6 foods for healthy and strong nails

By MiNDFOOD

6 foods for healthy and strong nails
Tired of your nails breaking or feeling weak? These foods could help you be on your way to strong healthy nails in no time.

We all know that nutrition plays a vital role in achieving overall wellbeing and better health both inside and outside. For all of us who suffer from weak or brittle nails, there are certain foods that can promote strength and cellular renewal. A nutritious diet, rich in the following foods could provide the answers you have been looking for when it comes to ensuring your nails are the strongest they can be.

Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research in the department of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, says there are particular keratin-boosting foods that are worth adding to your diet.

“Since both hair and nails are made of keratin, through a similar process in the body, it’s thought that nutrients that help one can also help the other.”

Here are six of our favourite beauty-boosting foods.

Blueberries

Organic, chemical free blueberries are packed full of antioxidants and rich in minerals and vitamins needed to boost cellular renewal and benefit nail health. Antioxidants also help your body fight against free radical damage which decreases stress hormones and inflammation.

Organic, free-range eggs

Egg whites are full of biotin, or vitamin H, which is a vital ingredient in producing and maintaining strong, healthy nails.

Almonds

Not only are almonds a great source of protein, but these delicious nuts are full of magnesium. “Magnesium is Mother Nature’s anti-stress mineral, and stress is a major factor in hair loss,” explains Ashley Koff, RD. “Vertical ridges in your nails may be a sign of inadequate magnesium.”

For more foods containing magnesium click here.

Oysters

Oysters are one of the greatest sources of zinc. These delicate morsels contain large amounts of the mineral that is needed to make proteins vital to skin and nail health.

Wild Salmon

Wild salmon is a great source of biotin and protein as well as essential omega-3 fatty acids, which assist in reducing inflammation in the gut and promote healthy, hydrated skin and stronger nails.

Green leafy vegetables

All green leafy vegetables, such as kale, spinach and watercress are nutrient dense and rich in vitamins C, E, K, A and B, as well as big doses of magnesium, calcium and potassium. All of these vitamins and minerals are essential to promoting strong and healthy nail beds.

 

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