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Your nails protect the nerves concentrated in the
fingertip and toes. Nails are part of the outer layer of skin and are
made of a protein called keratin. Healthy nails are pink which indicates
a good blood supply. Changes or or abnormalities in your finger or
toe nails likely indicate nutritional deficiencies and may also indicate
a more serious health problem.
|
Nutrient /
Supplement |
Importance
( 1 - 10 ) |
Helpful notes |
| vitamin B
complex |
7 |
Low vitamin B intake results
in fragile and brittle nails. |
| Essential
fatty acids |
9 |
Aid in the health of
skin and nails. They also help to relieve many inflammation
problems that occur around the nails. Fatty acids are found in omega fatty acids from fish
oil, flax seed oil, and borage seed oil. The fatty acids work
well with the amino acid called L-methione. |
Multi-vitamin
and
Mineral supplement |
10 |
contains vitamin
D, calcium, vitamin B , vitamin
A, magnesium, and zinc which all are helpful
for people with nail and skin health problems. The
supplemental nutrients are also required for general good
health and well being. |
| vitamin A |
9 |
deficiency in vitamin A can causes
dryness and brittle nail. Vitamin A also helps the body process protein.
Problems processing protein
may cause hangnails and other skin related problems. |
| vitamin
C |
9 |
a lack of vitamin C can cause hang
nails |
| Bioflavonoids |
9 |
work with vitamin C |
| vitamin D |
9 |
enhances calcium absorption in the
body and the mineral calcium is needed to prevent
brittle and dry nails. |
| Horsetail |
8 |
this herb helps the body use
calcium properly and it is good for the flexibility of the
fingernails and toenails. |
| Ginkgo
biloba |
8 |
herb theat helps with circulation
problems and is also good for brain and memory function |
| Calcium |
8 |
needed for proper healthy nail
growth. Note a good calcium
supplement may also contain magnesium and boron. |
| Zinc |
8 |
this mineral helps with absorption of
both minerals and enzymes. It has been shown that
not getting enough zinc may cause white spots on the finger or
toe nails. |
NAIL PROBLEMS - DIAGNOSING
Changes
or problems with your finger or toe nails can be a warning of
many different health problems or disease. Often, nail changes
will occur before other symptoms start. The following table
give some help in checking your nail health.
| NAIL CONDITION |
HEALTH
PROBLEMS |
| Black,
splinter like bits under the nails |
may indicate
infectious endocarditis, a serious heart infection, other
cardiovascular
or heart disease, or a bleeding disorder.
|
| Brittle
nails |
may
indicate a thyroid problems, impaired
kidney function,
and/or circulation problems. Brittle, soft, shiny nails without
a moon may indicate an overactive thyroid known as
hyperthyroidism. |
| Bumps
on Nails |
Person may
have rheumatoid
arthritis |
| Dark
nails (thin, flat, spoon-shaped nails) |
normally
indicate a vitamin B12 deficiency or
anemia. Nails can also
turn gray or dark if the hands are placed in chemicals such as
cleaning supplies (like bleach) or something you are allergic
to. |
| Deep
blue nail beds |
indicate
possible pulmonary health problem such as
asthma or
emphysema. |
|
Downward curving nail ends |
may denote
heart, liver, or lung / respiratory problems. |
| Flat
nails |
can
indicate person has
Raynaud's disease |
|
Greenish nails |
normally a
fungal infection,
can also indicate an internal bacterial infection. |
|
Half-white nail with dark spots at the tip points |
person may
have kidney disease |
| Nails
that break easy (chip, peel, crack) |
indicate a
poor nutrition, insufficient hydrochloric acid, and protein in
the diet. As well as deficiency in minerals. |
| Nails
raised at the base, with small, white ends |
may
indicate a respiratory disorder like
emphysema or
bronchitis. This type
of nail problem can be inherited as well. |
| Pitted
Red-brownish spots and split ends |
indicate
psoriasis and the
person probably needs vitamin C, folic acid, and protein. |
| Red
skin around the cuticles |
can be
indicate poor metabolism of essential fatty acids or may
indicate the person has Lupus. |
|
Vertical ridges on nails |
indicate
poor general health, poor nutrient absorption, and the ridges
may also indicate a
kidney disorder. |
|
Horizontal ridges on nails |
can
indicate severe stress
(both psychological or physical). Person is also more vulnerable
to arthritis. |
| Thick
nails |
indicate
that the person's cardiovascular system is weakening and the
blood is not circulating good. May also indicate thyroid
disease. |
| White
nails |
indicate
possible liver disease
or kidney disease,
anemia. If the white nails have pink near the tips then
cirrhosis of the liver
may be indicated. |
| Yellow
nails |
indicate
internal health problems such as: lymphatic system,
respiratory disorders,
diabetes, and
liver disease. |
Other Changes To Make
-
drink 6-8 glasses of steam distilled or
filtered water a day
-
eat 50% raw fruits and vegetables (organic is best)
-
nuts, seeds, and whole grains are good
-
juice is good (make your
own with a juice machine)
-
do not worry as much about calories as eating the right foods
-
carrot and celery sticks are good to use as a snack
-
a colon cleansing can be very helpful - (do several times each year)
-
do not drink coffee, alcohol, soda pop, other junk food drinks
-
do not eat processed foods white sugar, white flour, etc...
-
use stress relief like going for walks in the park
(or the 10/90 rule - see
Stress)
-
brown rice is good to eat
-
avoid red meat and animal fats
-
reduce dairy products cheese, milk, and others
-
fast a few days a month
-
get at least 8 hours of sleep
-
exercise light to moderate amounts
-
avoid artificial sweeteners like Aspartame and NutraSweet
-
do not smoke and avoid second hand smoke
-
do not skip meals - just eat better and not as much at each meal
-
do not chew gum - it can cause you to feel hungry
-
do not watch too much TV try reading a book or something else
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