Do you ever look at your nails and wonder if there’s more you can do to keep them looking strong and beautiful? Healthy nails can reveal a lot about your overall health, including diet. Luckily, with the right approach to nutrition and diet, you can keep your nails in top condition. In this article, we’ll show you the foods and vitamins you should focus on to maintain healthy nails.
1. Embrace Natural Nail Health with Healthy Eating
Discovering how to achieve beautiful, healthy nails begins with understanding how your diet affects nail health. Making small changes to your diet can have major effects on your nails. Here are several tips to keep in mind when trying to optimize the health of your natural nails.
- Plenty of Vitamin A: Carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach and kale are good plant-based sources of this vitamin and can help promote strong, healthy nails. Plus, they’re delicious too!
- Calcium Incorporation: By eating yogurt, cheese, and other dairy products rich in calcium you can help strengthen your nails. Eating calcium-rich greens like kale, broccoli, and collard greens can also do the trick.
- Iron Intake: Iron plays an important role in keeping nails strong and healthy. You can find iron in many lean meats along with spinach, broccoli, and cumin seeds.
- Protein Intake: Eating protein like chicken, turkey, eggs, and salmon can help your natural nails. Protein helps form the foundation for healthy cells, so eating enough of it is key.
Finally, remember to drink plenty of water! Staying hydrated is a key factor in promoting beautiful, healthy nails. Taking in adequate amounts of water is essential for nails to remain strong and flexible. Aim for eight 8-ounce glasses daily to keep your nails looking great.
Eating a nutritious diet filled with vitamins and minerals should be the first step you take to achieve beautiful, healthy nails. Natural nail health isn’t hard, it just requires a little bit of knowledge and attention.
2. Feed Your Fingertips with Nourishing Foods
Healthy hands are essential for anyone’s everyday life. We rely on them for almost everything; washing up, typing, texting, and cooking. That’s why it’s important to nurture and feed your fingertips on a regular basis with nourishing foods. Here’s what to do:
Choose Essential Fats
Fats are crucial for healthy nails and fingertips, however, it is important to choose well. There is a consensus of healthy fats such as monounsaturated (e.g. avocado, olive oil) and polyunsaturated (e.g. salmon, walnuts, flaxseed) fats. Adding these into your daily routine will help keep your hands nourished.
Choose Essential Vitamins
Vitamins and minerals are equally important for fingertips health. Some of the essentional components include:
- Vitamin B: for a healthy nervous system
- Vitamin C: for better circulation and wound healing
- Vitamin A: for healthy skin and nail beds
- Vitamin E: for protection against damage and improving circulation
Adding foods like leafy greens, sweet potatoes, orange, nuts, and citrus fruits, will help you get the sufficient amount of vitamins your hands need.
3. Nourishing Nutrients to Support Healthy Nails
The foundation of healthy nails starts with a nourishing diet that provides essential nutrients. Consuming quality nutrients gives your nails the building blocks they need to remain strong and resilient.
Calcium: A key mineral for healthy nail growth, calcium helps keep nails strong and robust. Foods such as dairy, nuts, chia seeds, and green, leafy vegetables provide a rich supply of calcium.
Fats: Not all fats are bad for you! Essential fatty acids, in particular, are crucial for maintaining healthy nails. Foods like fish, avocados, olive oil, walnuts, and flaxseeds all contain healthy fats that keep nails moisturized and hydrated.
Vitamins & Minerals: There are many different vitamins and minerals that are essential for nail health:
- Vitamin A: Produces healthy oils that keep nails strong and helps them maintain their natural luster.
- Vitamin C: Encourages collagen production which is beneficial for nail growth.
- Vitamin B12: Aids in preventing nail malformations.
- Iron: A deficiency of iron can cause brittle nails.
These vitamins and minerals are found in a variety of foods like broccoli, bell peppers, spinach, iron-fortified cereals, and eggs.
4. Reap the Rewards of Beautiful Nails with Balanced Eating
Eating a balanced diet is paramount when it comes to maintaining healthy nails. Having the right nutrients, vitamins, and minerals in your diet will ensure that your nails remain strong and beautiful by providing the right building blocks. Here’s how balanced eating can keep your nails healthy:
- It helps with the production of healthy keratin: Keratin is the main component of nails and having enough in your diet will ensure that your nails stay healthy.
- It contributes to important vitamins: Particular vitamins from fruits and vegetables are essential for nail health and beauty.
- It encourages better circulation: Eating healthy foods will help promote better circulation throughout the body and to the nails to aid in their growth.
- It reduces the risks of nutritional deficiency: Dietary deficiency can cause brittle and peeling nails. Eating properly is essential for proper nail health.
The rewards of eating right are inexhaustible; looking and feeling your best is often the result. Nail health is no exception to this. With a balanced eating plan, you will be sure to have healthy, beautiful nails without the fragility and discoloration often caused by nutritional deficiencies.
If eating the proper foods is a challenge for you, knowing which foods are good for your nails could help you make better dietary choices. Complex carbohydrates are essential for proper nail health, as well as eggs, corn, spinach, and nuts. Fruits and vegetables are also integral for nail health since they contain essential vitamins and minerals.
By incorporating the right balance of foods into your diet, you will be able to create the perfect environment for healthy, beautiful nails. You can reap the rewards of a balanced diet in a variety of ways, but seeing your fingernails as an integral part of your style is definitely up there.
Eating the right foods is only one factor in keeping nails healthy and strong. The other components to healthier nails are limiting contact with harsh chemicals, using protective handwear, and making sure you stay hydrated. Give your nails the TLC they need and enjoy the benefits of strong, beautiful nails!
