A Quick Guide to Maintain a Proper Diet for Nail Health
Our fingernails are the windows to our health. From changes in color to the growth pattern, our nails can reveal a lot about our bodies and provide insights in terms of physical concerns. So it’s important to know how to maintain a proper diet for nail health.
It’s no surprise then that some people invest in keeping their nails not only looking good but healthy as well. Market research reveals the global nail care industry is projected to reach $11. 6 billion by 2027.
Whether it’s regular trips to the nail salon or nights of self-care dedicated to personal nail primping, no one wants weak or yellow-looking fingernails. No doubt, many people prioritize caring for their fingernails, whether for their visual aspect or for hygienic purposes.
Maintaining nail health can be great for our confidence as it keeps our fingernails looking appealing and sanitary. Most people adopt treatment routines to care for their nails and prevent fungi or brittleness.
However, another aspect of nail care that everyone can actively pursue is by keeping a proper diet. Today, I’ll tell you the importance of a healthy diet for healthier nails.
Why Should You Maintain a Proper Diet for Nail Health?
Like our general body health, our nail health is more affected by what we eat than we would think. A lack of nutrients in our diet can be detrimental to our fingernails. Weak nails are often associated with a deficiency in B vitamins, calcium, iron, and fatty acids — all of which we acquire through the foods we eat.
A healthy diet, then, is essential. Healthy dieting isn’t necessarily restrictive eating, however; rather than focusing on calories, we look more at the nutrients we get through food.
In fact, personalized weight loss programs endorse nutritional powerhouses such as fruit, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and good fats to support your overall health. All of these nutrients then serve as building blocks for better, stronger nails.
So, What’s Best to Eat for Healthier Fingernails?
I’ve talked about how to maintain long natural nails in a previous post, including what specific nutrients and minerals are needed to maintain perfect nail health. These include fruits like oranges and strawberries for Vitamin C, foods rich in biotins like yogurt, milk, meat, and poultry, and foods that contain iron, like baked potatoes, tofu, and lentils.
If you want to maintain a proper diet for nail health, here are 3 interesting items you can consume more to keep your nails and subsequently your body healthy as well!
- Water and hydrating foods
Water helps deliver nutrients and oxygen to the cells, so staying hydrated can prevent your nails from going brittle and dry, making them break easily. Aside from water, hydrating foods such as vegetables, fruits, and soups also help your body hydrate.
- Nutritional yeast
Rich in protein and helping keratin formation, adding nutritional yeast to different recipes can provide a cheesy, nutty, or savory flavor that elevates your dish while giving your nails and body a much-needed nutritional boost.
Just two tablespoons of nutritional yeast will provide three times your daily intake of vitamin B12 and around 69% of biotin daily value.
- Flaxseed
Fatty acid-rich food helps with the healthier growth of nails and hair. Flaxseed, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids and thiamine, can greatly improve nail and hair health and prevent ridges from forming on your nail bed. If you like salads, for example, try drizzling flaxseed oil instead of salad dressing next time, or mix flaxseed into your yogurt.
Final Takeaway
Being malnourished or having a vitamin or mineral deficiency can directly impact the way your nails look, and that visual difference will be the telltale sign of any underlying health conditions.
Having brittle, ridged nails, for example, may be caused by a lack of iron, calcium, magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin D, or lack of water and protein. In that case, taking up an anti-inflammatory and high-protein diet can help provide your nails with the necessary nutrients to be strong.
Read related:
- How to Keep Your Natural Long Nails Healthy and Strong?
- How to Take Care of Acrylic Nails? – Discover 11 Pro Tips
- 7 Tips to Beautify Your Natural Long Nails
Hey there! I’m Raizy, a makeup, beauty, and manicure enthusiast. My passion for nail art and manicures knows no bounds; it’s something I can’t quite put into words. Every day, my goal is to dive into the world of manicures and nail art, and I’m thrilled to share my thoughts and expertise with all of you.