize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
- Hair growth: Biotin is essential for healthy hair growth.
- Nail growth: Biotin helps strengthen nails and prevent them from breaking.
- Skin health: Biotin helps keep skin healthy and prevents it from becoming dry and flaky.
- Nerve function: Biotin helps maintain healthy nerve function.
Biotin or vitamin B7 is found in many foods, including:
- Egg yolks
- Liver
- Salmon
- Yogurt
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Whole grains
- Sweet potatoes
- Spinach microgreens also contain vitamin B7. Little other microgreen data is available.
A deficiency in biotin is rare, but it can occur in people who have certain medical conditions, such as malabsorption disorders or alcoholism.
How Much Vitamin B7 Do You Need?
Below are the values of Vitamin B7 recommended by NIH based on life stage.
| Life Stage | Recommended Amount |
|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 5 mcg |
| Infants 7–12 months | 6 mcg |
| Children 1–3 years | 8 mcg |
| Children 4–8 years | 12 mcg |
| Children 9–13 years | 20 mcg |
| Teens 14–18 years | 25 mcg |
| Adults 19+ years | 30 mcg |
| Pregnant teens and women | 30 mcg |
| Breastfeeding teens and women | 35 mcg |
Can You Take Too Much B7?
Yes, it is possible to take too much biotin. However, it is very rare and would require taking very high doses over a long period of time.
The tolerable upper intake level (UL) for biotin is 300 micrograms (mcg) per day for adults. This means that taking less than 300 mcg of biotin per day is unlikely to cause any harm.
Vitamin B7 in Microgreens by Variety
These values are based on 100 grams of microgreens. Much more than you would eat of any one variety per meal. Be sure to remember the purpose of this course and the values presented.
| Microgreens Variety | Daily Value by % per 100-grams |
|---|---|
| No value = | No data from reliable source |
| Amaranth | NR |
| Arugula | NR |
| Basil | NR |
| Beet | NR |
| Bok Choy | 9% |
| Borage | NR |
| Broccoli | NR |
| Brussel Sprouts | NR |
| Buckwheat | NR |
| Cabbage | NR |
| Carrot | NR |
| Cauliflower | NR |
| Celery | NR |
| Chervil | NR |
| Chives, Garlic | NR |
| Cilantro | NR |
| Cress, Upland | NR |
| Dill | NR |
| Endive | NR |
| Fennel | NR |
| Fenugreek | NR |
| Kale | NR |
| Kohlrabi | NR |
| Leek | NR |
| Lettuce | NR |
| Lovage | NR |
| Mustard | NR |
| Nasturtium | NR |
| Onions | NR |
| Parsley | NR |
| Pea | NR |
| Radish | NR |
| Shungiku | NR |
| Sorrel | NR |
| Spinach | 14% |
| Sunflower | NR |
| Swiss Chard | NR |
| Tat Soi | NR |
| Tokyo Bekana | NR |
| Turnip | NR |
Calculate the %DV based on Your Serving Size
You can use the calculator below to estimate the %DV of Vitamin B7 (biotin) based on your average serving size. If you weighed your microgreens in ounces, you can use the first row to calculate the weight in grams and then enter that value into the lower calculator.
For More Information on Vitamin B7
Click here for more information on Vitamin B7 from the National Institute of Health.
