Long, strong fingernails are a beautiful fashion accent, but even if you keep your nails at a practical short length, they should be strong and smooth to help your fingertips function better at all the little tasks they do each day. Nails help in picking up small objects, and they protect delicate fingertips from injury. A healthy diet plays an important role in keeping fingernails from splitting, peeling or becoming brittle and ridged.
Milk and Eggs
Milk and eggs contain calcium and zinc. Calcium is essential for nail growth, while zinc prevents white spots from appearing on nails, according to beauty writer Kathryn D'Imperio at BeautyDen.com. A glass of milk and a hard-boiled egg daily will promote strong healthy nails, according to both Readers Digest Health and beauty writer Sharon Supriya at One India.
Healthy fingernails require both complete protein and regular doses of calcium and other trace minerals, according to Health Services at Columbia University. A diet rich in these resources supports nail health and helps prevent nails from getting weak or misshapen. Eggs provide healthy complete protein, while milk supplies calcium and other trace minerals. But stick to skim milk to skip unnecessary fats and calories.
Biotin
Beauty Den recommends increasing vitamin B consumption to improve the appearance of skin and nails. Beauty writer Sharon Supriya at One India agrees, suggesting you take 300 micrograms of biotin daily to make nails strong and resilient.
The Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University reports that three independent, uncontrolled trial studies have indicated that biotin supplements of 2.5 mg daily for 6 months showed dramatic increases in fingernail thickness and resistance to splitting. Biotin can be found in many healthy dietary sources, including beans and legumes, whole grains, bananas, shellfish and peanut butter.
The Linus Pauling Institute suggests that egg yolks, liver, and yeast are all high in biotin. Biotin is also a component of B Complex vitamin supplements.
Water
Environmental factors like hand washing, cold winds, dry indoor air, and nail polish remover all work to dehydrate nails, leaving them dry and brittle, according to the Health Services at Columbia University. Protecting hands with gloves helps, but be sure to drink plenty of water as well to ensure that nails and their surrounding skin stay supple and well-hydrated.
Beauty writer Sharon Supriya at One India recommends 8 to 10 glasses of water a day. Readers Digest suggests rubbing petroleum jelly into cuticles and nails regularly to help maintain hydration, or substitute olive oil, which creates a healthy moisture barrier while adding nutrients to the skin.
References
- Beauty Den: D'Imperio, Kathryn; "Diet and Tips for Healthy Nails"
- Reader's Digest: 14 Tips for Strong and Healthy Nails
- One India Beauty: Supriya, Sharon; "Glowing Nails With the Power of Nails"
- Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University: Biotin
- Columbia University Health Services: Fingernails Misshapen
