LONGECITY

I've had this issue a long time with skin around my fingernails. It seems to get very easily damaged and often spontaneously peels. I'm thinking that this might be calcium deficiency but I don't know either, because my diet is very well balanced, so I should get the adequate amounts. Any ideas, suggestion?

I have that too but I don't know the cause. It would be good to find out, I suppose. Since you mention nails, I've noticed that my lunulae (half moons at the base of the nails) are getting smaller. I've read different things that it could be (pituitary, circulation or metabolism problems) but nothing definite, only that it's bad.

So it isn't good...that's good to know. It must be one of those things that might be caused by almost anything.
Besides I wouldn't have asked this question in this forum, but I did a search on the web and I found nothing regarding this.

Starr, I'd never heard that before. I've been eating much healthier and taking vits and the skin around m nails for the most part have stopped peeling. But I can barely see my lunulae now. I just don't see how it can be a bad sign when the rest of my nails look so healthy.

Folic acid.

So it isn't good...that's good to know. It must be one of those things that might be caused by almost anything.
Besides I wouldn't have asked this question in this forum, but I did a search on the web and I found nothing regarding this.

Oh, I was referring to the half moons, not the peeling but even so the peeling can't be good. Common sense tells me that's some kind of weakness. The skin at the base of my nails is only peeling on my middle fingers, at least that's where it's happening right now.

Starr, I'd never heard that before. I've been eating much healthier and taking vits and the skin around m nails for the most part have stopped peeling. But I can barely see my lunulae now. I just don't see how it can be a bad sign when the rest of my nails look so healthy.

Well, I didn't read about it in medical journals but I saw this information on various sites around the web. Also in a chinese medicine book. Supposedly they just get smaller with age as well.

Folic acid.

As of last week I'm on about 2 mgs of folic acid per day. I'd been getting about 800 mcg - 1 mg before.

Oh, I was referring to the half moons, not the peeling but even so the peeling can't be good. Common sense tells me that's some kind of weakness. The skin at the base of my nails is only peeling on my middle fingers, at least that's where it's happening right now.

I'm no physician, but I do know that the white marks people usually get on their nails are due to improper nail formation which can be due to lack of nutrients or simply by air getting under there. So the half-moons logically should be the places where nails are being formed and it's normal for them to get smaller if your body is supplied with nutrients because it makes the formation faster and thus less moons there . I'm waiting for somebody smarter to correct me asap. [wis]
Edited by ikaros, 09 August 2006 - 04:12 PM.

I'm no physician, but I do know that the white marks people usually get on their nails are due to improper nail formation which can be due to lack of nutrients or simply by air getting under there. So the half-moons logically should be the places where nails are being formed and it's normal for them to get smaller if you're body is supplied with nutrients because it makes the formation faster and thus less moons there . I'm waiting for somebody smarter to correct me asap [wis]

White flecks on the fingernails are a sign of a zinc deficiency.

http://www.straightd...ics/a3_035.html

Other problems with nails can be a sign of a zinc deficiency, like ridges.

I used to have cuticles that were dry and jagged. The cuticles on my thumbs would get bad and I might somehow pick at the skin. This would cause a fairly big piece of skin to peel away, leaving an open cut. I used to have this problem but don't anymore. I honestly don't know for sure what the cause of my problem was but my first guess would be nutritional deficiencies.

Zinc is a possiblity because it does seem to have a lot to do with nails. Carl Pfeiffer's book Elemental Minerals shows some photos of nail problems associated with zinc deficiencies. You can always try some Zinc Status to see if you have a zinc deficiency. Zinc Status will cost less than $20 in a health food store.

I have read something about the moons and how they can change with age and I think your immune system, but forget now.

I got Zinc Status a few days ago and the first time I tried it I didn't taste anything! The next time I used it, I think I had a delayed perception of an ever so slightly sour taste. What is it supposed to taste like when you're ok?

It tastes like metal. I hate liquid zinc supplements because the have a nasty taste, and a nasty after taste. Keep the Zinc Status around to test again. A delayed taste sensation does happen to some people. But it seems like your zinc levels could be a little bit better.

I guess you can keep taking the high doses of vitamin C and continue using that product with 10 mg. of copper and 75 mg. of zinc.

It tastes like metal. I hate liquid zinc supplements because the have a nasty taste, and a nasty after taste. Keep the Zinc Status around to test again. A delayed taste sensation does happen to some people. But it seems like your zinc levels could be a little bit better.

I guess you can keep taking the high doses of vitamin C and continue using that product with 10 mg. of copper and 75 mg. of zinc.

I was taking extra of that formulation plus a multi. I hadn't made that clear in my original post in the other thread. Anyway, I don't really use that formulation now but I ordered some zinc and copper separately. I just don't want to make myself toxic. Also, does taking extra Mag interfere with zinc? I was sure that I read that it did.

No, I don't think you need to worry about magnesium and zinc. I have to take magnesium because it works well with vitamin b6. (I am deficient in b6 and zinc.) I have never seen anything about magnesium and zinc being a problem.

You might not need so much copper now. But having the Zinc Status can be helpful because you do want to get these two minerals balanced properly. It might take some time for you to get your zinc levels up. More than about 60 mg. or 80 mg. of zinc per day will cause a copper deficiency. The hard part is knowing when you need to either adjust the zinc dose lower or start adding or increasing the copper dose. At some point may need a lower the dose of zinc and there is no easy way to know that is.

You might not need so much copper now.

I take zinc supplements often, but not copper. Shouldn't coffee and tea drinking make up the required copper?

I know tea and iced tea are good sources of copper and manganese. When supplementing zinc in high doses you need to also take some copper and manganese. Tropical fruits are a good sources of manganese.

I don't know about coffee supplying any copper.