An adequate amount of biotin is about 30 to 100 mcg daily. The U.S. recommended daily doses for biotin, the value used for nutritional supplement and food labeling purposes, is 300 micrograms/day. Doses of up to 2,500 mcg have been used safely to treat hair and nail problems. Higher intakes have been recommended for reducing blood sugar levels in diabetics (5-15 mg/d).
No side effects have been reported for biotin in amounts up to 10 milligrams (10,000 mcg) a day. Like other water soluble B-vitamins, excess biotin is excreted in the urine. Even when taken in high doses (2,500 mcg to treat hair and nail problems), there are no known side effects. In people without disorders of biotin metabolism, doses of up to 5000 mcg/day for two years were not associated with adverse effects.
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