- "Fingernails are made
of protein," Adele Davis stated in her book, Let's Get Well.
"Fingernails that split, break off, are extremely thin, or fail to
grow, indicate a a lack of protein or Vitamin A, and the rate of nail growth
has been used as a measure of protein adequacy."
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- Possibly, our diet lacks
adequate protein. Dairy products, fish, poultry, beans, tofu and eggs
provide high quality protein. Egg yolk which contains sulfur helps nail
growth the most. Other excellent protein sources containing sulfur are
beans, nuts, seeds, grains, and vegetables such as asparagus.
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- Sulfur is an essential
mineral and our body needs 850 mg. of all kinds of sulfur per day, most of
which is supplied by food protein. Vegetarians can be lacking in sulfur,
particularly if they do not consume eggs. Sulfur is present in every cell of
our body and an absolute necessity to normal growth. It has been estimated
that an adult's daily consumption of sulfur totals less than 140 mgs., less
than 16 percent of an adult's daily requirement.
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- Foods high in sulfur are
onion, garlic and the sulfur-containing protein sources mentioned above.
Natural herbs and nutrients high in sulfur are garlic, horsetail.
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- Nails are an extension of
both the hair and skin. They've long been an indicator of health-related
problems. Sometimes they don't grow fast enough, they may split or contain
ridges or even white spots. Healthy nails should be pink, smooth and shiny.
Changes in their color, shape and texture may signal the presence of
disease.
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- Disorders affecting the
blood, such as thyroid conditions, poor circulation
and heart, liver and kidney
disease, can contribute to a change in nail condition.
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Bluish Fingernails -
circulatory
problems
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Vertical ridges - May
indicate an iron
deficiency
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Spoon-shaped nails - Those
that curve upward, can be a natural sign of aging or a sign of anemia. This
can be caused by deficiencies or iron
and/or B12.
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Thickening of the Nails -
insufficient oxygen reaching the nail, a sign of lung
disease.
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Permanent Dark Streak - may
be a sign of cancerous melanoma in people of European origin - in blacks,
dark streaks are a normal sign of aging.
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Holes or sharp pits - may be
a sign of psoriasis (a skin disease that causes redness and scaling)
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Yellowish discoloration (of
the nail or the skin under it) - If nicotine use is not applicable or either
nail polish or hair dyes, it can be a sign of fungal
or yeast infection, psoriasis, lymph disorder or even liver
disease.
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Disappearance of the lunula
(the light colored "moon" at the base of the nail. Lung disease is
possible.
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Broadening of the nail - a
sign of possible lung disease. It's called a watch glass deformity because
of the way the nail's convexity is accentuated.
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Brittleness - Usually caused
by detergents, chlorinated water, nail polish remover, or aging. Vitamin A
and calcium
deficiencies cause dryness and brittleness of the nails. Andrew Weil, M.D.
in "Natural Health, Natural Medicine", says try black
currant oil, 500 mg. twice daily for this situation.
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Ridging or buckling - which
may be accompanied by inflammation of the skin around the nail. It's a sign
of possible fungal infection. The condition can be particularly dangerous
when it occurs in the toenails.
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White spots on nails
(medical term: leukonychia) - injuries frequently bring on such spots, the
primary cause seems to be a zinc
defeciency. According to Dr. Carl Preiffer, research scientist and
director of Princeton's Brain Bio Center, the entire world population is
probably deficient
in zinc, and he recommends 20 mg. of zinc
gluconate be taken twice daily.
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Spots or furrows - caused by
virus infections, colds, high fever or other severe stresses
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Nail abnormalities - often
seen in people with hypertension who are know to have high serum copper -
the nail will be constricted in from where the nail normally is located.
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White nails - may signal
poor
circulation or anemia (when circulation is poor, the nail bed - skin
under the nail doesn't receive enough blood - this causes the color to
change from healthy pink to pale or white
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Green nails - indicate a
bacterial infection which usually occurs when the nail is slightly separated
from the skin, leaving an open space where bacteria can thrive
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Red splinters - tiny
hemorrhages in the capillaries in the nail bed - they may be caused by minor
injury to the nail or in rare cases by liver
trouble or psoriasis
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Dark horizontal streaks -
may indicate an under active adrenal gland - the streaks usually fade after the adrenal gland begins
to get stronger
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Hangnails - lack of
protein, folic acid
and Vitamin C
can cause this nail problem.
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Splitting nails - lack of
Hydrochloric
Acid (HCL) contributes to splitting nails.
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Fungus in and around the
nails - can be caused by lack of friendly
bacteria in the intestinal
system. Andrew Weil, M.D. in "Natural Health, Natural
Medicine", says Tea
Tree oil will clear up fungal infections of both toenails and
fingernails even if they are resistant to strong systemic antibiotics.
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