Bananas. This sweet and delicious fruit can actually help strengthen your weak nails. Bananas contain biotin, which is considered to be great for nails. So, if you have brittle nails, start eating bananas right now!
Greens such as, spinach, broccoli, watercress, kale and collards all have calcium, magnesium, and potassium. All these minerals are vital when it comes to nutrition for your nails. If you'd like to take it a step further, spirulina is a great source of biotin, protein, Vitamin B12 and iron, ie healthy nail gold.
Biotin supplements
Biotin is an essential vitamin that helps maintain the health of the nervous system, hair, and nails. Biotin is a B-vitamin that occurs naturally in foods, such as legumes, salmon, and eggs. However, biotin is water-soluble, which means that a person does not store it in their body.
Biotin (vitamin B7) deficiency can lead to brittle nails and there is some research that has shown an improvement in nail hardness with biotin supplementation, hence its use in hair, skin and nails vitamins. But a biotin deficiency is rare since most people meet their needs with a varied diet.
A 2013 article suggests that without enough zinc, the rate of nail growth decreases, and the nails themselves become fragile and brittle, causing them to crack. If zinc quantities in the body are particularly low, a person may lose their nails completely.
Common causes of nail problems include injury, infection and skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis. Some conditions need professional treatment from a doctor or a dermatologist. People with diabetes or compromised immune systems have a higher risk of fungal nail infections.
“The potassium in avocados boosts keratin content, which strengthens nails, and vitamin E gives nails a natural luster while encouraging healthy growth,” Dr. Schlessinger says. “It can also help nourish and soften dry, cracked cuticles.”
The high calcium content in milk makes our nails stronger and grow faster.
Some of the things that can cause nail ridges are infections, malnutrition, and other medical problems. So talk to your doctor to find the cause. He or she will ask you questions, examine you, and may order tests to see what is behind the problem.
Your nails might be thin or weak if you're not getting a balanced diet. Since nails are made of keratin, a type of protein, eating more protein can help thicken your nails. Healthy fats, such as omega 3s from nuts, and calcium are also important for strong, thick nails.
"While [olive oil] does not promote new growth per se, it does improve brittleness and reduce breakage, allowing the nails to grow to the best of their ability," says Dr. Zeichner. All of the fatty acids (aka Omega-3) in EVOO help to support the retention of moisture in the hair, skin, and nails.
Sources of Biotin
Foods that contain the most biotin include organ meats, eggs, fish, meat, seeds, nuts, and certain vegetables (such as sweet potatoes) [2,12].
Koilonychia is indented nails. Instead of growing straight, your nails look concave, like spoons. In many people, koilonychia is a sign of iron deficiency. Usually, you can get rid of spoon nails by treating the underlying cause.
Because of its involvement in protein synthesis, a process essential to nail growth, it's no surprise that magnesium helps create beautiful and strong nail plates. Sufficient mineral, vitamin, and nutrient intake is necessary to support the nail beds in growing nail tissue.