Healthy nails are strong, smooth, and pink and nail biting shouldn’t be encouraged. They’re made of a protein called keratin, and grow at an average rate of a millimetre a week. The state of your nails can indicate your general state of health. Like every part of the body, nails need a supply of nutrients.
Thin, spoon-shaped nails especially on the thumb, characterize iron and zinc deficiencies in the diet. The nails may also become brittle and pale. Increasing iron intake will help to stave off iron-deficiency anaemia and improve general health as well as the condition of the nails. Brittle nails and infections of the surrounding skin may indicatelack of zinc.
Good sources of iron include red meat, fish and poultry, and green leafy vegetables. Because vitamin C helps the body to absorb iron from plant foods, try drinking citrus juices with meals, and avoid drinking strong tea with meals, as the tannin it contains inhibits iron absorption. Eat plenty of zinc rich food such as seafood, eggs, offal, meat, nuts, lentils and chickpeas.
Many people believe that calcium-rich foods will make their nails stronger. Diabetics and those who are suffering from illnesses that stem from mineral deficiency are often predisposed to chronic whitlows, (infection of the nail) People whose hands are frequently immersed in water, such as kitchen staff, barmaids and nurses, are also prone to whitlows.
Water and soap may also be responsible for brittle nails. In this case the best treatment is to apply hand cream to the nails regularly, or stop nail biting.
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