You are probably familiar with the saying “Our eyes are the window to our soul”, but were you aware that our nails are essentially doors to our bodies? Lisa Petty, a Canadian nutritionist and aging expert, as well as the author of the 2005 book, Living Beauty (Fitzhenry and Whiteside) wrote, “Nails endure the most when we don’t treat our body well
At the point when supplements go into our bodies, the skin, hair, and nails get them last. So a nail issue can flag an issue in our bodies.”
Your nails are much more than a cosmetic issue. Yellow, brittle, or ridged fingernails and toenails often indicate health problems and/ or nutritional deficiencies, such as thyroid disease or anemia. Made of keratin protein, fingernails and toenails make certain our nail beds, or the exceptionally touchy piece of skin at the end of our fingers and toes, are protected.
The nail is shaped by nail grids, or collections of veins, nerves, and lymph vessels.
While nails vary in shape due to genetics, everyone’s nails share some of the same qualities. This includes the fact that they are translucent (the pink coloring is the result of the tiny veins beneath the nail plate), feel smooth, and are not particularly fragile
Unfortunately, when our nails are unable to get enough supplements, they can become stained, hard, or just plain ugly.
Fortunately, it is pretty easy to clear up most nail problems by making changes in your diet, taking supplements and vitamins, and supporting them
White Spots
The white spots on the nails due to insufficient zinc levels in the body. The natural source of zinc is pumpkin seed, peas, sesame seeds and red meat.
Soft Nails With Curl Upward
The soft nails with curl towards up direction are due to little iron in the body. The solution for this issue 325 mg of iron sulfate at least 3 times a day
Yellow Nails
The yellow nails are the result of a deficiency of vitamin E in the body. The solution for this issue is very simple, you just have to start the supplement of vitamin E. The natural source of vitamin E consists of sweet potatoes, peanuts, hazelnuts, wheat germ oil and almonds which you can add in your daily diet
Split or Brittle Nails
This condition of nails is due to lack of moisture and vitamin B in the body. To resolve this issue You can start the intake of gelatine, calcium supplements, and colloid minerals to get rid of this condition. For pregnant women biotin can be dangerous, thus one should not take this supplement without the instruction of a physician.
Vertical Ridges
The malnutrition or deficiency of vitamin and minerals are reflected through the vertical ridges. You can use almond oil and chamois buffer and polish your nails. Do this 2-3 times a day. Do not go for ridge fillers as it consists of synthetic chemicals in it.
Horizontal Dents or Ridges
The horizontal dents are actually a sign of nutritional deficiencies, high fever, psoriasis or can cause due to trauma after surgery. The supplements of protein and vitamin A are advised by Petty to cure this condition.
Fungus
The frequent exposure of nails to warmth and dampness leads to fungus issue in the fingernail. The greenish, yellow or messy look of nails indicates the fungal infection. You can use tea tree oil soak to get rid of the fungal infection in the nail
Here are some health indication of nails which are serious and you should get a medical help for such conditions.
- Blue nail beds indicate issues in blood flow
- Fragile nails indicate hypo- or hyperthyroidism
- Upward-bending nails lead to thyroid infection
- Yellow nails represent the chronic bronchitis
- White nail beds indicate liver infection
- Red nail beds lead to coronary illness
