Onchymycosis is fungal infection of the toenail that occurs following damage or weakening of the nail and surrounding skin. Onychomycosis has no dietary cause or cure, but ensuring that you eat a balanced diet and reduce your intake of refined carbohydrates will significantly increase the your ability to fight infection. Some dietary supplements may also reduce your risk or increase your rate of recovery from onychomycosis.
Symptoms
According to Dr Rob Hicks writing for the BBC website, the affected area turns yellow-brown and the nail may thicken, crumble and separate from the nail bed. The fungal infection normally starts at the tip of the toe and spreads toward the joint. The discoloration, thickening and deformation of the affected nail are easily visible. The damaged and thickened nail may prevent your shoes from fitting comfortably or cause you pain or discomfort. This may eventually limit your ability to walk, run and play sports.
Causes
Onychomycosis is rarely seen in children but occurs commonly in athletes, the elderly and adults with poor foot hygiene. People suffering from diabetes or with a depressed immune system may also be more affected.
Ill-fitting shoes or socks may cause trauma to your toes and the skin surrounding them permitting the fungal spores to gain access through damaged skin. Allowing your feet to stay damp or sweaty will cause softening of the skin and provide an ideal warm, moist environment for the fungal spores to grow. If you fail to dry your feet properly after bathing or swimming or it you wear your socks and shoes for long periods without changing them, you're increasing your risk of contracting onychomycosis.
Probiotics
Adding probiotics to your diet may reduce your risk of contracting fungal toenail infections and also speed the rate at which you recover from them. You have friendly bacteria living throughout and all over your body. These form a protective mantle that reduces your risk of contracting a fungal infection such as onychomycosis by creating an environment in which fungal spores are less likely to grow. Probiotics help you maintain your population of friendly bacteria. However, no scientific research in humans currently exists to show that probiotics will treat or prevent onychomycosis.
Zinc
Zinc is important in your diet due its role in protein synthesis, maintaining your ability to clear infection and improving your immune function. According to the National Institutes of Health; zinc deficiency is rare in North America if you have a balanced diet and are in good health. If you are following a restricted diet or are unable to absorb zinc properly due to gastrointestinal disease, irritable bowel syndrome or high alcohol consumption, you may be deficient in zinc. Adding a zinc supplement to your diet may improve your ability to prevent or recover from onychomycosis.
Olive leaf extract
Olive leaf extract contains oleuropein, which is claimed by many dietary supplement websites to be of benefit in treating toenail fungal infections. Oleuropein has been proven to have both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects in many species, but no scientific evidence of anti-fungal activity has been established. In 1973, a research team from the U.S. Department of Agriculture at North Carolina State University found that olive leaf extract was ineffective against the seven species of fungi they tested.
