Vital Vitamins for Strong Nails: Magical Micronutrients That Impact Nail Health

Updated on March 16th, 2020
nails

Rushing to get a manicure or pedicure is not the only solution if you seek strong, healthy nails. The quality of your nails depends as much on your diet, as they do on how you treat your cuticles. The strength and appearance of your nails are impacted a lot by what you eat. Vitamins for brittle nails or weak cuticles are the latest remedy for this perpetual problem. If you’re too busy to rush to the salon, it’s time you tried vitamins for nail strength.

Healthy skin, hair, and nails come from what’s happening inside the body. Overeating sugar or caffeine or consuming processed foods teeming with toxins can damage your nails. So can lack vitamins for nails.

Why Try Vitamins for Nail Strength?

Much like your hair, your nails, too, are made of keratin. This protein is essential for healthy nails. Best vitamins for hair, skin, and nails rev up your beauty quotient. If you are low in protein, and associated vitamins, your body will use what is available for essential functions, rather than growing long nails. Including vitamins in your diet can boost micronutrient consumption. Stronger nails provide support for protein(1) utilization in the body. Here are the different types of vitamins for nails and their unique benefits:

Biotin Vitamins for Hair, Skin, and Nails

Biotin Vitamins
Image:ShutterStock

Biotin is a B-complex vitamin. It’s also called coenzyme B7, vitamin B7, and vitamin H. This nutrient promotes healthy cell growth and aids in the metabolism of amino acids that synthesize protein. This vitamin for strong nails aids in warding off brittle nails. Biotin-rich foods and supplements strengthen the cuticles. Biotin has been proved to exert this effect, through many studies.,

Another study found 35 individuals with brittle fingernails fended off the condition using biotin. A dose of 2.5 mg biotin per day for six weeks to 7 months improved symptoms in over 63% of the participants.

[Read: How Nail Polish Affects Your Body]

Biotin is most concentrated in organ meats such as liver, but can also be found in egg yolk, dairy products, yeast, salmon, avocado, sweet potato, nuts, seeds, and even cauliflower.

1. Other B Vitamins

Other B Vitamins are also essential for nail health. Vitamin B12(2) is critical for iron absorption and the development of erythrocytes. B12 is a vitamin good for nails. B12 deficiency can cause bluish nails, hyperpigmentation, and dark streaks. In the same way, folate or vitamin B9 also tends to nail growth and health by forming new blood cells and developing existing cells. A deficiency in this B vitamin makes nails ridged and brittle.

2. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is critical for collagen production. This protein gives shape, integrity, and strength to tissues and forms the building block of hair, teeth, and fingernails. This vitamin for strong nails is excellent for warding off brittle and slowed cuticle growth.

[Read: Vitamin C for Acne]

3. Vitamin A

Vitamins in Alovera
Image:ShutterStock

This vitamin is critical for cell differentiation and growth. This process is how cells are specialized for unique bodily purposes, such as a liver cell, a muscle cell, or a blood cell. Cells in a nail matrix are specialized, requiring vitamin A remains healthy, replacing themselves rapidly and pushing the actual nail, made of protein keratin up and forward. Failure to get enough vitamin A causes thinness and weakness of nails. True vitamin-A or retinol deficiency leads to brittle, gray nails with ridges, and lines on them.

You can find Vitamin supplements in pill or powder form. The powder can be easily added to food.

[Read: Vitamin K Rich Foods]

Ways to use Vitamins for Strong Nails

Vitamins can be taken in the form of food or supplements. If you’re thinking of including vitamins as part of your diet, ensure you stick to the recommended daily allowance. Vitamin B12, for example, must be limited to recommended daily allowance of 2.4 mcg, and sources rich in this vitamin for healthy nails include beef liver, clams, nutritional yeast, salmon, and trout.

Along with iron absorption, B12 facilitates metabolic processes and red blood cell growth. Lack of this vitamin causes ridges and weakens the nails. B12 is essential to prevent fingernail splitting. Folate intake for healthy nails is 400 mcg per day. It helps to oxygenate the nails, too.

The best food sources for this vitamin, which support new cell formation in the nail matrix through red-blood-cell creation, include beef liver, black-eyed peas, spinach, asparagus(3), and brussels sprouts. Biotin deficiency is also the reason for weak, brittle nails, and adequate intake recommendation for this vitamin is set at 30 mcg each day.

Biotin is found in organ meats such as liver, besides egg yolks, yeast, salmon, dairy products, avocado, nuts, seeds, sweet potato, seeds, and even cauliflower. Biotin deficiency is rare but not unlikely. Other sources of biotin include eggs, pork, ground beef, and salmon. If you take dietary and supplement aids, it can take up to six months for the results to show.

Although vitamin A does not affect nail strength directly, a deficiency can impact bloodstreams resulting in anemia. This issue affects the nails. So, opt for carrots, liver, and spinach to keep the blood supply healthy and use these vitamins for hair and nails.

Among the best vitamins for nails is vitamin C, which should be consumed in quantities of around 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men. Citrus fruits like kiwi, strawberries, and oranges are the best sources of vitamin C. Tomatoes, green vegetables and bell peppers are high in this nutrient, too. Red bell peppers have 2x times the vitamin C in an orange.

[Read: Is Nail Polish for Ringworm Really Effective?]

Besides, vitamins can also be taken in the form of dietary supplements like herbs, enzymes, tablets, capsules, and extracts. Supplements are available for sale across the counter at local pharmacies or online sans prescription.

Always check with your doctor before taking supplements, as some of these can cause side effects or interact with medicines or supplements you are already taking. Ask the doctor about taking supplements if you are pregnant and nursing or about to have surgery or health conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes.

So, note that while vitamins for healthy nails can help, it’s equally important to take in a balanced diet and plan your exercise regimen. Vitamins are essential for collagen and red-blood-cell formation, which play an indirect role in nail health. Dietary and supplement options are available, so stock up on vitamins for healthy nails today.


FAQs

1. Which Vitamin Supplements Should I Take for Strong Nails?

Always check with your doctor about the supplement you need based on current health and diet and the pitfalls or advantages of the supplement. Also, check how much you should take and for how long the medicine should be taken. Ensure your doctor and pharmacist know the precise nature of vitamin supplements you are taking.

Opt for vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C supplements for strong, healthy nails, from a brand recognized by the US FDA. Remember that US DSA does regulate dietary supplements in the form of foods rather than medicines. Unlike drug manufacturers, makers of supplements do not have to show the safety or effectiveness of products before selling them.

2. Which Vitamins for Healthy Nails Work Best?

Vitamin B complex, vitamin A and vitamin C and folic acid are essential for good nail health. A deficiency in the B complex vitamins like biotin produces ridges along the nail bed. A diet lacking in vitamin A leads to brittle, dry nails. Lack of vitamin C and folic acid cause hangnails, while insufficient dietary essential oils like omega 3 lead to cracking.

3. Why Can Vitamins Help My Nails to Grow?

Vitamin for healthy nails can help in new cell development by impacting metabolic rates and blood oxygenation levels. Vitamins like B complex (B12, B7, and B6) can help you to grow your nails stronger and healthier. For smooth, polished cuticles, rely on these best vitamins for nails.

View Comments (0)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Scroll To Top

Sign up for our Newsletter !
Get access to quality &
Natural Health Tips right from the Experts
Subscribe !
Send this to a friend