Folic Acid For Nails: Is It Worth Taking?

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Are your nails in rough shape? An easy solution is to apply press-ons or cover them up with acrylics. However, that just covers up the problem, and doesn’t make it go away! You should be concerned about their overall health and strength, too. 

You want strong, shapely nails. Even if you don’t love long nails, you should still seek strong nails that aren’t going to break easily.

There are many benefits of folic acid for nails. Today, we will learn more about this nutrient and what it does to your nails. We’ll also look at a few other nutrients that you should consider to grow stronger and healthier nails. 


Contents

Folic Acid 101

Folic Acid

Folic acid is a form of folate that was created synthetically. Folate can be naturally found in some foods like beef liver, asparagus, spinach, and other leafy greens. To help provide the body with the needed folate, folic acid was formed as a vitamin supplement. 

The function of folate in the body is seen as of great importance when it comes to the production of healthy red blood cells. The red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen and other nutrients in the body. 

When there is not enough folate in the body, you may develop anemia. When it comes to your nails, the deficiency of this vitamin could create ridges in the nails. There could also be discoloration when your folate levels are low. 

The recommended dosage of folate is 400mcg per day. 


Folic Acid For Nails

Folic acid is a very important nutrient for the body. It is recommended that pregnant women take it because it is an important nutrient for fetal development.

However, this folic acid isn’t just useful for pregnant women. Other adults can take it too. Although the main reason to take it is to prevent anemia and create healthy red blood cells, having enough folic acid also has a positive effect on the nails. 

Folic acid helps with the proper generation of cells. That includes the cells responsible for your hair and nails. 

Folic acid helps with the proper generation of cells. That includes the cells responsible for your hair and nails. 

Folic acid helps with nail growth as well. It can be used to help your nails grow longer and stronger.

If your nails are thin, bendy, and brittle, you could take folic acid to help grow thicker nails faster. 

Thin and brittle nails could easily split and break. Including folic acid in your routine can help healthier nails to grow faster. 


Other Nutrients That Are Great For Nails

Apart from folic acid, other nutrients can help with nail health. They are as follows: 

1. Vitamin B12

When you lack vitamin B12 in the body, the nails could darken in color. It could appear bluish if the deficiency lasts long. 

This vitamin helps with the absorption of iron for proper red cell production. It is mainly found in meat and dairy products but there are also supplements available in the market. 

2. Iron

If you want to grow healthier, stronger, and healthier nails, you have to make sure that your nail beds are provided with the right amount of oxygen. This makes sure that the nails produced are healthy. 

Iron is an important nutrient for your red blood cells so that it can properly transport oxygen not only to your nail beds but to the rest of the body. 

If there is a deficiency, your nails could be affected. You could develop ridges or inward carvings on your nails if there is not enough iron in the body. 

This can naturally be found in oysters, dark chocolate, white beans, and beef liver. 

3. Zinc

This is another nutrient that helps with healthier cell growth. When there is a lack of zinc, you may see white spots on the nail. This signifies that there are issues with the nail beds. 

Foods rich in zinc include lobsters, beef, and oysters. They can be found in some beans and you can take them as a daily supplement as well. 

4. Vitamin C

Another nutrient that you need to give your body to ensure the growth of longer and stronger nails is vitamin C. This is useful in the production of collagen

Collagen is one of the building blocks of nails. It helps strengthen the nails and makes them more resistant to breaking. 

Foods rich in vitamin C include bell peppers, oranges, broccoli, and oranges. Supplements for vitamin C are available. 


Conclusion

It’s really easy to simply apply a fake nail on top of your natural nails and ignore their rough shape and weak, brittle structure. But you can actually improve your nail health with folic acid. If you’re spending a fortune on manicures and supplies, consider adding folic acid to your routine!

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365 by Whole Foods Market, Folic Acid 800MCG, 250 Tablets
  • daily value for pregnant and lactating...

Written by Kayla Young

Kayla is the founder of LuxeLuminous. She has worked professionally in the tanning industry for years. She has been interested in esthetics since childhood, and has tried every hair, skin, and makeup product ever produced (more or less).