Top 15 Superfoods For Healthy Nails

Top 15 Superfoods For Healthy Nails

Our nails are formed by layers of laminated protein called keratin.  Our nail grows from the area below the base of the nail called the cuticle.  When new cells grow the older cells will be pushed towards the fingertips. The healthy fingernails will be smooth and without any pits or grooves. They will have uniform color and will be free of any discoloration.  To have healthy nails it is necessary that you eat healthy foods.  The nutrients present in the food determines how your nails look.  If your foods lack the essential nutrients, your nails will become dry and brittle. So, to make your nails healthy and attractive it is necessary to consume the super foods for healthy nails.

Top 15 Superfoods For Healthy Nails

It is important for you to eat the right foods to make your nails feel stronger and healthier. Diet plays an important party in nail growth and improper diet will make the nails become brittle and weak. The following are the top superfoods that will help you to grow healthy nails.

1.    Raw Tomatoes

The key ingredients that you find in tomatoes are lycopene and biotin. Lycopene will help in making your nails grow healthier and thicker. It will prevent your nails from brittleness. Regular consumption of tomatoes will help in improving the look and shine of the nails. Tomatoes are also rich in Vitamin A and are abundant source for Vitamin C.

Benefits:

•    Make sure that you take at least one or two raw tomatoes everyday to develop strong and shiny nails.
•    Cooking the tomatoes will take away the Vitamin C in it and hence consuming it raw is ideal for nail and skin growth.
•    Dipping your hands in a mixture of tomato juice with rosemary oil for about five to ten minutes will help in moisturizing and bringing out the natural look and the color of your nails.

2.    Drinking Water

It is important for you to keep your body hydrated always. Dehydration is an important factor that will have a huge impact on the overall health of the nails also. Water will help in keeping your nail plates healthy and this will provide a strong base for your nails to grow.

Benefits:

•    It is recommended that you drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water every day to keep your nails healthy and shiny.
•    Try to consume more fruits and vegetables every day as they contain high water content.
•    Avoid drinking too much coffee, tea and carbonated drinks as they cause dehydration.

3.    Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a rich source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant, which is very essential for the body. The beta-carotene will be converted into Vitamin A by the body and will help in cell growth and healthy nail growth. Lack of vitamins in your body is the reason for brittle and dry nails.

Preparation:

•    You need to cook full sweet potatoes with water in a pressure cooker for seven to 10 minutes.
•    After it is cooked, allow it to cool and then remove the skin off the potatoes.
•    Eat at least three half cup servings of boiled sweet potatoes for healthy and strong nails.
•    You can also consume baked, roasted or sautéed sweet potatoes.

4.    Pumpkin Seeds

Zinc is very essential for nail growth and you will find an abundance of zinc deposits in pumpkin seeds. It helps in the proper functioning of the immune system and will help in the production of proteins in the body. This will ensure that your nails grow healthy and strong.  It is effective to reduce white spots on the fingernails.

Benefits

:
•    Eat a handful of zinc rich pumpkin seeds every day to build strong nails and to enrich your body with proteins.

5.    Cup Of Green Beans

Silicon is the main ingredient that you will find in green beans. It helps in developing strong, thicker and longer nails. It is ideal for you to go for organic green beans to see good results.

Benefits:

•    One cup of green beans every day will help in improving the health of the nails.
•    It is researched that 10 mg of silicon from green beans every day will help a person to develop stronger nails in 20 weeks time.

6.    Eggs

Egg whites are rich source of proteins and protein based foods are very essential for better nail health. Nails are made up of keratin protein and you need to provide your body with the foods rich in protein to grow healthy and strong nails.

Benefits:

•    Eating eggs either in poached or boiled or half boiled twice a day will help you to grow strong and healthy nails.

7.    Eating Bananas

Ripe bananas are very good source of zinc and mineral silica. This helps in improving the look and the health of the nails. It will also help in strengthening the nails. Banana also contains Vitamin B6 that is known to support healthy nails.

Benefits:

•    Eat one banana as a mid morning and a mid afternoon snack to improve the nail strength.
•    You can also include banana to your morning oatmeal or cereal to enjoy good health benefits and to enrich your nail color and strength.

8.    Oily Fish

Oily fish is very rich in omega 3 fatty acids and it will help in improving the blood flow all over the body. The fatty acids will make sure that your nail bed gets all the nourishment and the nutrients needed for healthy growth.

Procedure:

•    Eat a serving or two of omega 3 fatty acid rich oily fish like sardines, mackerel, fresh tuna, salmon and trout to keep the nail smooth, glowing and moisturized always.

9.    Raw Carrots

Carrots will help in improving the look of the nails as it contains high amounts of Vitamin A. This vitamin A will help in preventing the nails from becoming feeble, lifeless and dry.

How To Consume?

•    Eat one or two raw carrots every day for healthy nails.
•    You can also drink a glass full of carrot juice every day for stronger nails.

10.    Milk

Milk is a rich source of calcium and this helps in strengthening the nails. Calcium is very essential for faster nail growth. If your body lacks calcium, then your nails will turn brittle and dry.

Benefits:

•    Make sure that you drink two glasses full of milk every day in the morning and evening to grow healthy nails.
•    Drinking milk along with Vitamin D rich foods like mushrooms and eggs will help your nails to become stronger and longer.

11.    Broccoli

Iron is another main and essential component needed for healthy body and nails. It helps to nourish the red blood cells and also increases oxygen levels in the tissue which will prevent the nails from discoloration and also from turning brittle.

Benefits:

•    Add a cup of broccoli in your daily diet either raw or in cooked state to help your hand nails to grow with ridges.

12.    Protein Rich Foods

It is very important for you to take as much protein as you can every day for better health and strength for your nails. This will help in preventing your nail ends from being less brittle. In fact taking the required amount of vitamins and minerals along with proteins will help you to always maintain healthy and strong nails.

Foods rich in Protein are:

•    Lean red meat
•    Chicken
•    Low fat dairy products
•    Fish and eggs
•    Liver
•    Pulses, nuts and seeds
•    Soy

13.    Kale

Kale is a natural leafy vegetable that is rich in Vitamin C. It will provide the essential vitamins and minerals need for the nails to grow strong and healthy. It will help in preventing dryness of the nails.

Usage:

•    You need to take one cup of raw kale everyday along with vegetable salads to keep your nails strong.
•    You can also consume two cups of cooked kale everyday to improve the strength and health of your nails.

14.    Biotin Rich Foods

Biotin is an important ingredient that helps to address nail brittleness issues. Biotin or Vitamin B will help in increasing the firmness of the nails. It will help in preventing dryness, darkening of nails as well as curved nail ends. Make sure that you consume foods that are rich in biotin.

Some foods that are rich in biotin are:

•    Almonds
•    Peanuts
•    Goat’s milk
•    Swiss chard
•    Yogurt
•    Tomatoes
•    Eggs

15.    Sulfur Rich Foods

Make sure that you always shop for foods that are rich in sulfur content. These foods help in regulating the acid alkali balance in the body and are very essential for maintaining healthy nails.

Some of the sulfur rich foods that you need to take on a regular basis or daily are:

•    Fish
•    Meat
•    Cheese
•    Nuts
•    Eggs

If you are having problems like pale or bluish nail it may be due to anemia. The white spots on the nail are caused by injury. The dark spots may be a sign of some serious condition like melanoma which will need medical attention.  Having super foods for nails alone will not be sufficient to correct these problems.  A healthy diet will only be able to provide the nutrients for the proper growth of the nails. It is necessary to drink enough water to keep the nails hydrated. Keeping the nails clean will help to avoid fungal infections of the nail.  Have you been suffering from brittle and yellowish nails? Do you feel that your nails are not growing fast enough? Try the super foods and experience the change. Moreover, the super food which promotes nail growth also helps in the growth of hair as it also contains the protein keratin.

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