How Fingernails Can Tell Us a Lot about Our Health Status
When I was in high school, a friend of mine used to see a doctor because of indentations on her fingernails. I figured that she was simply very fussy. When I finally asked her, I found out that having those dents in your fingernails can be a sign of illness. Healthy nails are strong, smooth, and consist mainly of keratin proteins. The natural color of the nail is light pink - indicating a rich blood supply but in some people it may be a little darker. Fingernails can tell us a lot about our health status. When changes occur in color, shape, or texture that can be a sign of a health problem, but not necessarily a serious one. It can range between serious diseases such as cancer and heart disease or mild issues such as lack of vitamins and minerals.
Either way, any change that occurs to your fingernails, provided that you are sure that this change is not caused by external factors such as slammed nails, requires immediate medical check. Vitamin A is an essential micronutrient for vision, reproduction, cell and tissue differentiation, and immune function. Vitamin D and calcium work together in cases of maintaining homeostasis, creating muscle contraction, transmission of nerve pulses, blood clotting, and membrane structure. A lack of vitamin A, vitamin D, and calcium can cause dryness and brittleness of nails. Sources of these micronutrients include fortified milk, cereal, and juices, salt-water fish, fish-liver oils, and some vegetables. Vitamin B12 is mainly found in animal sources such as liver and kidney, fish, chicken, and dairy products and therefore can cause intake issues in vegan populations. Not enough B12 Vitamin can lead to excessive dryness, darkened nails, and rounded or curved nail ends. Insufficient intake of both vitamin A and B, as previously described, results in fragile nails with horizontal and vertical ridges. Protein is a building material for new nails; therefore, low dietary protein intake may cause anaemia and the resultant reduced haemoglobin in the blood filling the capillaries of the nail bed reflects varying amounts of light incident on the nail matrix resulting in lighter shades of pink ultimately resulting in white nail beds when the haemoglobin is very low. When the haemoglobin is close to 15 or 16 grams most of the spectrum of light is absorbed and only the pink color is reflected back and the nails look pink Dietary sources of this macro-nutrient include eggs, milk, cheese, meat, beans and legumes. A lack of protein combined with deficiencies in folic acid and vitamin C produce hangnails. Essential fatty acids play a large role in healthy skin as well as nails. As touched upon previously, essential fatty acids can be obtained through consumption of fish, flaxseed, canola oil, seeds, leafy vegetables, and nuts. Splitting and flaking of nails may be due to a lack of linoleic acid. Irondeficiency anaemia can lead to a pale color along with a thin, brittle, ridged texture. Iron deficiency in general may cause the nails to become flat or concave, rather than convex. Iron can be found in animal sources, called heme iron, such as meat, fish, and poultry, and can also be found in fruits, vegetables, dried beans, nuts, and grain products, also known as non-heme iron. Heme iron is
absorbed fairly easily in comparison to non-heme iron; however, both types provide the necessary bodily functions. For your nails to be healthy your diet should include a lot of fruits and raw vegetables so that they get the required vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Eat food that is rich in silicon like broccoli, fish and onions. Eat foods rich in biotins like whole grains. Drink plenty of water and other fruit juices. Food rich in zinc and vitamin B will strengthen your nails. Fresh carrot juice rich in calcium and phosphorous is perfect for strengthening nails. So apart from having strong nails in preparation for a nice pedicure and manicure, it won't do any harm to take good care of nails. If you want to make certain that you keep your fingernails in good condition, continue to read. 1. Regularly trim your nails. This guarantees you not only lovely nails, but removes any dirt hidden beneath your nail bed, which is unhygienic and unattractive. It is important that you replace your nail clippers from time to time, as old ones can become rusty and contain bacteria, resulting in an infection or tetanus. Use sharp clippers when cutting your nails and then file with an emery board. 2. Along with clipping your nails, don't bite them! This makes your nails look really unattractive. It is unhealthy too, since it damages the nail bed and allows infection from fungi or bacteria to enter. Be careful if you or those around you bite nails - nail biting may be an indicator of psychological problems. There are ways to discourage nail biting, such as applying nail products to nails that taste gross when put into the mouth. 3. Put on gloves when you are hand washing clothes. If you have to hand wash for long periods, use rubber gloves to protect your hands and nails. Do the same with other housework, when using abrasive chemicals. 4. Many of us are unaware that nails also need to be moisturized. Cover your nails with hand lotion to give them a dose of moisturizer. The more your hands are in water, the more you should replace the moisture, especially for your hands and nails. Nail polish remover can really dry the nails, so moisturize after removing polish too. If your nails are weak, moisturize them at night before you sleep. A pair of gloves made of cotton worn throughout the night will retain moisture in both the hands and fingernails. 5. If you have weak, breakable nails, there are nail hardening products you can use. Just avoid using preparations that have toluene sulfonamide or formaldehyde because they can cause stains on your nails and also skin irritation. If you have a hangnail, be sure to clip it instead of pulling
it off. Lastly, don't use your fingernails to open a soda can. This could result in your nails breaking. Hope these tips have been helpful! You may also watch this video HERE to get some ideas on how to get strong and healthy fingernails To find out more about how fingernails can tell us a lot about our health status, click on Fingernails and Your Health You may want to click HERE to read this – 5 Health Warnings to Watch for on Your Tongue. Also click HERE to read – What Your Stool is Telling You Source: http://luv2sex.theblogpress.com/?p=4164