Best Supplements To Take For Hair And Nails
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When people think of supplements, primarily they tend to picture products designed to boost your athletic performance, or indeed your physique. Bodybuilding supplements for example, are incredibly popular all over the globe, and help generate literally billions upon billions of dollars in profit every single year. Many other supplements however, are designed to improve a person’s health and well-being, which is why we have immune system boosting supplements such as vitamins and minerals. What you may not have realised however, is that there are a series of other supplements out there, that provide benefits that you may not have ordinarily considered. We all want to look and feel our absolute best, and the great news is that we can utilize supplements that help us to do just that, in a variety of different ways. Your hair and nails for example, look so much better when you’re taking care of yourself, and if you’re sick of dull, lifeless, and dry-looking hair and unhealthy-looking nails, you may wish to consider including the following supplements as part of your daily supplement regime.
Biotin
If you’re dealing with brittle nails that just don’t seem to want to grow, and that often find themselves becoming damaged no matter how careful you are, you may wish to consider using a biotin supplement. Biotin is perhaps better known as vitamin H, and it is one of the most underappreciated and underutilized vitamins in the entire world. Not only does it help to strengthen and boost immunity, but on top of that, it also proves very beneficial for our hair and our nails. Numerous studies have found that individuals who supplement with biotin on a regular basis can show improvements of more than 25% in overall nail plate thickness. Despite the supplement being so underutilized, you may be getting biotin without realising, as it is naturally present in foods such as: eggs, whole grains, and dairy produce. If your nails are causing you issues, make sure you increase your biotin consumptions and you’ll quickly begin noticing vast improvements.
Zinc
Zinc is a very potent and very important trace mineral that many of us are deficient in. Zinc provides a whole cacophony of health benefits for the human body, including being able to boost immunity and increase and regulate hormone production and secretion. In terms of your physical appearance however, zinc is very beneficial as it has been found to contribute to overall skin health and hair health. Individuals that are lacking in zinc will often suffer from dry lifeless skin and hair, whereas supplementing with zinc will add moisture to the skin and hair, will give it a nice shine, and will give it a general improvement in terms of physical appearance. What’s more, if you are struggling with thinning hair, zinc will help to thicken it and will promote new growth.
Essential fatty acids
Essential fatty acids, such as fish oil supplements, flax seed supplements, or omega 3, 6, 9 supplements, are incredibly good for the human body for a whole host of various reasons. To begin with, they are extremely good for the brain as they enhance cognitive functions, they improve long and short-term memory, and they help to prevent degenerative diseases. On top of that, they boost immunity and help to improve cardiovascular health and well-being. In terms of hair, skin, and nail health however, essential fatty acid supplements really come into their own. To begin with, these fats help to prevent dryness and flakiness in the scalp, which can lead to dull and lifeless looking hair. It also helps to add moisture, promote nail growth, and it can improve nail plate thickness. Essential fatty acids are found in foods such as flax seeds, and oily fish, although it is far easier to simply supplement with an essential fatty acid supplement to really ensure you’re getting enough in on a daily basis.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is perhaps the best-known vitamin in terms of health and well-being, which is largely down to its natural antioxidant properties. This water soluble vitamin is very beneficial for the human body as it boosts the immune system and helps to rid the body of toxins and free-radicals, which could potentially help to ward off certain forms of cancer, and other serious health ailments. If you are looking to improve your skin, hair, and nail health however, you need to ensure you are getting enough vitamin C in on a daily basis. Generally, as we age, oxidative damage to the hair, skin, and nails becomes more prevalent, so naturally, as vitamin C is an antioxidant, this helps to fight the signs and effects of aging and therefore it helps you to stay youthful and healthy looking. As we grow older, our nails become more brittle, and our hair turns grey, becomes thinner, and often looks dull and lifeless. Whilst vitamin C will not help to stop you turning grey, it could help to add a slight reduction in hair loss, and it will leave it looking and feeling much healthier.
Whey protein
In terms of nail health, whey protein is one of the most beneficial and least understood nail-health supplements in the world. Whey protein is a supplement associated with bodybuilding and health and fitness as it plays a vital role in muscle growth and repair. What does this have to do with your nails? Well, your nails themselves are actually made from a protective tough form of protein that is known as Keratin. As your nails are made from protein, as you can probably expect, if you aren’t getting enough protein, your nails aren’t going to grow, and they are going to be very brittle. By increasing protein intakes, you are helping to ensure your nails get the proteins and amino acids that they need to grow.