Nutrition for Healthy Nails

Nutrition plays a major role in the production and maintenance of healthy nails. Without proper feeding, our bodies can temporarily lose the ability to rebuild and repair. Your nails can give an early warning that your diet is lacking or that something more serious may be wrong with the function of one of your body systems.

Benefits

• Good nutrition is vital for all aspects of healthy nail growth and appearance. Lines, white spots and brittle nails are just some of the impacts a basic lack in vitamins and minerals can have upon nails.
  Following a proper diet of balanced nutrition, such as the one depicted in the USDA Food Pyramid, is the way to assure your body has the materials it needs to build healthy cells, tissue and skin.
  All of the body systems are then healthy enough to work together, each one acting to complete a step in the process of nail regeneration.

Considerations

• The health and general condition of nails can point your physician toward specific medical issues affecting your body. The more healthy the nail, the more obvious these signals from within will be and the faster you may receive a diagnosis.
  Nail color is the most basic clue your doctor may notice. Nails with a blue cast may show a lack of oxygenation of the blood from a breathing or blood disorder. Red nail beds may mean heart trouble. Pale nail beds may mean anemia is an issue.

Warning

• Dieting, eating disorders and extreme lack of certain components in the diet (protein, minerals and vitamins, for example) can negatively impact the growth and health of nails.
  A lack of calories will slow growth of the nails. Because nails grow quickly, changes may be seen on their surface before more serious symptoms (of disease or deficiency) appear in the rest of the body.

Prevention

• Engaging in activities that require the use of your hands can help promote blood flow and provide the circulation needed to help grow and repair nails.
  The whole cycle is fueled by proper nutrition. If you are healthy, if your body is well fed, your nails will be healthier. If you eat right, the cells will have the basic building blocks to regenerate. Your nails will be better able to attain length without weakness (which can lead to bending and breakage).

Misconceptions

• Do not bother trying to eating a specific food to cure your nail ills. For example, eating gelatin or soaking your hands in it will not increase the strength of your nails (http://www.roanoke.com/entertainment/insideout/eat/wb/109415). That is a myth.
  Every nail inconsistency does not indicate a medical condition or illness. Some are simply the result of daily wear, fluctuations in our habits or diet.