What does biotin mean?
Biotin is a water-soluble B vitamin, also known as vitamin B7 or historically as vitamin H, that plays an essential role in human metabolism. Acting as a coenzyme for several carboxylase enzymes, it helps the body convert carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into usable energy, and it contributes to the synthesis of fatty acids. The word appears most often in nutritional science, medicine, and health marketing: food packaging lists biotin among B vitamins, doctors test for rare biotin deficiencies, and countless hair and nail products tout its strengthening benefits, although robust evidence for such cosmetic effects remains limited. Good dietary sources include egg yolks, liver, nuts, seeds, and certain vegetables, while gut bacteria supply part of the body's needs. Because raw egg whites contain avidin, a protein that binds biotin tightly, consuming large amounts of uncooked egg white over time can induce deficiency. Biotin is a technical but increasingly familiar term in discussions of diet, supplements, and wellness.
nounBiotin is a water-soluble B vitamin (vitamin B7, also called vitamin H) that functions as a coenzyme in the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. It occurs naturally in foods such as eggs, liver, nuts, and some vegetables, and is also produced in small amounts by gut bacteria.
- A water-soluble B vitamin (vitamin B7 or vitamin H) acting as a coenzyme in fatty-acid synthesis, gluconeogenesis, and amino-acid metabolism.
- The specific nutrient taken as a dietary supplement, popularly marketed for hair, skin, and nail health.
"Many shampoos now advertise added biotin to strengthen hair and nails."
"Eggs, liver, and peanuts are all good dietary sources of biotin."
"Her doctor recommended a daily biotin supplement after blood tests suggested a mild deficiency."
Biotin is usually treated as an uncountable mass noun when referring to the substance itself; a plural form is rarely needed and appears mainly in laboratory or manufacturing contexts referring to distinct preparations or isotopically labelled variants.
"Different commercial biotins vary in purity depending on their intended analytical use."
Raw egg whites contain a protein called avidin that binds tightly to biotin — eat enough of them and you can actually give yourself a biotin deficiency.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of biotin
The term 'biotin' derives from the Greek word 'bios', meaning 'life', combined with the '-in' suffix commonly used to name organic substances. It was coined by American biochemist Vincent du Vigneaud and colleagues around 1941–1942, following earlier European research into the substance, sometimes then called 'vitamin H' or 'coenzyme R'. The Greek root 'bios' connects it to a wide family of life-related words such as biology, biopsy, and antibiotic. Its naming reflects the era when vitamins were being isolated from foodstuffs and given systematic chemical names.
How biotin is actually used
Biotin is primarily used in scientific, medical, nutritional, and consumer-health contexts; it is a technical term rather than everyday vocabulary. It is uncountable when referring to the substance itself but takes plural-like phrasing when discussing doses or supplement forms. In British English it may occasionally be styled 'vitamin B7' rather than 'vitamin H', though both labels appear on both sides of the Atlantic.
Easily confused with biotin
Biotin is a vitamin involved in metabolism, while thyroxine is a hormone produced by the thyroid gland that regulates metabolic rate.