Good nutrition is essential when we want to lead a healthy lifestyle. Many people don’t know that their food choices can make a huge difference in their body weight and overall health. Combined with adequate physical routine, you get the perfect recipe for a long and happy life. It sounds incredible, right?
You can even stimulate the development of fingernails and toenails with a proper diet plan. Do you have onychomycosis? Learn how to combat it naturally with the best foods for toenail growth.
Improve nail health with best foods
Do you know how to fight off nail fungal infection? A combination of systemic and topical treatments works wonders when you have yellow and brittle nails. So, you must use both oral pills and local solutions to kill the fungus from inside out. In the same time, you should have a diet rich in foods with antifungal properties.
You can really eat your way to healthy nails! The scientists have discovered that certain nutrients from foods have the potency to enhance the health of the unguis tissue. The tips of your fingers and toes will grow faster, stronger, and shinier. Here are the best supplements for your nails:
- Protein – considering that the nails are made of keratin, which is actually a protein, you need to take more of it when you want healthier toenails. We require approximately 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. To meet the necessity, consume high protein foods such as fish, poultry, lean meat, and eggs. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, you ought to eat tofu or get some of the protein-based dietary products available on the market.
- Calcium – is mandatory for strong nails. The recommended amounts of this element for adults are about 1,000- 1,200 milligrams per day. When the tips of the fingers and toes are extremely brittle and keep breaking, regardless how much careful you may be, consume more calcium. Your nails will grow faster and healthier. The texture and strength will improve, and you will become able to display your beautiful pedicure again. Therefore, add to your diet raw milk, kale, yogurt, kefir, sardines, bok choy, cheese, watercress, broccoli, spinach, almonds, and okra – they are rich in calcium.
- Iron – when your toenails change their shape, you should eat more foods that contain iron. Adults usually need about 17-20mg/day. Some of the best natural sources of iron are red meat, pork, poultry, peas, dark leafy veggies (spinach), seafood, beans, and dry fruits (apricots, raisins). What are the health benefits of the foods mentioned? Apart from supporting the development and growth of nails, iron also prevents anemia, boosts immunity, helps to maintain a positive mood, increases the cognitive function, and gives you plenty of energy for your everyday activities.
- Probiotics – how can they help you? It may sound crazy, but probiotics do a lot more than just ensuring a healthy digestion. Because they improve the immune system, probiotics will help fight against the cause of onychomycosis. So, your nails will become considerably healthier if you eat more fermented foods, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, and yogurt. When you don’t consume these natural sources of probiotics, make sure you take some supplements with the beneficial bacteria. The experts have not established an exact dose for daily use, but a balanced diet will meet your requirements.
- Biotin – will encourage the toenail growth. The lab studies prove that biotin plays a crucial role in cell development and production of fatty acids. Moreover, it will help prevent brittle and flaky nails. Adolescents and adults need 30-100 mcg of biotin per day. If you don’t take it from dietary pills, you must eat whole grains, eggs, nuts, almonds, meat, and legumes.
- Zinc – builds and repairs cells, the reason why it’s essential for healthy nails, hair, and skin. As shown by the clinical tests, zinc deficiency can lead to psoriasis and white spots on the plate. So, your nails will split, while their growth will be slowed down. Consume about 8-11 mg daily, or according to your doctor’s recommendations. The best sources of zinc are beef, oysters, crabs, pork, chicken, lobsters, cashews, yogurt, baked beans, cheese, chickpeas, almonds, oatmeal, and peas.
- Omega-3 fatty acids – moisturize and lubricate nails. When you don’t eat enough of these nutrients, your toenails will grow dull, brittle, and fragile. That’s why you have to take a daily dose of 250-500 milligrams unless you receive specific advice from your general practitioner. If it is from food, the better. Krill oil, fish oil, sardines, chia, hemp, flaxseed, walnuts, soybeans, seafood, spinach, salmon, and Brussel’s sprouts are several foods that contain this element. Other dangers of Omega-3 deficiency are arthritis, digestive disorders, muscle pain, poor brain development, and splitting nails.
- Water – makes the skin glow beautifully, reduces the signs of aging, clears acne, and stops the loss of hair. It’s essential for a healthy body, and all of our cells need it. Water will promote toenail increment and make fingernails significantly stronger. Is the unguis tissue brittle and dry? Perhaps you are dehydrated. Grab a glass of water every several hours (6-8 cups of fluid / 24 hours), and make sure you have enough water in your system.
- B Vitamins – your doctor may recommend you to get a B complex supplement if your nails are ridged and soft. Without it, the bed cannot support the healthy development of the plate, and longitudinal ridges will form on the surface. If Vitamin B12 stimulates the absorption of iron and is essential for the unguis tissue, Vitamin B9 accelerates its growth. All in all, B complex will assist the development of new cells, and improve the overall health of the consumers. Do you know what the best natural sources of B Vitamins are? Eat tuna, salmon, cod, poultry, beef, lamb, eggs, pomegranate, avocado, dates, potatoes, spinach, beans, lentils, berries, and watermelon. Your pedicure and manicure will look amazing within days!
Diet tips for strong toenails
You must have noticed that these everyday foods have incredible benefits for the unguis tissue. So, why are your nails unaesthetic, when it is so easy to improve their wellness? The truth is that even you may have healthy eating habits, maybe some of them do more harm than good. Yes, you read that right. And if you find the cause of the problem, it will be easy to fix it and restore the beauty of your pedicure.
Drink enough water to flush out the toxins from your body and keep your system well hydrated. Eliminate all kinds of sugars – yes, even your favorite soft drinks! – and make sure that these sweets don’t nourish the nail fungus. It will be hard at first, but you will get used to it. And you will feel healthier, and your nails will show it!
Consume daily at least one portion of meat, poultry, or fish, and take supplements if you follow a restrictive diet or are vegan/ vegetarian. The nutritionists recommend eating 10 types of fruits, legumes, and vegetables daily. In the same time, remember that nuts and seeds are a treasure for your body. They are packed full of nutrients and will replenish the health and beauty of the unguis tissue.
Add to your diet plan more fiber and quality fats. The fiber is not absorbed into the body, but it will pass through the digestive system, removing the harmful microorganisms together with the fat and cholesterol particles that may be stored within your body. On the other hand, the healthy fats provide numerous benefits, help combat fungus, and even prevent the re-occurrence of onychomycosis.
Your diet mistakes will slow down toenail growth
Remember that variety is key. Don’t stick to a certain nutritional plan! Avoid consuming the same foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Just because it’s healthy, it does not mean that you should eat it every single day. Be creative, play with food, or just get inspiration from the thousands of recipes published in magazines and blogs.
Eating too much of several nutrients or foods will affect your health, and the tips of your fingers and toes will reflect it. When you consume too much fish or canned tuna, you don’t know that the high levels of Mercury contained will trigger brittle nails and even thinning hair. Are you aware that ultra-high doses of vitamin A will slow down the toenail growth? Plus, it’s often related to hair loss. However, a balanced diet will eliminate this issue.
Maybe you will not detect any changes in nail texture or color, for now. However, your unhealthy eating habits will affect you. The mistakes you do every day will dry your skin, and cause the loss of hair. Then, the nails will change, too, and not for good. Plus, the fingernails and toenails will cease to grow for a while, and ridges will appear on the plate.
Other factors that influence the nail development
- Age – When we grow old, our body loses some of its ability to assimilate and store the nutrients from food. Therefore, smaller amounts of minerals, proteins, and vitamins will reach to the nails. In the same time, all of the bodily processes will slow down, including the regeneration of cells and growth of the tips of fingers and toes.
- Season – No matter how crazy it may seem, the weather and temperatures affect the toenail growth. More specifically, during winter our unguis tissue grows slower than during the warm weather.
- Hormones – Studies show that hormonal imbalances will slow the nail development. Be careful! Your hormones can go wild even due to your nutrition. Plus, you can balance the hormone levels naturally with foods. The best products for it are avocados, coconut oil, wild caught fish, eggs, lentils, quinoa, beans, asparagus, cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, artichokes, garlic, turmeric, ginger, and cayenne, among many others.
- Overall health – Based on the information published here, nails mirror your well-being. When you have diabetes, psoriasis, onychomycosis, or lung conditions, the unguis tissue will change its shape, color, and texture. Additionally, it will grow slowly. A few lifestyle changes and proper treatment will assist you to regain the appearance of nails.
How to get better with food
In most of the cases, the reason why your nails don’t grow is onychomycosis. It attacks various parts of it and hinders its development. Thankfully, aside from a healthy nutrition, you can eliminate fungus naturally, with ZetaClear. Some of the most powerful antifungal foods, like onions, garlic, seaweed, rutabaga, olive oil, ginger, pumpkin seeds, lemon, and cayenne pepper, are included.
Best foods for toenail growth will also help you to boost your self-esteem. When the unguis tissue becomes beautiful again, you will no longer feel the need to hide your fingers and toes. However, if your nails are thick, yellow, and grow slower, you should see your doctor and get an adequate diagnosis. Maybe it’s a more serious health condition, and you need to take proper treatment. Take good care of your nails, eat healthily, and make sure you nourish your body with plenty of nutrients!