Healthy Nails Just By Eating Right
Healthy fingernails do not just happen, they have to be cultivated from the Inside out. The condition of your body on the outside, such as your skin, hair and nails is a reflection of how healthy your body is on the inside. Nails are a protective mechanism for the fingers and can easily be injured or fall prey to infections if they are not taken care of properly. Some injuries or infections can lead to the nail separating from the nail bed while in other cases nails cane become brittle or chipped due to weather conditions, harsh detergents or how they are treated. It is believed that fingernails are a reflection of a person's overall level of health and nutritional deficiencies often make themselves known through the fingernails. For example a calcium, protein or iron deficiency might show itself by way of fingernails that are brittle, ridged or concave while a vitamin A deficiency will make itself known in the form of nails that are peeling. A person suffering from anemia will exhibit pale nail beds while a zinc deficiency will make itself known in the form of fingernails that grow very slowly. Fingernails are very telling when it comes to the problems they show. Hang nails for example are common to those who do not consume enough protein, folic acid or vitamin C. White bands that develop on the surface of fingernails appear because of a lack of protein while white spots will appear due to a lack of zinc. If cracks or cuts appear in or around the nails then it is likely that you need to drink more liquids and in particular water. To improve the condition of your fingernails, make sure that your daily diet is made up of 50 percent of raw vegetables and fruits, as this will ensure that you are getting all of the vitamins, enzymes and minerals that you require. Just as hair benefits from foods rich in sulfur, silicon and biotin so do fingernails.
Foods that are high in both silicon and sulfur Include fish, onions and broccoli. Foods that are rich in biotin are such foods as whole grains, soy and brewer's yeast. Drink plenty of water on a regular basis as well as other types of liquids such as vegetable juices and milk. Carrot juice is particularly good for strengthening nails as it contains plenty of the minerals calcium and phosphorus. It Is a wise Idea to take supplement every day that are rich In the B vitamins as well as silica and zinc.
Examples of excellent supplements for this purpose include royal jelly, kelp and spirulina. There are three types of oils that are good for fingernails. You can choose to consume these orally or else apply them directly to your fingernails. The first is olive oil. Olive oil is considered to be the most stable of all of the vegetables oils. Olive oil boasts high level of vitamin E and is very beneficial to both the gallbladder and the liver.
The second is coconut oil. Coconut oil is one of the few plant sources of a substance called lauric acid. Lauric acid is a type of fatty acid that is also a part of breast milk. Lauric acid is necessary for the growth and development of the brain and it also encourages the proper functioning of the immune system. Palm kernel is the third but always buy unrefined palm kernel. This oil is very stable and provides excellent saturation for the nails and skin. New Food Cures
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