Home Ingredients Lustriva® (Arginine Silicate and Magnesium Biotinate — Nutrition21)
Hair, Skin & Nails

Lustriva® (Arginine Silicate and Magnesium Biotinate — Nutrition21)

Evidence Level
Limited
1 Clinical Trial
2 Documented Benefits
2/5 Evidence Score

Lustriva is a hair and skin ingredient from Nutrition21 that pairs inositol-stabilized arginine silicate (the same bonded complex sold as Nitrosigine) with magnesium biotinate. One daily capsule of about 160 mg supplies roughly 10 mg of silicon and 10 mg of biotin. Its human evidence is a single 12-week trial in 90 women with thinning hair, funded by the ingredient's developer: the higher dose shifted the mix of scalp hairs toward thicker terminal hairs and reduced maximum wrinkle depth compared with placebo, while skin elasticity and nails did not differ between groups. The trial has not been repeated by independent researchers. At 10 mg, the biotin in Lustriva is far above daily needs and can distort some blood tests, including thyroid and troponin tests, so tell your clinician before bloodwork.

Studied Dose One capsule a day for 12 weeks: 146.5 mg arginine silicate plus 11.7 mg magnesium biotinate (about 10 mg silicon and 10 mg biotin). A lower-biotin version (3 mg biotin) did less well.
Active Compound Inositol-stabilized arginine silicate (146.5 mg, providing 10 mg silicon) plus magnesium biotinate (11.7 mg, providing 10 mg biotin) per daily capsule in the studied high dose.

Benefits

Thicker hair growth in women

In a 12-week trial in 90 women with thinning hair, the high dose shifted scalp hairs from fine vellus hairs toward thicker terminal hairs compared with placebo, measured by TrichoScan from week 3. The lower-biotin dose did not differ from placebo. This is a single trial funded by the ingredient's developer and has not been repeated.

Supported by Trial 1

Skin smoothness and wrinkle depth

In the same trial, maximum wrinkle depth fell with the high dose compared with placebo by week 12, measured with a 3D skin camera. Fine lines (both doses) and texture (high dose) improved from baseline, but those changes were not shown to beat placebo, and skin elasticity did not differ between groups. One developer-funded study.

Supported by Trial 1

Mechanism of action

1

Biotin and keratin

Biotin is a cofactor for carboxylase enzymes in hair roots and is linked to keratin formation. Deficiency causes hair loss and brittle nails, but published support for biotin in people without deficiency is limited to a few case reports and small studies.

2

Silicon and connective tissue

Silicon is suggested to support collagen formation and skin strength, and higher hair silicon has been linked to less hair loss. Silicon supplements differ widely in absorption depending on chemical form, and clinical studies of their safety and efficacy are still lacking.

3

Hair-growth signals in rats

In shaved rats, arginine silicate with or without magnesium biotinate increased hair density, the share of growing hair follicles and growth signals such as VEGF; IGF-1 rose only in the groups that also received magnesium biotinate. Arginine silicate alone did not affect nail growth; the combination with the higher biotin dose did. Animal data only.

4

Magnesium biotinate as a biotin source

The developer presents magnesium biotinate as a better-absorbed form of biotin, citing animal studies of tissue uptake. No human comparison with ordinary biotin is cited here.

Clinical trials

1
Lustriva for hair and skin in women with thinning hair
PubMed

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of three arms for 12 weeks: high dose (10 mg biotin plus 10 mg silicon a day), low dose (3 mg biotin plus 10 mg silicon) and placebo. Funded by JDS Therapeutics; the authors work for the contract research organization that oversaw the study. Not indexed in PubMed. (Kalman et al. 2021, J Clin Exp Dermatol Res)

90 healthy women aged 21 to 65 with self-reported thinning hair confirmed on the Savin/Ludwig scale; 30 per group.

The high dose improved the ratio of vellus to terminal hairs versus placebo from week 3 to week 12 (p=0.029) and reduced maximum wrinkle depth at week 12 (p=0.031). Skin elasticity did not differ, nail ratings improved in all groups including placebo, and the low dose did not reach significance on most measures. No adverse events were linked to the product.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

No adverse events were linked to Lustriva in the 12-week trial; the one serious event occurred in the placebo group.
Biotin at this level can interfere with lab tests that use biotin-streptavidin chemistry, giving falsely high or low results for thyroid hormones, troponin and other markers. A single 10 mg dose has affected thyroid tests done within 24 hours.

Important Drug interactions

Lab tests: tell your clinician you take biotin before any blood test, and ask whether to pause it. The FDA has reported a death linked to a falsely low troponin result in a person taking high-dose biotin.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children: Lustriva has not been studied in these groups, and the 10 mg biotin dose is far above the adult adequate intake of 30 mcg a day.
No other drug interactions are documented in the studies cited here.

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Frequently asked questions about Lustriva® (Arginine Silicate and Magnesium Biotinate — Nutrition21)

What is Lustriva?

Lustriva is a hair and skin ingredient from Nutrition21 that pairs inositol-stabilized arginine silicate (the same bonded complex sold as Nitrosigine) with magnesium biotinate. One daily capsule of about 160 mg supplies roughly 10 mg of silicon and 10 mg of biotin.

What is Lustriva used for?

Lustriva is researched primarily for Hair, Skin & Nails. In a 12-week trial in 90 women with thinning hair, the high dose shifted scalp hairs from fine vellus hairs toward thicker terminal hairs compared with placebo, measured by TrichoScan from week 3.

What is the recommended dosage of Lustriva?

The clinically studied dose is One capsule a day for 12 weeks: 146.5 mg arginine silicate plus 11.7 mg magnesium biotinate (about 10 mg silicon and 10 mg biotin). A lower-biotin version (3 mg biotin) did less well. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is Lustriva safe, and does it have side effects?

Side effects and cautions reported for Lustriva include: No adverse events were linked to Lustriva in the 12-week trial; the one serious event occurred in the placebo group. Biotin at this level can interfere with lab tests that use biotin-streptavidin chemistry, giving falsely high or low results for thyroid hormones, troponin and oth… It may also interact with some medications. Lustriva is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does Lustriva interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Lab tests: tell your clinician you take biotin before any blood test, and ask whether to pause it. The FDA has reported a death linked to a falsely low troponin result in a person taking high-dose biotin. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Lustriva?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Lustriva as Limited (2 out of 5). It is backed by 1 study summary and 5 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(5 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Kalman DS, Hewlings SJ. A Randomized Double-Blind Evaluation of a Novel Biotin and Silicon Ingredient Complex on the Hair and Skin of Healthy Women. J Clin Exp Dermatol Res. 2021;12(1):551. doi: 10.35248/2155-9554.21.12.551.SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed; link is the publisher's full text. Randomized, double-blind trial in 90 women aged 21 to 65 with thinning hair, 12 weeks, three arms. The high dose (10 mg biotin plus 10 mg silicon) improved the vellus to terminal hair ratio from week 3 and reduced maximum wrinkle depth versus placebo; elasticity and nails did not differ between groups. Funded by JDS Therapeutics.
  2. Demir B, Cicek D, Orhan C, Er B, Erten F, Tuzcu M, Ozercan IH, Sahin N, Komorowski J, Ojalvo SP, Sylla S, Sahin K. Effects of a Combination of Arginine Silicate Inositol Complex and a Novel Form of Biotin on Hair and Nail Growth in a Rodent Model. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2023;201(2):751-765. doi: 10.1007/s12011-022-03176-9.PubMedUsed to support: Rat study in which arginine silicate inositol complex, alone or with magnesium biotinate, increased hair density, the share of growing follicles and growth signals (VEGF, HGF, KGF-2, IGF-1, Wnt-1). Only the combination with higher biotin aided nail growth. Animal data; three authors work for JDS Therapeutics.
  3. Patel DP, Swink SM, Castelo-Soccio L. A Review of the Use of Biotin for Hair Loss. Skin Appendage Disord. 2017;3(3):166-169. doi: 10.1159/000462981.PubMedUsed to support: Review of 18 published cases of biotin use for hair and nail changes; every case involved an underlying problem such as deficiency or brittle nail syndrome. The authors found insufficient evidence for biotin supplementation in healthy people.
  4. Araújo LA, Addor F, Campos PM. Use of silicon for skin and hair care: an approach of chemical forms available and efficacy. An Bras Dermatol. 2016;91(3):331-5. doi: 10.1590/abd1806-4841.20163986.PubMedUsed to support: Narrative review of silicon supplement forms: absorption ranges from under 1% to about 50% depending on form, with orthosilicic acid the most bioavailable. Notes that clinical studies of safety and efficacy are still lacking. Does not study arginine silicate or Lustriva.
  5. Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Biotin: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. 2022;Updated January 10, 2022..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed; official NIH fact sheet. Gives the adult adequate intake of 30 mcg a day, states that hair, skin and nail claims rest on a few case reports and small studies, and describes biotin interference with thyroid, troponin and other immunoassays, including after a single 10 mg dose and an FDA-reported death after a falsely low troponin test.