Biotin is found naturally in a surprisingly wide range of foods, including eggs, salmon, liver, nuts, seeds, sweet potatoes and leafy green vegetables.
If you are wondering how to get biotin naturally, the good news is that most people can get the biotin they need from a varied and balanced diet. The NHS notes that biotin, also known as vitamin B7, is present in many foods and is needed by the body in very small amounts.
In this guide, we look at some of the best natural sources of biotin, which everyday foods contain it, plant-based options, and when a biotin supplement might fit into your routine.
What is biotin?
Biotin is a water-soluble B vitamin, commonly known as vitamin B7 and sometimes called vitamin H.
It has several normal functions in the body. In particular, biotin contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to the maintenance of normal hair and skin.
Because biotin occurs in a wide range of foods, true biotin deficiency is uncommon. For most people, eating a varied diet provides a regular supply.
What foods are high in biotin?
Some of the richest food sources of biotin include:
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Cooked eggs
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Liver
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Salmon
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Sunflower seeds
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Sweet potatoes
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Almonds
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Other nuts and seeds
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Pork
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Spinach
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Broccoli
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Cheese
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Milk and yoghurt
Biotin is found in both animal and plant foods, so there are plenty of ways to include it in your diet whether you eat meat, follow a vegetarian diet or prefer mostly plant-based foods.
These figures are examples from the US National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. The exact biotin content of food can vary according to variety, growing conditions, processing and preparation.
Which foods contain the most biotin?
If your goal is simply to identify the highest biotin foods, liver sits near the top of the commonly referenced food sources.
A cooked 85 g serving of beef liver contains approximately 30.8 µg of biotin according to the National Institutes of Health.
However, liver is not an everyday option for everyone. The NHS advises pregnant women to avoid liver and liver products because of their high vitamin A content.
Fortunately, there are plenty of more familiar foods that contain biotin.
Eggs are one of the easiest natural sources of biotin
Yes, eggs contain biotin.
One cooked whole egg provides approximately 10 µg of biotin, making eggs one of the more practical biotin-rich foods to add to a normal diet.
There is also an important reason to eat eggs cooked rather than relying on raw egg whites.
Raw egg white contains a protein called avidin, which can bind to biotin and reduce its absorption. Cooking changes avidin so that it no longer interferes with biotin absorption in the same way.
That means a cooked egg at breakfast is a simple way to add biotin along with protein and other nutrients.
Salmon and other fish provide biotin too
Fish can also contribute to your biotin intake.
An 85 g serving of canned pink salmon contains approximately 5 µg of biotin, while the same amount of canned tuna contains a smaller amount.
Salmon can work particularly well in a balanced meal with vegetables, whole grains or potatoes, giving you several different nutrients from one plate rather than focusing on biotin alone.
Nuts and seeds are useful plant-based sources
If you are looking for natural biotin sources without meat, nuts and seeds are a useful place to start.
Roasted sunflower seeds contain around 2.6 µg of biotin per quarter cup in the NIH reference data, while the same volume of roasted almonds contains around 1.5 µg.
A small portion can easily be added to:
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Porridge
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Yoghurt
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Salads
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Smoothie bowls
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Homemade granola
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Nut and seed mixes
They are particularly convenient because they require very little preparation.
What vegetables contain biotin?
Biotin is not limited to animal foods. Several vegetables also contain small amounts.
Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are one of the more useful plant-based sources of biotin.
Around half a cup of cooked sweet potato provides approximately 2.4 µg of biotin.
They are also easy to build into everyday meals. Try them roasted, mashed, added to a salad or served alongside a source of protein.
Spinach
Cooked spinach contains a smaller amount of biotin, with approximately 0.5 µg per half cup in the NIH reference data.
While that might not sound like much on its own, nutrition is rarely about one ingredient. Including a variety of vegetables across the day allows different foods to contribute different vitamins and minerals.
Broccoli
Broccoli also contains biotin, at approximately 0.4 µg per half cup.
It may not be among the highest biotin foods, but it is an easy addition to a balanced diet and pairs well with eggs, salmon, nuts and other biotin-containing foods.
Which fruits contain biotin?
Fruit is not generally one of the richest sources of biotin, but some fruits contain small amounts.
Banana is one example. The NIH lists approximately 0.2 µg of biotin in half a cup of banana.
If you are specifically trying to increase the amount of biotin in your diet, foods such as cooked eggs, seeds, nuts and sweet potatoes are generally more useful than relying on fruit alone.
That does not make fruit unimportant. Fruit contributes many other nutrients and can still form an important part of a varied, balanced diet.
Does cheese have biotin?
Yes. Cheese can contain biotin, although the amount is relatively modest compared with foods such as eggs or liver.
Around 28 g of mild cheddar provides approximately 0.4 µg of biotin in the NIH reference data.
Milk and yoghurt also contain smaller quantities.
This means dairy foods can contribute to your overall dietary intake, even if they are unlikely to be your main source of biotin.
How to get biotin naturally
You do not need to build every meal around one "superfood" to get biotin naturally.
A better approach is to include several different sources across your normal diet.
For example, breakfast could include cooked eggs with wholegrain toast, or porridge topped with almonds and sunflower seeds. Lunch might include a spinach salad with seeds or a baked sweet potato. Dinner could include salmon alongside broccoli and other vegetables.
For a plant-based day, you might choose porridge with nuts and seeds for breakfast, a sweet potato and spinach bowl at lunch, then vegetables, legumes and whole grains in the evening.
The important point is variety.
The NHS says you should be able to get the biotin you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.
What are the best vegan sources of biotin?
People following a vegan diet still have several natural sources of biotin available.
Useful options include:
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Sunflower seeds
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Almonds
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Sweet potatoes
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Spinach
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Broccoli
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Other nuts and seeds
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Some legumes
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Whole grains
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Bananas
Instead of trying to find one plant food that provides everything, combine several across your meals.
For example, oats topped with almonds and sunflower seeds can give you several plant-based ingredients in one breakfast. A sweet potato with spinach or broccoli provides another opportunity later in the day.
Yumi Nutrition's wider approach to supplements is also plant-based, with its gummy range formulated as 100% vegan.
Does cooking affect biotin?
Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin, and food preparation can influence nutrient content.
The amount of biotin in a food can also vary naturally depending on factors such as the food variety and how it has been processed.
There is one particularly important point when it comes to eggs.
Raw egg whites contain avidin, a protein that binds strongly to biotin and can interfere with its absorption. Cooking denatures avidin, reducing this effect.
So while eggs are a useful source of biotin, eating them cooked makes more sense than consuming raw egg whites as a way to obtain the vitamin.
How much biotin do you need?
There is no simple UK recommendation telling every adult to eat a particular number of micrograms of biotin each day.
UK government dietary reference guidance has historically noted that there is not enough evidence to establish a formal dietary reference value for biotin. The NHS therefore takes a practical approach and says that people should be able to get the biotin they need through a varied and balanced diet.
You may also see 50 µg used as the Nutrient Reference Value for biotin on UK and European-style food labelling. This is a labelling reference value rather than an individual dietary prescription.
The key point is that biotin is required in relatively small amounts and is available across many different foods.
Can you get enough biotin from food?
For most people, yes.
Biotin deficiency is considered uncommon, and biotin occurs naturally in many everyday foods.
That means someone eating a varied diet containing foods such as eggs, fish, vegetables, nuts and seeds is likely to receive biotin from several sources.
If you are concerned that you may have a nutritional deficiency, it is better to speak to your GP, pharmacist or another qualified healthcare professional rather than trying to diagnose a deficiency from symptoms alone.
Hair thinning, brittle nails and changes in the skin can have many causes, and adding more biotin is not automatically the answer.
Food vs biotin supplements
Food should form the foundation of your nutrient intake, but supplements can offer a convenient way to complement your diet and routine.
A biotin supplement may particularly appeal to people who prefer a simple daily format or who want biotin as part of a broader hair and skin nutrient formula.
However, a supplement should not be treated as a substitute for a varied diet, and taking more biotin does not automatically mean better results.
If you choose a supplement, check what it contains, follow the recommended serving on the label and consider the complete formula rather than focusing only on the number attached to one nutrient.
Looking for an easy way to add biotin to your routine?
Yumi Nutrition's Hair, Skin & Nails gummies combine biotin with a selection of vitamins and minerals in an easy-to-take vegan gummy format.
They are designed to fit into a simple daily wellbeing routine, particularly for people who prefer gummies to traditional tablets or capsules.
As with any food supplement, follow the directions on the product label and remember that supplements are intended to complement a balanced diet rather than replace one.
One important thing to know about biotin supplements
If you take a biotin supplement, tell your doctor or healthcare professional before certain blood tests.
The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, or MHRA, has warned that higher biotin intake can interfere with some laboratory tests, including some thyroid tests. Depending on the test method, this can potentially result in falsely high or falsely low results.
This is not a reason to avoid biotin-containing foods. It is specifically an important consideration for people taking biotin supplements.
If you are having blood tests, let your healthcare professional know about any vitamins or food supplements you take.
Frequently asked questions about biotin-rich foods
What foods are highest in biotin?
Beef liver is one of the richest commonly cited sources of biotin. Cooked eggs, salmon, sunflower seeds, sweet potatoes and almonds are also useful sources. For most people, a varied diet is more practical than relying heavily on one food.
How can I get biotin naturally?
You can get biotin naturally by eating a varied diet containing foods such as cooked eggs, fish, nuts, seeds, sweet potatoes, spinach, broccoli and dairy products. Plant-based sources include sunflower seeds, almonds, sweet potatoes and leafy green vegetables.
What foods contain biotin naturally?
Biotin occurs naturally in foods including liver, eggs, salmon, pork, sunflower seeds, sweet potatoes, almonds, tuna, spinach, broccoli, cheese, milk, yoghurt, oats and bananas.
Do eggs have biotin?
Yes. One cooked whole egg contains approximately 10 µg of biotin according to the US National Institutes of Health. Eggs should be cooked because raw egg whites contain avidin, which can reduce biotin absorption.
Which nuts have biotin?
Almonds are a recognised source of biotin. Other nuts and seeds can also contribute small amounts. A varied mixture of nuts and seeds can be an easy way to add nutrient-rich foods to breakfasts, snacks and salads.
Does cheese contain biotin?
Yes. Cheese contains small amounts of biotin. Around 28 g of mild cheddar contains approximately 0.4 µg according to NIH reference data.
What fruit contains biotin?
Bananas contain a small amount of biotin. Fruit is generally not among the richest sources, so foods such as cooked eggs, nuts, seeds and sweet potatoes provide more biotin in the commonly available reference data.
What should you eat if you are low in biotin?
Foods containing biotin include eggs, salmon, meat, nuts, seeds and certain vegetables. However, if you think you may have a biotin deficiency, speak to a healthcare professional rather than relying on food or supplements to self-treat it. Biotin deficiency is uncommon and symptoms such as hair loss can have many possible causes.
Is natural biotin better than a biotin supplement?
They serve different purposes. Food provides biotin alongside protein, fibre, fats and other vitamins and minerals, while supplements provide a measured amount in a convenient format. For most people, a varied diet should remain the foundation.
Can vegans get biotin naturally?
Yes. Vegan sources of biotin include sunflower seeds, almonds, sweet potatoes, spinach, broccoli, whole grains, legumes and some fruits. A varied plant-based diet can provide biotin from several sources.
The bottom line
If you are looking for biotin-rich foods, you have plenty of choices.
Cooked eggs, salmon, sunflower seeds, sweet potatoes, almonds and vegetables such as spinach and broccoli can all contribute biotin to your diet. Smaller amounts are also found in foods such as cheese, milk, yoghurt, oats and bananas.
Rather than chasing one food with the highest possible amount, aim for variety. That approach gives you biotin alongside the many other nutrients your body needs.
And if you want a convenient supplement alongside your diet, you can explore Yumi Nutrition's Hair, Skin & Nails gummies or discover the wider Yumi Nutrition vegan gummy vitamin range.
Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication, have a medical condition or are unsure whether a supplement is suitable for you, speak to a healthcare professional.
Sources
This article has been prepared using guidance and nutritional information from:
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NHS, B vitamins and folic acid
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National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements, Biotin Fact Sheet
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UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, guidance on biotin and laboratory test interference
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Great Britain Nutrition and Health Claims Register
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UK dietary reference guidance