Strong, even and fast-growing fingernails indicate overall good health, and eating nutritious foods and breaking unhealthy habits is key to that good health. But there are no specific foods that can give you beautiful fingernails. It may seem like dull advice, but researchers agree that the best way to avoid discoloration, pits, grooves, ridges, chips and other unsightly nail problems is simply to follow the traditional food pyramid meal plan.Magic Foods?
With the possible exception of biotin, few nutrients specifically target fingernails. Unless you have a specific illness or nutrient deficiency, there is no magic diet or vitamin to beautify nails, according to the Mayo Clinic website. Eating a well-rounded diet and getting proper exercise remains the best strategy for healthy skin, hair and nails.
Malnutrition can cause fingernail disorders such as slow growth, dark tips, vertical ridges and deep grooves across the center,according to the Mayo Clinic website. Serious malnutrition usually stems from a severe lack of nutrients. Eat the recommended amount of calories and healthy fats for your age, weight and gender. Focus on whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and dairy or other calcium-rich foods.
What to Avoid
Although the more serious consequences of heart and liver disease should be your priority, nail abnormalities might indicate these conditions, according to the Mayo Clinic site. Be good to your liver and heart by avoiding excess tobacco, alcohol and saturated fats, and you can reap the secondary benefit of eliminating unsightly nail conditions.
Specific Nail Problems
There are some specific nail issues that might respond to dietary changes. For example, iron deficiency anemia can cause spoon nails, in which fingernails curl on the edges, resembling spoons. Dermatitis or alopecia can cause pits in the fingernails. Brittle, thin or easily-split nails might indicate biotin deficiency.
Targeted Nutrients
If pitted nails are a secondary symptom of dermatitis, consider increasing your consumption of fish and other healthy fats, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Dark berries and yogurts containing probiotics might help reduce dermatitis symptoms. If iron deficiency anemia results in spoon nails, talk to your doctor about how you can eat more iron-rich foods as well as more foods rich in Vitamin C, which helps support iron absorption. Good sources of iron include liver and other red meats, blackstrap molasses, leafy greens, beans, brewer's yeast and almonds. Vitamin C-rich foods include tomatoes, citrus fruits and juices, cauliflower, broccoli and red peppers. Increasing biotin, or vitamin H, might help treat alopecia with secondary pitted nail problems or improve overall hair and fingernail health. Egg yolks are rich sources of biotin, as are nuts, peanut butter, legumes, mushrooms, bananas, sardines and cauliflower.
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