Does Biotin Supplements Really Work?

Biotin is part of the Vitamin B complex group and must be obtained through the diet or absorption with the synthesising of bacteria in the large intestine. The main source is through the diet – mainly pasture. High concentrations are found in alfalfa, but also in lesser amount in oats, barley soymeal and corn.

Researchers found that in tests, improvements were observed in nail and skin conditions of humans that consumed higher amounts of biotin. This lead to the theory that if it works for humans it should work for horses. Unfortunately only a handful of studies have been performed in horses to determine the effect that biotin has. Current research of available literature has not produced any current studies. Last study was 1998 from the University of Edinburgh, which showed improvement in growth and hardness. Several other studies showed that no improvement was seen.

Biotin is readily available but is expensive. It is easy to feed a horse but the possible effects will not be seen for some time due to the slow growth of the hoof. The hoof grows from the coronary band and moves downward. It takes up to 12 months for the wall to grow from the band to the ground. From the literature read, this product may not actually work that effectively. The other factor to consider, is the quality that you are receiving for your money may be inferior as in the animal pharmaceutical line the quality controls are poor.

It appears that Biotin may not make any real difference to the health of the hoof. It is popular through marketing but there is limited type of research in the area of whether biotin actually does what the marketing hype says it does.

However, the theory of feeding antioxidants to where they are needed in a format that is absorbed by the body is a well documented process. This has the effect of allowing the cells to synthesis the nutrients and protect the cell integrity against free radicals and damage that causes the brittleness and shelly appearance to start with.

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