Nails: The nails’ appearance has to do with the care we give them and the food quality. Some changes in your habits and certain nutritional supplements can improve your appearance and your general health.
The appearance of the nails is not just a matter of aesthetics. Its status reveals a lot about general health and especially the levels of some nutrients. These nutrients are not only important for the nails but also intervene in many processes necessary for our body to function perfectly and stay in balance.
If our nails do not look good, we have to modify our habits to give them better treatment. For example, we can reduce prolonged exposure to water, which can happen if we wash dishes by hand. We can use gloves or the dishwasher (remember that this appliance saves water).
After showering or clean your hands, you can use a natural or organic hand moisturizer.
Also, do not frequently use nail polish as it contains ingredients that dry out, weaken, and cause them to break. Use certified natural products occasionally to colour your nails.
You don’t have to chew your nails or cuticles. You can avoid breakage by keeping your nails relatively short and square, slightly rounded at the top.
1. Nutrients to Improve the Condition of the Nails
As for the supplements, those that produce the most benefits on the nails are the following:
Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is fat that promotes healthy skin, hair, and nails. It is not simple to realize it in the diet. The best sources of GLA are evening primrose oil and black currant oil.
Take 500 mg of any of these oils twice a day. You will see results in about two months.
Omega-3 fatty acids are also important for nail health. Increase the presence in your food of foods that contain them.
In the vegetable diet, the richest foods are crushed flax seeds and walnuts. 15 g of seeds or 7 nuts are adequate daily doses.
A multivitamin supplement, with doses that do not exceed 100% of the daily needs of each of the nutrients (vitamins and minerals), is recommended, especially in the case of older people.
Would you mind choosing a quality brand and taking it seasonally? Remember that vitamin supplements, in no instance, replace a good diet.
If, with all these measures, your nails do not improve their appearance in a few weeks and they continue to be fragile, with a tendency to break, and you also feel weak or fatigued, consult your doctor because it may be a sign that you suffer from a thyroid problem.
However, remember that over the years, it is, to a certain extent, normal for the nails to become more opaque and brittle.