Nutritional Deficiencies That Show Up in the Tongue and Nails

Tongue - Red and painful

When the tongue’s healthy pink color changes to bright or dark red, that can signal one of several nutritional deficiencies—especially vitamin B3 (niacin), a condition called pellagra. Anemia or a diet poor in folic acid and vitamin B12 may also be to blame.  One premium time-release B-vitamin formula is NUTRACENE.

Your nail plate is comprised of several layers of the protein keratin, which in healthy folks are bound together to form a unified, strong nail. But when nails aren’t protected or a person consumes a diet deficient in linoleic acid, they can peel.  If your nails are peeling and you suspect that you aren’t getting enough linoleic acid, try upping your intake of vegetable oils such as flaxseed, sunflower and olive, and snacking on walnuts and roasted soybeans. You can also take a linoleic acid rich supplement such as flaxseed or olive oil softgels.

A healthy nail is slightly raised in the middle then curves down a bit at the tip end. If you have one or more nails that dip in the middle and rise up at the tip – spoon-shaped –you likely have an iron deficiency anemia. Like many other health problems, by the time an iron deficiency is manifest in a person’s nails it has been going on for months. If you suspect you have iron deficiency anemia, it is important to have a doctor determine the cause. In most cases supplemental iron is given orally. A special diet may also be prescribed. Of course, once the anemia is corrected, it will take a while for normal-shaped nails to grow out.

Approximately twenty percent (20%) of women suffer from a condition called “brittle nail syndrome”, in which the nail can’t retain moisture. When this happens the layers of the nail plate dry out and crack. One cause is an under-active thyroid. In addition, a diet low in iron can cause nails to become thin and brittle. When low iron intake is determined to be the cause, this can be remedied by consuming lots of green, leafy vegetables, and lean red meat. The B-complex vitamin biotin can also help turn the table on brittle nails.