Brace yourself… because you’re about to hear the opening shots of a two-month-long assault on your blood sugar. With Halloween just a couple of weeks away and another holiday season right around the corner, it’s that time of year once again— promising weeks of food, drink, and a hefty helping of stress. It’s the beginning of a bumpy ride for everyone’s health.
Unfortunately, sitting out of the next two months isn’t an option. But the good news is that research shows you can safely soldier through this year’s sugar binge—with an extra daily dose of one critical B vitamin. What’s more, this vitamin is tied to healthy hair and nails as well.
In a study of 43 obese or overweight subjects, researchers at Yale University set out to examine the effects of biotin supplementation on blood sugar control in treatment-resistant cases of type 2 diabetes. Over the course of four weeks, subjects were randomized to receive either a combination of 600 mcg of chromium picolinate and 2 mg of biotin per day, or a placebo treatment. Researchers measured both groups’ glycemic control and blood lipid levels at the beginning and end of the trial period.
After four weeks, glucose tolerance tests showed a 15 percent improvement in blood sugar control among subjects taking the biotin and chromium picolinate combo—a significantly better response than the placebo group.1 What’s more, triglyceride levels also decreased in the experimental group—while in stark contrast, subjects taking a placebo showed significant increases in serum levels of these dangerous lipids.
The best news? No major adverse events were reported among patients taking biotin—which means that this natural therapy is as safe as it is effective. And to top it off, additional research shows that it might come with at least one pleasant perk.
Ask anyone who’s supplemented with biotin for 60 days or longer, and you may be surprised to hear reports of increased hair and nail growth, too. Research reveals that more than half of all subjects with brittle nails will see as much as a 25 percent improvement in nail quality after treatment with biotin over a six month period—marked by significantly less splitting and greater regularity in nail bed surface cell arrangement.2-3
The bottom line: Whether you’re struggling with blood sugar control, slow hair growth or broken nails, boosting your intake of biotin could turn out to be your best solution yet. You can find this potent B vitamin as a daily supplement, readily available through Vitamin Research Products.
References:
1. Singer GM, Geohas The effect of chromium picolinate and biotin supplementation on glycemic control in poorly controlled patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomized trial. J Diabetes Technol Ther. 2006 Dec;8(6):636-43.
2. Colombo VE, Gerber F, Bronhofer M, Floersheim GL. Treatment of brittle fingernails and onychoschizia with biotin: scanning electron microscopy. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1990 Dec;23(6 Pt 1):1127-32.
3. Hochman LG, Scher RK, Meyerson MS. Brittle nails: response to daily biotin supplementation. Cutis. 1993 Apr;51(4):303-5.