Vitamin B7 (Biotin)
Last updated: August 9, 2026
Benefits
Helps convert food into energy and supports the normal condition of hair, skin, and nails.
How much you need
Recommended daily amounts by life stage, per NIH and NASEM Dietary Reference Intakes. Where the evidence hasn't been enough to set a full RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance), NASEM sets an AI (Adequate Intake) instead — both are shown together below.
| Life stage | RDA / AI |
|---|---|
| Children 1–3 | 8 mcg |
| Children 4–8 | 12 mcg |
| Boys 9–13 | 20 mcg |
| Girls 9–13 | 20 mcg |
| Males 14–18 | 25 mcg |
| Females 14–18 | 25 mcg |
| Men 19–50 | 30 mcg |
| Women 19–50 | 30 mcg |
| Men 51–70 | 30 mcg |
| Women 51–70 | 30 mcg |
| Men 71+ | 30 mcg |
| Women 71+ | 30 mcg |
| Pregnancy 14–18 | 30 mcg |
| Pregnancy 19–50 | 30 mcg |
| Lactation 14–18 | 35 mcg |
| Lactation 19–50 | 35 mcg |
Upper limit
No tolerable upper limit has been established for Vitamin B7 (Biotin). That doesn't mean unlimited amounts are risk-free — it means the evidence NASEM has reviewed so far hasn't been enough to set a numeric ceiling.
Best food sources
| Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
| Eggs (cooked yolk) | — | — |
| Almonds and peanuts | — | — |
| Sweet potato | — | — |
| Salmon | — | — |
| Sunflower seeds | — | — |
Absorption & caution
Caution: Biotin is the one vitamin that can distort a blood test. High-dose biotin — common in hair, skin, and nail products, often at 100 times the daily reference — interferes with many lab immunoassays, including thyroid panels and the troponin test used to check for a heart attack, and it can push results falsely high OR falsely low. The FDA has issued safety communications about this. Tell whoever draws your blood that you take biotin, and ask whether to pause it beforehand.
Body systems & goals
Body systems it supports
- Hair & Nails — Hair and nails are among the last places your body spends nutrients, so they often show the strain first. A steady supply of these supports strength and healthy growth. (emerging evidence)
Frequently asked questions
How much Vitamin B7 (Biotin) do adult women need per day?
Adult women (19–50) need 30 mcg of Vitamin B7 (Biotin) per day, per NIH/NASEM Dietary Reference Intakes.
How much Vitamin B7 (Biotin) do adult men need per day?
Adult men (19–50) need 30 mcg of Vitamin B7 (Biotin) per day, per NIH/NASEM Dietary Reference Intakes.
Does pregnancy change how much Vitamin B7 (Biotin) you need?
No — the recommended amount stays at 30 mcg per day during pregnancy (ages 19–50).
Is there an upper limit for Vitamin B7 (Biotin)?
No tolerable upper limit has been established for Vitamin B7 (Biotin), based on current evidence reviewed by NASEM.
What foods are highest in Vitamin B7 (Biotin)?
Good sources include Eggs (cooked yolk), Almonds and peanuts, Sweet potato, Salmon, and Sunflower seeds.
How Tavita handles this
Tavita logs Vitamin B7 (Biotin) from both the food you eat and the supplements you take, adding both into one running daily total. There's no established upper limit for Vitamin B7 (Biotin), so Tavita tracks it against the recommended amount without implying a ceiling that doesn't exist.
Sources
Figures on this page come from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheets and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Dietary Reference Intake tables — the same dataset that powers the Tavita app. They were independently re-verified by blind re-derivation on August 9, 2026. See the methodology page for how this library is built and kept current.
Tavita is not a medical provider. This page is educational information, not medical advice — talk to your clinician before changing your supplement or medication routine.