Yes, vitamin H exists. It's more commonly known as biotin, or vitamin B7. This water-soluble vitamin plays a crucial role in various metabolic processes, helping the body convert food into energy.
What is Vitamin H (Biotin)?
Vitamin H, or biotin, is a member of the B complex vitamins. Multiple sources confirm its existence and importance in human health. For example, the Mount Sinai Hospital website (https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/supplement/vitamin-h-biotin) states that "Vitamin H, more commonly known as biotin, is part of the B complex group of vitamins." Similarly, Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biotin) describes biotin as "also known as vitamin B7 or vitamin H."
Biotin's Role in the Body
- Energy Production: Biotin aids in the conversion of food into energy.
- Metabolic Processes: It's involved in a wide range of metabolic functions, both in humans and other organisms.
- Fetal Development: Biotin is crucial for fetal development, being transported to the fetus transplacentally (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-77704-9).
- Hair and Nail Health: Biotin is often associated with maintaining healthy hair and nails (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/287720).
Some sources, like the Washington City Paper (http://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/201197/why-does-vitamin-k-exist-but-not-vitamin-h-and/), address the common misconception that vitamin H doesn't exist. This article clarifies the confusion stemming from gaps in the alphabetical vitamin naming convention. The confusion arises from the fact that not all letters in the alphabet correspond to a vitamin.
While some products may use "Vitamin H" in their marketing (https://www.karinherzog.com/en/product/vitamin-h-43), this is simply a synonym for biotin. It's crucial to understand that this is not a separate vitamin.
