10 NAIL SIGNS of HEALTH PROBLEMS (and Nutritional Deficiencies)

10 Signs Your Nails Give You  About Underlying Health Problems Your fingernails and toenails are  made up of dead cells that have become hardened and pushed to the  surface of your fingers and toes. This murky coloured nail material is  a protein called keratin which is very hard and tough to protect  your skin against damage. When there is something wrong  in your body the nails often begin to change in shape, colour and texture.

This can give us clues as to what  is happening inside our bodies. For example if your nails are strong  and smooth, this is a good indicator that you are healthy and getting lots  of minerals and vitamins into your diet. Likewise if there a consistent  pink tone beneath your nails, this means that the cells underneath  your nails (nail bed) are also healthy.

However, if the nails begin to change in  appearance such as cracking, paleness, thickening, becoming duller or  forming ridges then this can indicate that there is an  underlying health problem. Causes Of Nail Problems Such as a nutritional deficiency in vitamins and  minerals that you aren't getting into your diet It could indicate you have digestive  problems and aren't absorbing proteins, iron and other minerals which is  weakening blood flow to the nail. Nerve damage from physically injuring the nail bed or biting the nails too  hard or wearing tight shoes.

High levels of a stress hormone  called cortisol can also cause nerve damage which affects how the nails grow. Thyroid problems can also cause changes to  the nails and the skin cells around the nails And another cause is simply not having enough  oxygen in your blood due to poor circulation. In this video we are going to identify 10 common signs that your nails give you about  potential underlying health problems.

This video is not designed to diagnose  your health problem, and is for educational purposes only, so always consult your  doctor if you have any medical concerns. 1. Vertical Ridges (Onychorrhexis) It’s normal to have small, fine lines that  run from the top of the nail to the base, however if these begin to develop into  larger, deeper ridges this is usually caused by a deficiency in Vitamin B12  and Heme-iron from animal based proteins, which causes poor oxygen flow to the nail  matrix and the nerves surrounding it.

Vertical ridges can also occur in  people who have thyroid problems, because this gland controls nail growth. 2. Brittle/Splitting (Onychoschizia) If your nails are very soft, bendy and  thin, or they are brittle and split very easily this is commonly associated with a  lack of folate, iron, biotin or calcium.

This usually happens not because you're not  eating enough of these nutrients, but because you aren't absorbing these nutrients from your  food because of digestive problems (low HCL). There are ways to strengthen your nails back to  normal, which I'll talk about later in the video. If you finding this information  helpful at all, please hit the like, subscribe and turn all notifications on to stay  updated with my latest health and nutrition tips.

3. Clubbed Nails (Osteoacropachy) Clubbed nails is a term to describe when  your nails gradually become enlarged, thickened and take on a  rounded, bulbous appearance. The fingertips or tips of the toes  will bulge outward, as the nail gets wider and as the nail grows, it can curve  downward over the edge of your finger/toe.

This is usually a sign that there  not enough oxygen in your blood, causing swelling and problems  with the nail matrix. Underlying causes often include liver damage,  heart problems, lung disease, AIDS or IBD. 4.

White Spot (Leukonychia Partialis) If you notice a little speck or spot  on your nail, this is commonly caused by a zinc deficiency that you had whilst  that part of the nail was being formed. So if it's half way down your nail, this  could have been around 3 months ago. Zinc is important for building nail  proteins and cell multiplication.

Zinc deficiencies are often caused  by eating large amount of sugar, cakes, sweets and junk foods in  one sitting, which depletes it. 5. Fungus (Onychomycosis) A very common nail condition is where a fungus/mould that infects the nail  bed and causes the nail to start thickening up, becoming yellow and eventually turning black.

Sometimes the nails can break away from  the nail bed and fall off in some cases. Fungal infections usually occur  when you have a weakened immune system and are low in nutrients  like zinc, retinol and Vitamin D. You can treat a fungal nails by applying  petroleum jelly mixed with baking soda and lavender oil each morning until the fungus  is dead and the nail grows back healthily.

6. All White (Leukonychia Totalis) If all of your nails become whitened all over, this can be a serious sign that you have low  levels of albumin, a protein in your blood. This could be caused by liver  disease, heart problems, or low protein absorption because you have  digestive problems such as low stomach acid.

This can happen to people who  have taken antibiotic drugs, or those who have a genetic  mutation in the PLCD1 gene. 7. Blue/Purple Nails (Cyanosis) If the skin underneath your nails begins  to change to a blue/purple colour, this tells us that not enough oxygen  is reaching your nails from your blood.

This happens when the arteries and veins  are not circulating blood properly, causing blue unoxygenated blood  to pool underneath your nails. This can be triggered by too much  cold, frostbite, high estrogen levels, overuse of power tools or chronic stress which  all damage the nerves in your hands and feet. Vitamin B1, B3, and inositol can  help to restore these nerves.

8. Spooned Nails (Koilonychia) Spooned nail is a situation where  your nails start bending backwards, with an indentation that forms a reservoir  in the middle, like a small scoop/spoon. This is usually caused by low levels of  heme-iron in your blood, a type of anaemia.

Because you aren't eating enough  animal protein based heme-iron, or you're not absorbing it due  to low stomach acid or some type of digestive problem (IBS, IBD, collitis etc…) 9. Horizontal Ridges (Beau's Lines) If you start to get horizontal ridges,  and you notice that your nail is no longer perfectly flat, and there are little  ledges/grooves forming from left to right, This usually indicates that you are deficient  in B-vitamins, especially Vitamin B7 (Biotin). Biotin is involved with building up the  proteins in your nails and promoting cell growth, so without enough the nails  become distorted in this fashion.

10. Vertical Discoloured Line  (Longitudinal erythronychia) A single discoloured black/brown line from the  top of the nail to the bottom is a situation where there is an overgrowth of a pigment  (melanin) building up underneath the nail plate. This can lead to cancer (melanoma), so it is important to have this  checked out by a medical professional.

It is usually caused by a lack  of heme-iron, Vitamin B12, Or too much elemental iron that is building  up inside the body (Hemochromatosis) Now that you have discovered some of the different  signs your nails give you about your health, let's explore 5 lifestyle tips that you can  use to strengthen and fix your nail problems. How To Strengthen/Fix Your Nails 1. Start consuming at least 2 tablespoons  of unfortified nutritional yeast on a daily basis to supply your body with a complex  of B-Vitamins, such as thiamine, biotin, niacin etc.

. These essential Vitamins help  your body to build (synthesize) new proteins, such as keratin, the material  your nails are made out of. 2.

Eat a mixture of shellfish soaked  in apple cider vinegar 2x per week, such as clams, shrimp,  mussels , oysters, crab meat. These are loaded with Vitamin B12 and  Iron, the two key nutrients that support your red blood cells in transporting  oxygen and nutrients to your nail bed. 3.

Eat high quality grass  fed beef, liver, red meats, pasture raised eggs and wild salmon. These  proteins are rich in Retinol, the active form of Vitamin A which supports Keratinization,  and the building of new stronger nail cells. 4.

Consume 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar  in a glass of water before each meal. This helps your stomach to break down and digest  vitamins and minerals we have discussed here today. This is more important the older you get,  as we tend to absorb less nutrients as we age.

5. Many of the soils we grow our food in have  been over farmed, and are now depleted of trace minerals like zinc, silica, boron and molybdenum.  This can weaken our bodies, as we need these trace minerals to help us grow proteins  like nail tissue, collagen and haemoglobin.

Simply start taking 20 drops of liquid trace  minerals in a glass of water every day. Over time this improves the health of your skin,  your eyes, nails, immune system and much more. Alternatively you can eat sea vegetables  to get your minerals like sea kelp, nori, dulse, Irish moss or kombu, because  the sea is still rich in minerals.

If you'd like to learn more about the top  vitamins and minerals to strengthen your nails, go ahead and tap on this video on the screen now. Thank you so much for watching my video today, and as always I wish you great  health, wealth and happiness.