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Biotin — sometimes known as vitamin B7 or vitamin H — is used for its purported benefits of stimulating hair and nail growth, but the U.S. FDA has warned that biotin megadoses can interfere with immunoassays, including those for thyroid and parathyroid function and troponin. Over-the-counter dosages are often 1 to 5 g/day or higher; the FDA's recommended intake is 30 µg/day. In this study, researchers assessed the prevalence of high-dose biotin consumption for ≈5000 participants in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Survey for each of nine 2-year survey cycles from 1999 to 2016. Data on supplement use in the prior 30 days came from in-person interviews.
The prevalence of biotin supplement use of ≥1 g/day increased from 0.1% to 2.8% durin…