If your nails are peeling, brittle, or have vertical ridges, you may be vitamin D deficient.
The appearance of dents or dimples on the surface of the nails is known as the pitting of nails. The pitting of nails is due to a lack of Vitamin D deficiency. An allergic reaction or auto-immune disorder also causes it.
Vitamin D regulates calcium levels in the body which is an essential contributor to having healthy nails. If you find yourself with brittle and weak nails, it could mean a lack of Vitamin D. Perhaps, book yourself a Nail Strengthening Treatment (IBX).
Nail pitting
Ever wondered what explains those strange dimples and pinhead-sized dents on your fingernails? This nail malformation is usually triggered by allergic or immune related skin problems. Some doctors recommend taking a high-strength vitamin D supplement to help with this.
What do fingernails look like with anemia? If a person has anemia, their nails may be pale or spoon-shaped.
Split, cracked, or brittle nails may be due to thyroid disease, psoriasis, frequent hand washing, or medications. When this symptom is accompanied by yellowness it can also indicate a fungal infection. Healthy nails should be smooth and have a consistent color.
Having inadequate levels of vitamin D may correlate with unintentional weight gain. A study on women over the age of 65 found that participants with a lower vitamin D level experienced more weight gain. A systematic review of 23 different studies found similar associations between vitamin D deficiency and obesity.
Vitamin D stimulates hair follicles to grow, and so when the body does not have enough, the hair may be affected. A vitamin D deficiency may also be linked to alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition that causes patchy hair loss.
“Adding an over-the-counter vitamin D supplement can make improvements in just three to four months time. Vitamin D with a strength of 1000-2000 international units daily is the recommended dose for most adults,” Dr. Ropte says. Most multivitamins contain vitamin D, so extra supplementation isn't always necessary.
Normal aging: Many people develop vertical ridges on their nails as they get older. These lines aren't dangerous. Skin conditions: If you have very dry skin or eczema, you may have vertical lines on your nails. Thyroid disease: If you have hypothyroidism, you may have thick, brittle nails with vertical ridges.
You can become deficient in vitamin D for different reasons: You don't get enough vitamin D in your diet. You don't absorb enough vitamin D from food (a malabsorption problem) You don't get enough exposure to sunlight.
Hence, in the 2011 study, the researchers looked at supplementing vitamin D with calcium to overweight and obese adults. At the end of the research, the researchers concluded that the participants who took supplements lost significantly more stomach fat than people who did not [3].
In general, the two main causes of vitamin D deficiency are: Not getting enough vitamin D in your diet and/or through sunlight. Your body isn't properly absorbing or using vitamin D.
Besides boosting mood and promoting calcium absorption, recent studies have shown that vitamin D may also aid in weight loss. For people with extra belly fat, a vitamin D supplement may be beneficial.
When vitamin D levels are low and the body isn't able to properly absorb calcium and phosphorus, there is an increased risk of bone pain, bone fractures, muscle pain and muscle weakness. In older adults, severe vitamin D deficiency (levels less than 10 ng/mL) may also contribute to an increased risk of falls.
Does Vitamin D Deficiency Make You Tired? Yes, if you're not getting enough vitamin D you will likely experience low energy and feel tired. An observational study, this one in 200 female nurses, found that only 9.5% of them had normal vitamin D levels, while 89% were found to have vitamin D deficiency.
Furthermore, Vitamin D deficiency leads to dysbiosis of gut microbiome and reported to cause severe colitis. Vitamin D supplementation is low cost and available and can be a therapeutic option.
Did you know your nails can reveal clues to your overall health? A touch of white here, a rosy tinge there, or some rippling or bumps may be a sign of disease in the body. Problems in the liver, lungs, and heart can show up in your nails.
Brittle nail syndrome, onychomycosis, paronychia, nail psoriasis, longitudinal melanonychia, Beau's lines, onychomadesis and retronychia are common nail disorders seen in clinical practice.
2 Nail changes in vitamin B12 deficiency present as hyperpigmentation of nails like bluish discoloration of nails, blue-black pigmentation with dark longitudinal streaks, and longitudinal and reticulate darkened streaks. The nail pigmentation associated with B12 deficiency is more frequent in patients with dark skin.