Nails are composed almost entirely of protein. Abnormal or unhealthy nails may be the result of a local injury, a glandular deficiency such as hypothyroidism, or a deficiency of certain nutrients.

A protein deficiency can cause opaque white bands to appear on the nails or cause them to become dry, brittle, and very thin. Insufficient amounts of complete proteins and/or vitamin A slow down the rate of nail growth (which is also affected by various drugs). A shortage of vitamin A or calcium in the diet may also cause dryness and brittleness.

A lack of the B vitamins causes nails to become fragile, with horizontal or vertical ridges appearing. The B complex is also a factor in fungus infestation found underneath the nails. Frequent hangnails usually indicate an inadequate intake of vitamins C and folic acid and protein.

An iron deficiency can disturb the growth of the nails causing dryness, brittleness, thinning, flattening, and eventually the appearance of moon-shaped nails. White spots can be caused by a zinc deficiency.

Any nail abnormality indicates that the diet is not adequate; a well-balanced diet supplying all essential nutrients in recommended.

For nutritional support, visit www.vitaminaid.net

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This entry was posted on Sunday, September 14th, 2008 at 9:03 am and is filed under Beauty, CHILDRENS HEALTH, Mens Health, Womens Health, health, minerals, nutrition, vitamins. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.