Biotin Restores Glucose Metabolism Even In Type I Diabetes

haidut

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The glucose and lipid lowering effects of biotin are well known. A combination of biotin and chromium picolinate is approved as a drug for type II diabetes. The study below goes a step further. It mentions that in humans, 16mg of biotin daily for a week restored glucose metabollism in insulin-dependent patients for whom insulin therapy had been withdrawn. In other words, biotin effectively substituted for insulin therapy. In addition, the study replicated the reported results in humans by using a genetically diabetic mouse model. The biotin doses used in the mouse study were equivalent to 15mg and 30mg per day for a human, with the 30mg daily having stronger effect on lowering blood glucose and lowering hyperinsulinemia.
So, people here struggling with glucose issues can try biotin for a week, or a combination of biotin, pyridoxine, thiamine, niacinamide and riboflavin as they are all involved in glucose metabolism. I don't think it gets any better than that, as I don't know of any drug that acts as fast as biotin (1 week) and with such beneficial effects.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3280936
"...Because biotin treatment may lower blood glucose in insulin-dependent diabetes, we chose to study such an effect in non-insulin dependent diabetes. Twenty-six diabetic KK mice, moderately hyperglycemic and insulin resistant, were treated for 10 weeks: 9 animals with 2 mg of biotin/Kg, 8 with 4 mg of biotin/Kg, and 9 with saline (controls). Blood glucose levels, oral glucose tolerance, insulin response to oral glucose, and blood glucose decrease in response to insulin were quantitated. Compared to controls, biotin treatment lowered post-prandial glucose levels, and improved tolerance to glucose and insulin resistance. Serum immunoreactive insulin levels in biotin treated mice were like the controls."

"...Relationships between vitamin status, glucose metabolism and insulin have been demonstrated in animals and humans (1). Vitamin B6 deficiency induces intolerance to glucose (2-5). Treatment with pharmacological doses of B6 improved carbohydrate tolerance in gestational diabetic women (6,7) and in women taking oral contraceptives (8). Riboflavin lowers or increases fasting blood sugar levels in riboflavin-deficient dogs (9-11): intake of high doses of vitamin C appears to be diabetogenic (1). Glucose tolerance is impaired in vitamin A-deficient rats (12). Biotin deficiency has been linked to hyperglycemia and decreased utilization of glucose (13-15). High-dose biotin (16 mg/day) for one week lowered fasting blood glucose levels in non-biotin deficient, insulin-dependent diabetic patients when insulin was withdrawn during biotin administration (16). Because biotin treatment may lower blood glucose levels in insulin-dependent diabetes, we initiated a further study on such a biotin effect in noninsulin-dependent diabetes."
 

poilochio

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Wonderful thank you haidut .....just ordered my biotin ..i will report back once i tried it out ....ps. yes im a typ 1 diabetic since 1.5 years.
 

Tarmander

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poilochio said:
Wonderful thank you haidut .....just ordered my biotin ..i will report back once i tried it out ....ps. yes im a typ 1 diabetic since 1.5 years.


Welcome to the forum brother t1d! I would love to hear about your experiences with biotin...don't go disappearing.
 
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haidut

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From another study - optimal doses of biotin for lowering glucose and increasing glycogen synthesis seem to be in the range 15mg - 20mg per dose. Higher and lower doses have less of an effect. This dose can be taken several times a day but even once daily was enough to reverse insulin resistance and type II diabetes. Optimal effect are seen within a month but are apparent even after 24 hours.
 

NathanK

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I remember reading a few biotin+chromium picolinate studies similar to this. Would the mechanism for restoring glucose metabolism just be biotin's suppression of FFA since niacinamide and aspirin have shown the same?
 
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haidut

haidut

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NathanK said:
post 103280 I remember reading a few biotin+chromium picolinate studies similar to this. Would the mechanism for restoring glucose metabolism just be biotin's suppression of FFA since niacinamide and aspirin have shown the same?

No, biotin does more than suppress FFA. It also restarts the Krebs cycle's usage of pyruvate when the cell is stuck in excess glycolysis. So, instead of the cell producing lactate biotin forces the utilization of pyruvate by the Krebs cycle and later by the electron transport chain. The Krebs cycle stimulation is done by enhancing the activity of pyruvate carboxylase and thus preventing the building of pyruvate and eventually lactate. With niacinamide also lowering excessive FFA and raising the levels of NAD (needed for oxidative metabolism), and thiamine stimulating pyruvate dehydrogenase these 3 vitamins are key for maintaining oxidative metabolism even in sick people. I would add pyridoxine / P5P to the group as it was shown to benefit glycolytic and hyperglycemic states as well and it is a cofactor for some of the enzymes in the Krebs cycle. So, a combination of thiamine, niacinamide, pyridoxine / P5P, and biotin should restore oxidative glucose metabolism, provided the electron transport chain is not blocked by something like excessive NO. But methylene blue can take care of the latter:):
 
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johnwester130 said:
post 103363 Biotin is the most bought supplement on Amazon, with over 5000 reviews.

Why ?

Probably because every cosmetic outfit recommends it left and right and people are bombarded with information on how it is the one supplement that will improve nail, skin and hair quality. There is some merit to these claims, especially the nails part.
 
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SQu

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Really? I have terrible nails. And glucose oxidation.
 
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SQu said:
post 103368 Really? I have terrible nails. And glucose oxidation.

Biotin is not the only factor. Poor protein utilization will also mess up nails, as well as zinc deficiency.
 
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SQu

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More clues - thank you haidut! Years of over zealous zinc supplementing I suspect did nothing but whiten my hair (gee, thanks - so glad I spent all that money!). These days I just have oysters. protein utilization is something to look into. No doubt that sucks too! But I'll get there!
 

TheHound

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haidut said:
SQu said:
post 103368 Really? I have terrible nails. And glucose oxidation.

Biotin is not the only factor. Poor protein utilization will also mess up nails, as well as zinc deficiency.

how does one improve protein utilization?
 
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TheHound said:
post 103431
haidut said:
SQu said:
post 103368 Really? I have terrible nails. And glucose oxidation.

Biotin is not the only factor. Poor protein utilization will also mess up nails, as well as zinc deficiency.

how does one improve protein utilization?

By eating easily digestible proteins and keeping cortisol low.
 
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poilochio

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Tarmander said:
post 103261
poilochio said:
Wonderful thank you haidut .....just ordered my biotin ..i will report back once i tried it out ....ps. yes im a typ 1 diabetic since 1.5 years.


Welcome to the forum brother t1d! I would love to hear about your experiences with biotin...don't go disappearing.

awwww well thanks brotha....for sure i will report back to you guys .... :hattip
 
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poilochio

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SQu said:
post 103425 More clues - thank you haidut! Years of over zealous zinc supplementing I suspect did nothing but whiten my hair (gee, thanks - so glad I spent all that money!). These days I just have oysters. protein utilization is something to look into. No doubt that sucks too! But I'll get there!


would zink do that because it competes with copper? (still learning about all this stuff)
 
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NathanK

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haidut said:
post 103357
NathanK said:
post 103280 I remember reading a few biotin+chromium picolinate studies similar to this. Would the mechanism for restoring glucose metabolism just be biotin's suppression of FFA since niacinamide and aspirin have shown the same?

No, biotin does more than suppress FFA. It also restarts the Krebs cycle's usage of pyruvate when the cell is stuck in excess glycolysis. So, instead of the cell producing lactate biotin forces the utilization of pyruvate by the Krebs cycle and later by the electron transport chain. The Krebs cycle stimulation is done by enhancing the activity of pyruvate carboxylase and thus preventing the building of pyruvate and eventually lactate. With niacinamide also lowering excessive FFA and raising the levels of NAD (needed for oxidative metabolism), and thiamine stimulating pyruvate dehydrogenase these 3 vitamins are key for maintaining oxidative metabolism even in sick people. I would add pyridoxine / P5P to the group as it was shown to benefit glycolytic and hyperglycemic states as well and it is a cofactor for some of the enzymes in the Krebs cycle. So, a combination of thiamine, niacinamide, pyridoxine / P5P, and biotin should restore oxidative glucose metabolism, provided the electron transport chain is not blocked by something like excessive NO. But methylene blue can take care of the latter:):

Fantastic summation! Благодаря
 
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SQu

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poilochio said:
post 103443
SQu said:
post 103425 More clues - thank you haidut! Years of over zealous zinc supplementing I suspect did nothing but whiten my hair (gee, thanks - so glad I spent all that money!). These days I just have oysters. protein utilization is something to look into. No doubt that sucks too! But I'll get there!

would zink do that because it competes with copper? (still learning about all this stuff)
That's my understanding but please, don't leave it at that, there's long debates here on zinc and copper and they know much more than I do. And it sounds complicated.
Oh, and tryptophan is also implicated in whitening hair.
 
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haidut

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NathanK said:
post 103472
haidut said:
post 103357
NathanK said:
post 103280 I remember reading a few biotin+chromium picolinate studies similar to this. Would the mechanism for restoring glucose metabolism just be biotin's suppression of FFA since niacinamide and aspirin have shown the same?

No, biotin does more than suppress FFA. It also restarts the Krebs cycle's usage of pyruvate when the cell is stuck in excess glycolysis. So, instead of the cell producing lactate biotin forces the utilization of pyruvate by the Krebs cycle and later by the electron transport chain. The Krebs cycle stimulation is done by enhancing the activity of pyruvate carboxylase and thus preventing the building of pyruvate and eventually lactate. With niacinamide also lowering excessive FFA and raising the levels of NAD (needed for oxidative metabolism), and thiamine stimulating pyruvate dehydrogenase these 3 vitamins are key for maintaining oxidative metabolism even in sick people. I would add pyridoxine / P5P to the group as it was shown to benefit glycolytic and hyperglycemic states as well and it is a cofactor for some of the enzymes in the Krebs cycle. So, a combination of thiamine, niacinamide, pyridoxine / P5P, and biotin should restore oxidative glucose metabolism, provided the electron transport chain is not blocked by something like excessive NO. But methylene blue can take care of the latter:):

Fantastic summation! Благодаря

Моля :): (it means you are welcome). I see you've been brushing up on your Eastern European languages. Where do you hail from?
 
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