Vitamin B7

Stool
check icon Optimal Result: 351 - 500 rpkm.

Vitamin B7, also known as biotin, is a crucial water-soluble vitamin that plays a significant role in various metabolic processes, particularly in supporting skin, hair, and nail health. In the context of an adult gut health test, Vitamin B7 serves as a marker that can offer insights into digestive health, nutrient absorption, and microbial balance in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

Biotin is synthesized by certain beneficial gut bacteria, such as Bacteroides species. A healthy gut microbiome produces biotin, and its levels can indicate the balance of gut flora. If biotin levels are low on a gut health test, it might suggest dysbiosis, which is an imbalance of beneficial and harmful bacteria in the gut. This imbalance could interfere with the body's ability to synthesize and absorb biotin properly, leading to deficiencies that affect overall health. Conversely, healthy biotin levels reflect a balanced microbiome capable of supporting the body's metabolic needs.

The measurement of Vitamin B7 in a gut health test can also highlight issues related to malabsorption. For instance, people with certain conditions, such as Crohn's disease, celiac disease, or long-term antibiotic use, might have compromised gut health, leading to insufficient absorption of biotin and other nutrients. Tracking Vitamin B7 levels can help identify whether the gut is functioning optimally in absorbing essential vitamins and minerals.

All Your Lab Results.
One Simple Dashboard.

What does it mean if your Vitamin B7 result is too low?

Low levels of Vitamin B7 (biotin) on an adult gut health test can indicate several underlying health issues related to nutrient absorption, gut microbiome imbalances, or other medical conditions. When biotin levels are low, it can lead to various symptoms and may warrant further diagnostic investigation to pinpoint the root cause.

Diagnosis and Causes

Low biotin levels often result from poor absorption in the gut. This can be due to:

Gut dysbiosis: Imbalance in the gut microbiome reduces the production of biotin by beneficial bacteria.

Malabsorption syndromes: Conditions such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, or small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) can impair the absorption of biotin and other nutrients.

Prolonged antibiotic use: Antibiotics can disrupt the balance of gut bacteria, affecting biotin synthesis.

Chronic alcohol consumption: Alcohol interferes with biotin absorption in the digestive tract.

Genetic disorders: Conditions like biotinidase deficiency or holocarboxylase synthetase deficiency impair the body’s ability to recycle or utilize biotin.

Long-term consumption of raw egg whites: Raw egg whites contain avidin, a protein that binds to biotin and prevents its absorption.

Low biotin levels may also be linked to dietary insufficiency, though this is rare, as biotin is present in various foods and produced in the gut.

Symptoms of Biotin Deficiency

Symptoms of biotin deficiency can vary depending on the severity, but common signs include:

Hair loss (alopecia): A significant indicator of biotin deficiency, often accompanied by brittle or thinning hair.

Skin issues: Dermatitis, dry or scaly skin, rashes, especially around the mouth, nose, and eyes.

Neurological symptoms: Depression, fatigue, hallucinations, and a tingling sensation in the hands and feet (paresthesia).

Muscle weakness and coordination problems: Low energy, reduced muscle tone, or difficulty with movement.

Digestive issues: Nausea, loss of appetite, and digestive discomfort.

These symptoms indicate a lack of biotin's critical role in energy metabolism, fatty acid synthesis, and the maintenance of skin and hair health.

Treatment Options

If low biotin levels are detected, treatment typically involves addressing both the underlying cause and replenishing biotin levels. Potential treatment options include:

  1. Biotin supplementation: Oral biotin supplements are often recommended to quickly restore biotin levels, especially in individuals with noticeable symptoms like hair loss or skin rashes. The dosage can vary but is usually in the range of 30-100 mcg per day for adults, though higher doses may be prescribed for severe deficiencies.

  2. Dietary adjustments: A diet rich in biotin-containing foods is a natural way to boost biotin levels. Biotin-rich foods include:

    • Eggs (cooked, not raw)
    • Nuts and seeds (almonds, peanuts, walnuts)
    • Fish (salmon, tuna)
    • Meat (liver, pork, beef)
    • Dairy products
    • Whole grains
    • Vegetables like sweet potatoes and spinach Encouraging a diverse diet with these foods can help maintain optimal biotin levels.
  3. Addressing gut health: Since dysbiosis or malabsorption are common contributors to biotin deficiency, improving gut health is key. This may involve:

    • Probiotics: To restore the balance of beneficial gut bacteria that synthesize biotin.
    • Treating underlying conditions: Managing conditions like celiac disease, Crohn’s, or SIBO through appropriate medical treatments can improve nutrient absorption.
    • Reducing antibiotic use: Where possible, limiting prolonged use of antibiotics can help prevent biotin synthesis disruption.
  4. Treating genetic disorders: For individuals with biotinidase deficiency or other genetic disorders, lifelong biotin supplementation may be required, under medical supervision.

In summary, low Vitamin B7 levels are often a marker of malabsorption, gut dysbiosis, or other health conditions. Addressing the root cause with targeted treatment, supplementation, and dietary adjustments can help restore healthy biotin levels and alleviate associated symptoms.

Laboratories

Bring All Your Lab Results Together — In One Place

We accept reports from any lab, so you can easily collect and organize all your health information in one secure spot.

lab corp logo
genova diagnostics logo
quest diagnostics logo
dutch test logo
doctors data logo
vibrant america logo
diagnostic solutions logo
zrt laboratory logo
the great plains laboratory logo
cyrex laboratories logo
spectracell logo

Pricing Table

decoration

Personal plans

$15/ month

Complete Plan

Access your lab reports, explanations, and tracking tools.

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track all results with visual tools
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export your full lab history anytime
  • Share results securely with anyone
  • Begin with first report entered
  • Cancel or upgrade anytime

$250/ once

Unlimited Account

Pay once, access everything—no monthly fees, no limits.

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track all results with visual tools
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export your full lab history anytime
  • Share results securely with anyone
  • Receive 10 reports entered for you
  • Skip the $15/month subscription — no recurring payments ever

$45/ month

Pro Monthly

Designed for professionals managing their clients' lab reports

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track lab results for multiple clients
  • Customize reference ranges per client
  • Export lab histories and reports
  • Begin with first report entered by us
  • Cancel or upgrade anytime

About membership

What's included in a Healthmatters membership

microscope icon Import Lab Results from Any Source

person icon See Your Health Timeline

book icon Understand What Your Results Mean

textbook icon

textbook icon Visualize Your Results

folder icon

folder icon

card icon Securely Share With Anyone You Trust

Let Your Lab Results Tell the Full Story

What Healthmatters Members Are Saying

5 stars rating

I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with  any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.

Anthony

Unlimited Plan Member since 2021

5 stars rating

What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!

Karin

Advanced Plan Member since 2020

5 stars rating

As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!

Paul

Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024

Use promo code to save 10% off any plan.

Frequently asked questions

Healthmatters is a personal health dashboard that helps you organize and understand your lab results. It collects and displays your medical test data from any lab in one secure, easy-to-use platform.

  • Individuals who want to track and understand their health over time.
  • Health professionals, such as doctors, nutritionists, and wellness coaches, need to manage and interpret lab data for their clients.

With a Healthmatters account, you can:

  • Upload lab reports from any lab
  • View your data in interactive graphs, tables, and timelines
  • Track trends and monitor changes over time
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export and share your full lab history
  • Access your results anytime, from any device

Professionals can also analyze client data more efficiently and save time managing lab reports.

Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:

  • The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile,
  • GI-MAP,
  • The NutrEval FMV®,
  • The ION Profile,
  • Amino Acids Profile,
  • Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH),
  • Organic Acids Test,
  • Organix Comprehensive Profile,
  • Toxic Metals,
  • Complete Blood Count (CBC),
  • Metabolic panel,
  • Thyroid panel,
  • Lipid Panel,
  • Urinalysis,
  • And many, many more.

You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.

If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.

shield icon

We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.

At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.

gdpr compliance image hipaa compliance image