Nails

Your nails are a reliable barometer of your total health so if yours are weak, soft, brittle, or split, it’s more than a cosmetic concern. Usually, if you notice a change in the appearance of your nails, it may mean that you are getting insufficient amounts of certain nutrients in your diet, or that you have an underlying medical condition.

If you notice brittle or weak nails, it could be a calcium deficiency. Cracking or breaking can also be signs of iron or zinc deficiency, or they could mean that you are not consuming enough protein. Peeling nails can mean a diet that is lacking in lipids such as linoleic acid, from safflower oil. A diet low in biotin can cause nails to become thin, brittle and easily broken.

Two other common problems include spots, either white or brown. If you notice white spots and you know that you don’t have nail fungus, it could be that you are not getting enough of the minerals iron and zinc (this is more common in women than in men). Brown spots can be signs of insufficient protein, folic acid, and Vitamin C. Sometimes, spots on the nails may even be a manifestation of some type of trauma to the nail. If you have a deficiency of Vitamin B12, you could also see curved nail tips and darkening of the nails.

But if you notice vertical ridges, don’t be alarmed—they may be a sign not of any health problem, but of normal aging.