11 Foods That Have the Highest Biotin

Biotin is part of a complex group of B vitamins that help to transform food into energy. Foods that are highest in biotin include avocados, eggs, sweet potatoes, and other foods.

Biotin is part of a complex group of B vitamins that help to transform food into energy, specifically facilitating the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. This group of vitamins is needed to maintain eye, hair, skin, and liver health, and they will also help your nerves function properly. Biotin strengthens nails and hair, which is why it is found in many cosmetic problems. Though supplements are available, it is better to get your daily values from biotin foods.

Biotin deficiency is rare, and signs of such a deficiency will manifest slowly. Symptoms of biotin deficiency may include:

• Thinning hair with eventual loss of all hair on the body 
• Pink eye
• Minor skin infections
• Brittle nails
• Ketoacidosis
• A red scaly rash around orifices
• Depression, hallucinations, or lethargy

Fortunately, there is no scientific evidence that consuming too much biotin will cause health problems, so you do not need to worry about things going too far the other way. This nutrient is water-soluble, so if you consume too much, it will be urinated out. 

Avocados: This nutrient-rich fruit is good for skin health due to its vitamin E content. A 100-gram serving of avocado will contain between 3.2 and 10 mcg of biotin. 

Eggs: A glycoprotein called dietary avidin, commonly found in egg whites, binds securely to biotin and prevents GI absorption if it is uncooked. Cooking eggs, though, loosens the avidin so that it cannot block the absorption of the high biotin count found in eggs. 

Sweet potato: 2.4 mcg of biotin can be found in a half-cup of cooked sweet potatoes. These root vegetables are also a good source of beta-carotene and vitamin A, which promote skin health. 

Nuts: Popular nuts with high sources of dietary biotin include walnuts, peanuts, pecans, almonds, and sunflower seeds. A quarter-cup of almonds contains 1.5 mcg of biotin, and the same amount of sunflower seeds contains 2.6 mcg.

Salmon:  This healthy fish is able to protect your hair in two ways. It is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and it has 5 mcg of biotin in each 3-ounce serving. 

Broccoli:  Whether it is raw, boiled, or put into a stir-fry, broccoli is a healthy choice that contains some biotin: specifically, about 0.04 mcg per half-cup serving.

Mushrooms: Mushrooms are a fungus with high nutrient content. The high amount of biotin in mushrooms protects them from predators as they grow, so a serving of 20 small mushroom caps contains 10% of the daily recommended value of biotin: 2.6 mcg. One cup of diced mushrooms contains 5.6 mcg.

Yeast: Yeast contains different amounts of biotin depending on the type and brand. Nutritional and brewers yeast both have biotin, as does the dry active yeast helps to make beer and bread. Nutritional yeast is inactive and produces cheese classified as non-dairy, and you may also find 69% of the daily recommended value of biotin in nutritional yeast: 21 mcg per 2 tablespoons. Roughly the same amount of dry yeast contains 1.4 mcg.   

Bananas: Bananas have carbs, fiber, vitamin B, potassium, and copper. They contain small amounts of biotin as well. One banana has 1% of the daily recommended value of biotin at 0.2 mcg. They are healthy when consumed alone, or they can be added to cereal, ice cream, and smoothies.  

Legumes: You can find abundant amounts of fiber and protein in peas, lentils, and beans, also known as legumes. Biotin can be found in legumes as well. Soybeans, for instance, contain 64% of the recommended daily value of biotin at 19.3 mcg per ¾ of a cup. Similar values can be found in kidney beans and black beans. 

Liver: 31 mcg of biotin (over 100% of the recommended daily value) can be found in a single serving of liver. Other good sources of biotin come from other organ meats like kidneys.

Individuals who have biotinidase deficiency have inherited a rare recessive condition that prevents them from releasing free biotin. This will lead to a deficiency. If this condition is not treated, those affected will experience skin and nervous system symptoms. In severe cases, a coma or death is possible. All newborns born in the United States are screened for this condition. 

Chronic alcohol abusers also cannot properly absorb biotin. Plasma levels in about 15% of those who struggle with alcoholism indicate biotin deficiency. 

One-third of pregnant women will develop a slight degree of biotin deficiency, as biotin levels decrease in pregnant and breastfeeding moms. More research is needed to determine how and why this happens. 

If you experience systems compatible with biotin deficiency, consult with your doctor.