Biotinbiotin For Diabetes

22 Jul

Posted by admin as diabetes

Biotin, also known as vitamin H or B7 and C10H16N2O3S (Biotin; Coenzyme R, Biopeiderm), is a water-soluble B-complex vitamin which is composed of an ureido ring fused with a tetrahydrothiophene ring. A valeric acid substituent is attached to one of the carbon atoms of the tetrahydrothiophene ring. Biotin is important in the catalysis of essential metabolic reactions to synthesize fatty acids, in gluconeogenesis, and to metabolize leucine.

Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism–the way our bodies use digested food for growth and energy. Most of the food we eat is broken down into glucose, the form of sugar in the blood. Glucose is the main source of fuel for the body. After digestion, glucose passes into the bloodstream, where it is used by cells for growth and energy. For glucose to get into cells, insulin must be present. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach.

People with Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes may prove to be a different story. When Japanese researchers studied the biotin and blood sugar levels of people with diabetes, they found that the higher someone’s blood sugar, the lower his level of biotin. They also noted that people with diabetes have significantly lower biotin levels than people who don’t have the disease.

In several studies, biotin supplementation has been shown to enhance the performance of insulin, the hormone that plays a critical role in helping your body incorporate blood sugar. The supplements can also increase the activity of an enzyme, glucokinase, which the liver uses early in the process of utilizing blood sugar, says Michael Murray, N.D., a naturopathic doctor and co-author of The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine.

Supplementation with large quantities of biotin may significantly enhance glucokinase activity, thereby improving glucose metabolism in diabetics. When people with Type 1 diabetes (IDDM) were given 16 mg of biotin per day for just one week, their fasting glucose levels dropped by 50%. Similar results have been reported using 9 mg per day for two months in people with Type 2 diabetes (NIDDM). Biotin may also reduce pain from diabetic nerve damage.

This study involved 34 people with type 2 diabetes. For 12 weeks, all got two daily servings of a nutritional shake with “moderate amounts of carbohydrates,” similar to drinks marketed to diabetics, he says. During the study, participants were randomly assigned to receive either a shake containing the chromium picolinate-biotin mix or a plain shake used for comparison. Participants did not know which type of shake they were receiving.