Why is my body not absorbing biotin? Common causes and solutions

December 2, 2025 •

3 min read

While a clinical biotin deficiency is relatively rare in healthy individuals, affecting perhaps 1 in 60,000 newborns with genetic disorders, a marginal deficiency can occur. If you're questioning why is my body not absorbing biotin, it is crucial to investigate specific dietary, medical, or genetic factors interfering with this essential vitamin's uptake.

Quick Summary

Biotin malabsorption can stem from dietary issues like consuming raw egg whites, chronic medication use, underlying intestinal diseases, or rare genetic disorders. Identifying the specific cause is necessary to implement effective strategies and improve biotin levels.

Key Points

Avidin in Raw Eggs: The protein avidin, found in uncooked egg whites, binds to biotin and prevents its absorption in the gut.
Chronic Medication Use: Certain medications, notably long-term antibiotics and anticonvulsants, can inhibit biotin absorption or accelerate its breakdown.
Genetic Disorders: Rare inherited conditions like biotinidase deficiency disrupt the body's ability to recycle biotin, leading to deficiency.
Intestinal Issues: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn's or colitis can reduce the efficiency of nutrient absorption, including biotin.
Chronic Alcoholism: Regular, heavy alcohol consumption impairs the intestinal transport of biotin and increases its catabolism.
Supplemental Needs: Patients on prolonged intravenous nutrition require biotin supplements, as their bodies may not receive it otherwise.
Gut Bacteria: The balance of intestinal flora is important, as gut bacteria synthesize some biotin for the body's use.

Understanding the Biotin Absorption Process

Biotin (vitamin B7) in food is absorbed primarily in the small intestine after being freed from protein-bound forms by the enzyme biotinidase. Gut bacteria also produce biotin that is absorbed. This process relies on a carrier system called SMVT. Disruptions can lead to poor absorption.

Dietary Causes of Biotin Malabsorption

The most significant dietary inhibitor is avidin, a protein in raw egg whites that tightly binds to biotin, preventing its absorption.

Solution: Cooking eggs deactivates avidin, allowing biotin absorption. Avoid excessive consumption of raw egg whites.

Medical Conditions and Medications Affecting Absorption

Various medical factors can impede biotin absorption.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) like Crohn's and colitis can damage the intestinal lining, impairing nutrient absorption, including biotin. Long-term use of broad-spectrum antibiotics can reduce beneficial gut bacteria that produce biotin. Certain anticonvulsant medications may inhibit absorption and increase biotin breakdown. Chronic alcoholism also negatively impacts biotin uptake and accelerates its catabolism. Patients on prolonged total parenteral nutrition (TPN) require biotin supplementation to prevent deficiency.

Genetic Causes of Biotin Deficiency

Rare genetic disorders can severely affect biotin utilization.

Biotinidase deficiency is an inherited condition preventing the recycling of biotin and is often detected through newborn screening. It requires lifelong supplementation. Other very rare genetic disorders, such as holocarboxylase synthetase deficiency and sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter deficiency, can also affect biotin metabolism and absorption.

Comparison of Biotin Absorption Inhibitors


Inhibitor	Mechanism of Action	Affected Population	Potential Solutions
Raw Egg Whites (Avidin)	Binds to biotin in the gut, preventing absorption.	Individuals consuming excessive raw egg whites over long periods.	Cook eggs thoroughly to denature avidin.
Chronic Alcohol Use	Inhibits intestinal absorption and increases biotin breakdown.	Those with chronic alcoholism.	Reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption.
Anticonvulsant Drugs	Interferes with intestinal uptake and increases catabolism.	Patients on long-term anti-seizure medication.	Discuss supplementation options with a doctor.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease	Intestinal inflammation reduces transporter function and nutrient absorption.	Individuals with Crohn's, colitis, or other malabsorption issues.	Treat the underlying inflammatory condition.
Prolonged Antibiotics	Kills beneficial gut bacteria that produce biotin.	Patients on long-term or broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy.	Consider probiotics and dietary support under medical supervision.
Biotinidase Deficiency	Genetic defect preventing the recycling of biotin.	Affects approximately 1 in 60,000 newborns.	Lifelong oral biotin supplementation.

How to Enhance Biotin Absorption

Strategies to improve biotin absorption depend on the cause:

Prioritize Cooked Eggs: Cooking eggs is essential to neutralize avidin.
Support Your Gut Health: For issues related to antibiotics or IBD, a diet rich in prebiotics and probiotics may help restore healthy gut flora.
Manage Underlying Conditions: Treating conditions like IBD can significantly improve nutrient absorption.
Consult Your Doctor About Medications: Discuss potential biotin supplementation if you are on long-term anticonvulsant therapy.
Limit Alcohol: Reducing alcohol intake can help normalize biotin levels.
Supplementation: Oral biotin supplements are effective for deficiencies and malabsorption issues. Biotin is water-soluble and can be taken with or without food.

A balanced diet with biotin-rich foods like liver, yeast, salmon, sweet potatoes, nuts, and avocados is usually sufficient for most people. Targeted interventions are needed for diagnosed issues.

Conclusion

While rare for most, biotin malabsorption can lead to symptoms like hair loss and skin issues. Causes range from raw egg whites and chronic alcohol use to medications and genetic disorders like biotinidase deficiency. Understanding the specific reason is key to effective treatment through dietary changes, medication adjustments, or supplementation. Consult a healthcare provider for diagnosis and management.

Medscape Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, taking oral biotin supplements is an effective treatment for overcoming absorption issues, especially for genetic disorders like biotinidase deficiency. However, it is always best to consult a doctor to determine the root cause of the malabsorption.

The most definitive way to check for a biotin deficiency is through blood tests ordered by a healthcare provider. Symptoms can be vague and overlap with other conditions, so a medical professional can confirm or rule out a deficiency.

To improve biotin absorption, focus on a balanced diet rich in biotin-containing foods like cooked eggs, organ meats (liver), nuts and seeds, legumes, and sweet potatoes. Remember to always cook eggs to neutralize the biotin-binding avidin.

Yes, chronic or excessive alcohol consumption can interfere with biotin absorption and increase its breakdown in the body. Limiting or avoiding alcohol can help maintain healthy biotin levels.

Focusing on overall gut health can help naturally improve biotin absorption. This includes consuming probiotic-rich foods, managing stress, and eating a varied diet to support a healthy gut microbiome.

Some medications, particularly long-term antibiotics, can disrupt the natural biotin production by gut bacteria. Other drugs, like certain anti-seizure medications, actively inhibit the absorption and increase the metabolism of biotin.

Biotinidase deficiency is a rare genetic disorder where the body cannot recycle biotin. It is typically diagnosed through newborn screening and treated with lifelong oral biotin supplementation to prevent severe symptoms.