What Your Nails Reveal About Your Health

What do you really know about your nails? Beyond keeping them clean and polished, have you ever considered the messages they send you daily? When we were kids, we were taught that white spots on nails indicate a calcium deficiency. Is this true? Here are 5 insights your fingernails can reveal about your health:

1. Vertical Ridges:

Many people have fine vertical lines on their nails which are usually harmless. However, some develop ridges or bumps along the nails, signaling a possible deficiency in vitamin B12. This could also indicate thyroid problems or low oxygen flow to the nails and surrounding nerves.

(Photo: shutterstock)

2. Brittle or Split Nails:

Do your nails feel weak, split easily, and break often? This often points to a deficiency in calcium, biotin, and folic acid. The issue usually isn’t the lack of vitamins themselves, but rather their absorption.

(Photo: shutterstock)

3. White Spots on Nails:

Remember those white spots? They mostly indicate a zinc deficiency. It’s surprising to learn that they reflect a past deficiency, not a current one. For example, if the spots are in the middle of the nail, the deficiency might have occurred two or three months ago, as nails take about six months to grow out entirely. Zinc deficiency often results from high sugar and junk food intake.

(Photo: shutterstock)

4. Purple or Blue Nails:

If your nails are purple or blue, it may indicate a lack of oxygen in the blood reaching the nails. Additionally, cold, frostbite, or chronic stress can impair the nerves in the hands, causing nails to turn bluish-purple.

5. Horizontal Ridges or Wavy Nails:

What about nails with horizontal waves? This kind of ridge from side to side suggests a deficiency in B vitamins, especially B7 – biotin. Biotin is crucial for cell growth, so lacking it leads to such nail conditions.

Solutions for Those Nail Problems

Fortunately, most issues can be resolved simply enough. It’s always wise to get blood tests and ask your doctor for specific vitamin and mineral screenings.

You can take supplements, but fulfilling deficiencies with food is quite possible:

• To enhance vitamin and mineral absorption, try taking a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water before meals. This strengthens the stomach and boosts the body’s ability to absorb the necessary nutrients quickly and efficiently.
• Consume plenty of animal meat, liver, eggs, and salmon.
• Seaweed is a good source to replenish missing minerals, but if it’s not to your taste, supplements are always an option.

Ultimately, we must remember that a balanced diet and reducing sugar and processed food intake are the foundations for a healthy body, and of course, healthy, strong nails.