Nutritionist reveals how to use your DIET to keep nails strong and healthy

People don’t say, ‘you are what you eat,’ for no reason.

The reality is that the health of almost every part of your body can be tied back to your diet – from your head to your toes.

And yes, that includes the toenails. 

Registered dietitian, nutritionist, and Chief Nutrition Officer at Simple App Ro Huntriss told the DailyMail.com that like everything else, nutrition plays a key role in supporting nail healthy. 

‘Just like hair and skin, nails also require a consistent supply of nutrients to stay strong and grow healthily,’ she said. 

‘Deficiencies in key nutrients such as protein, biotin, or iron can lead to brittle, weak or slow-growing nails.’

So how exactly do you tailor your nutrition to support your nail healthy? 

Huntriss said that a balanced diet with the nutrients mentioned will do the trick.  

Nutritionist Ro Huntriss said protein, biotin, iron, and zinc are all important to support healthy and strong nails

Protein is especially important for nails, because they’re essentially made up of a structural protein called keratin. 

‘Getting enough protein from foods such as chicken, eggs, tofu, and legumes helps support keratin production, which is essential for strong, healthy nails,’ Huntriss said.

Biotin, which is a B vitamin, helps support keratin infrastructure – and are the key to strengthen brittle nails.  

Huntriss explained that you can get biotin from foods like salmon, eggs, sunflower seeds, and sweet potatoes. 

When you don’t have enough iron, your nails can become thin and concave.

To combat this, she suggested eating meat, fish, legumes, and leafy greens – all foods high in iron. 

And finally zinc, which supports cell growth and repair, is necessary for strong, healthy nails. 

Zinc can be found in meat, shellfish, legumes, nuts, and seeds. 

Your nails are essentially made up of the protein keratin, which requires eating protein to support (stock image)

Now, if you’re someone who spends a majority of their time wearing acrylic nails, you’ve probably noticed that your real nails are suffering. 

This, Huntriss explained, is where hydration becomes just as important. 

She suggested that women should be drinking about 11.5 cups of fluids per day, while men should be drinking 15.5 cups. 

Plus, following this diet is just great for your health in general.

Not only will following it keep your nails healthy, but probably the rest of you too.