Some nutrients are just sexier than others. Zinc promotes sexual potency while Vitamin D supports testosterone levels. You take them and you feel results in the gym or the bedroom. Then there’s a whole slew of vitamins that are silent, unappreciated workhorses. Biotin is one of these. An essential nutrient and a member of the B-vitamin complex (sometimes referred to as Vitamin B₇), Biotin’s main role is to help metabolize food, turning fatty acids, glucose, and amino acids into energy.  

Experts recommend 30 micrograms of Biotin a day for adults and up to 35 mcg for women who are nursing. Biotin is plentiful in a variety of foods that are often consumed by fit-minded folk, including beef, whole eggs, salmon, broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes, and almonds. Even though people who train hard are more likely to use up their vitamin stores than a sedentary person, Biotin deficiencies are rare. Since B vitamins are water-soluble, meaning a surplus will be harmlessly excreted through urination, there is no danger of overdosing on this nutrient. That’s good news because some research has found an interesting use for high doses of Biotin.

Research published in the European Journal of Pharmacology described how rats given a large daily serving of Biotin experienced significant decreases in body fat levels. At the end of the eight-week experiment, the Biotin-fed subjects had 12.6 percent body fat while the control group came in at 14.9 percent body fat. Scientists believe that the extra Biotin triggers certain enzymes that message cells to burn more fat. While these results have not been repeated with human subjects, it makes this previously unacclaimed vitamin look a lot sexier to anyone interested in a lean physique.