Your fingernails are made up of layers of keratin, a certain type of protein. Healthy fingernails appear smooth and uniform in color. Unhealthy looking fingernails can be a sign of a more serious problem. Some nutritional deficiencies can contribute to weak or brittle nails. If you are having a nail problem that does not go away, consult your doctor to make sure you do not have an underlying condition.
Gelatin
Gelatin, a type of protein, may help strengthen your nails. Traditionally, gelatin is believed to be an effective fingernail supplement. But research that supports these claims is from 1959 and no recent research exists. You can add gelatin to your diet to improve the strength of your nails. If you do not like the taste of gelatin, you can also take gelatin supplements in liquid and capsule form. Whether gelatin supplements help strengthen nails is not clear, but these supplements are not harmful.
Your fingernails contain collagen, a type of fibrous protein. Collagen is essential for skin and nail health because it is a part of the connective tissue. Your body produces collagen but some foods, such as soy products, dark green vegetables and red fruits and vegetables, help to stimulate collagen production. You can also take collagen capsule supplements to produce new collagen cells and promote nail growth, according to Penny Kendall-Reed, author of The New Naturopathic Diet, on the website Canadian Living.
Amino Acids
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. A supplement that contains essential amino acids may help your fingernails grow and become stronger. Amino acids are found in dietary protein. But if you do not have enough protein in your diet or most of your protein comes from non-animal sources, you may need to take a capsule supplement. Specifically, the amino acids, lysine, glycine and proline, are important for fingernail health, according to Canadian Living.
Other Supplements
Although protein is important to help strengthen your fingernails, other nutritional supplements are also essential if you have weak nails. Dr. Richard K. Scher, Professor of Dermatology and head of the Nail Section at Columbia University-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City states that biotin, a type of vitamin B, absorbs into the nails and may encourage a thicker nail to grow. Vitamin E can be effective in treating discoloration in nails, according to the website Life Extension. Both of these are available in capsule form.
