What vitamin/mineral could I be lacking?

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leavinglasvegas
leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
in Food and Nutrition
My nails have gotten soft and have been peeling and cracking. They used to grow like weeds and were very strong.

My diet has changed recently. I was always vegetarian, just occasional chicken maybe once or twice a month. About Mid February I went off all dairy and meat completely because of migraines. Then about a month ago I found out I had Celiac as well as an allergy to dairy, tomatoes, peanuts, eggs, corn, and wheat. So I've been off all of that.

All in all I feel great. Aside from my weak nails, I have no complaints. But I know that this could simply be the beginning of something going wrong.

For the most part I get protien from a wide variety of beans, nuts, legumes, tofu, smooties etc. I eat a huge assortment of veggies. Lots of green leafy's, broccoli, califlower, peppers, zuchini, etc. I eat a grapefruit every single day and also have berries, apples, tangerines, bananas, etc. For grains, I'm limited to brown and wild rice. I do also eat potatoes, both sweet and occasional white. And I drink around 8o+ oz of water and a cup of green tea everyday. Sometimes I have a cup of herbal tea as well.

Any ideas?

Replies

  • chulie
    chulie Posts: 282
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    OMEGA 3!!!!! I have the exact same problem with my nails...100% as soon as I started taking omega 3 oil...i could see a distinct difference in my nails. I stopped taking them for a while because I just got lazy and immediately my nails got brittle and breaking...once I started taking omega 3 again....bam, within the week i start to see my nails get stronger and longer. I honestly have gorgeous nails whenever I take omega 3!!
  • loze85
    loze85 Posts: 6
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    Hello,

    My first thought was calcium but I found this:

    Tips For Beautiful Nails

    Finger nails and toe nails are primarily made of protein. All people should have healthy nails. Healthy nails reveal that your body is healthy. A beautiful woman should have clean, well-manicured and shining nails. Following are the tips for healthy nails for men and women.

    Drink lots of water.
    Eat a healthy diet. Eat lots of raw vegetables and drink fresh fruits to provide vitamins, minerals and enzymes needed for your nails. Eat foods rich in calcium and phosphorus like fresh carrot juice for strengthening your nails.
    Eat broccoli and onions to get sulfur and silicon.
    Eat adequate proteins that helps in building new and strong nails. Brewer’s yeast contains all the needed nutrients high in protein. Eat soy, brewer’s yeast and whole grains.
    Avoid putting your hands in water for long time.
    Avoid immersing the hands in strong detergent.

    Nail Problems, Causes and Remedy
    You might have noticed that when you go to a Doctor, he sometimes examine your finger nails. This is because, our nails tells our general state of health. If we are in poor health condition is reflected in our nails.

    Symptom Cause/Deficiency Remedy
    Dry nails Deficiency of vitamin A and calcium Eat foods rich in calcium and Vitamin A.
    Split nails Deficiency of hydrochloric acid Drink juice of half a lemon in warm water in the morning.
    Hangnails Deficiency of an essential fatty acid Put vitamin E oil or aloe vera directly on nail.
    White spots: Deficiency of zinc, thyroid malfunction and hydrochloric acid deficiency.
    White bands on the nails Deficiency of protein Eat foods high in protein
    White nails May be liver disease
    White spots on nails Deficiency of zinc Eat food rich in zinc such as nuts, root vegetables, shellfish. Take 25 mg of elemental zinc
    Pale nails, thin, brittle, ridged, and easily cracked or broken nails iron deficiency Eat more iron rich foods such as green vegetables, blackstrap molasses, whole grain, cereals, beets, beans, soybeans, pumpkins, avocados, peaches, pears, watercress, almonds, raisins, prunes, dates, eggs, etc.
    Fragile nails, with horizontal and vertical ridges Deficiency of vitamin A and B Eat food rich in vitamin A and B such as poultry, seafood and whole grains.
    If you have cracking or soft nails, take gelatine capsules or one teaspoon of powdered gelatine in a glass of water or juice daily for one month
    Fungus under nails Deficiency of friendly bacteria lactobacillus Eat yogurt
    Thick, distorted nails Due to fungus and or vitamin deficiency Apply tea tree oil. Avoid all foods containing refined carbohydrates. Apply crushed raw garlic or honey.
    No moons on all of our finger nails Sign of poor protein intake or metabolism Eat foods high in protein such as dairy foods, beans, lentils, tofu, meat, fish, chicken, eggs, etc.

    Take your pick :)
  • mcduffer72
    mcduffer72 Posts: 7
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    I have Coeliacs disease as well, and I'm deficient in vitamin B12, so it might be worth having your levels of that checked with your doctor. I think main source of B12 is red meat, so you might not be getting enough if you are veggie as well as coeliac?
  • MaybeImNot
    MaybeImNot Posts: 122 Member
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    GNC's Hair Skin and nails vitamins are absolutely amazing.. I love love LOVE them lots.
    ... just know they're bright blue-- kinda strange and surprised me when I opened the bottle.
  • leavinglasvegas
    leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
    Options
    I have Coeliacs disease as well, and I'm deficient in vitamin B12, so it might be worth having your levels of that checked with your doctor. I think main source of B12 is red meat, so you might not be getting enough if you are veggie as well as coeliac?

    Thats true. My last blood test showed I was perfectly balanced nutritionally, but with the immediate removal of an entire food group, thats probably not true anymore. I guess I should look into a supplement asap since my next blood test is a month away.
  • leavinglasvegas
    leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
    Options
    Hello,

    My first thought was calcium but I found this:

    Tips For Beautiful Nails

    Finger nails and toe nails are primarily made of protein. All people should have healthy nails. Healthy nails reveal that your body is healthy. A beautiful woman should have clean, well-manicured and shining nails. Following are the tips for healthy nails for men and women.

    Drink lots of water.
    Eat a healthy diet. Eat lots of raw vegetables and drink fresh fruits to provide vitamins, minerals and enzymes needed for your nails. Eat foods rich in calcium and phosphorus like fresh carrot juice for strengthening your nails.
    Eat broccoli and onions to get sulfur and silicon.
    Eat adequate proteins that helps in building new and strong nails. Brewer’s yeast contains all the needed nutrients high in protein. Eat soy, brewer’s yeast and whole grains.
    Avoid putting your hands in water for long time.
    Avoid immersing the hands in strong detergent.

    Nail Problems, Causes and Remedy
    You might have noticed that when you go to a Doctor, he sometimes examine your finger nails. This is because, our nails tells our general state of health. If we are in poor health condition is reflected in our nails.

    Symptom Cause/Deficiency Remedy
    Dry nails Deficiency of vitamin A and calcium Eat foods rich in calcium and Vitamin A.
    Split nails Deficiency of hydrochloric acid Drink juice of half a lemon in warm water in the morning.
    Hangnails Deficiency of an essential fatty acid Put vitamin E oil or aloe vera directly on nail.
    White spots: Deficiency of zinc, thyroid malfunction and hydrochloric acid deficiency.
    White bands on the nails Deficiency of protein Eat foods high in protein
    White nails May be liver disease
    White spots on nails Deficiency of zinc Eat food rich in zinc such as nuts, root vegetables, shellfish. Take 25 mg of elemental zinc
    Pale nails, thin, brittle, ridged, and easily cracked or broken nails iron deficiency Eat more iron rich foods such as green vegetables, blackstrap molasses, whole grain, cereals, beets, beans, soybeans, pumpkins, avocados, peaches, pears, watercress, almonds, raisins, prunes, dates, eggs, etc.
    Fragile nails, with horizontal and vertical ridges Deficiency of vitamin A and B Eat food rich in vitamin A and B such as poultry, seafood and whole grains.
    If you have cracking or soft nails, take gelatine capsules or one teaspoon of powdered gelatine in a glass of water or juice daily for one month
    Fungus under nails Deficiency of friendly bacteria lactobacillus Eat yogurt
    Thick, distorted nails Due to fungus and or vitamin deficiency Apply tea tree oil. Avoid all foods containing refined carbohydrates. Apply crushed raw garlic or honey.
    No moons on all of our finger nails Sign of poor protein intake or metabolism Eat foods high in protein such as dairy foods, beans, lentils, tofu, meat, fish, chicken, eggs, etc.

    Take your pick :)

    Thanks! Thats some great info:bigsmile: Carrot juice is something I can do without concern, I'm oing to try that asap! Thanks again.

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