Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Dear Terry, “Lately I have noticed very fine vertical ridges in my nails and my nails seems to be very dry and crack or break real easy. I know I can buff the ridges away, but I want to know why they are there in the first place. I feel I am lacking something. I am 55 years old and take daily vitamins and minerals that are made specifically for me provided by a compounding pharmacy. Any suggestions?” — Darla B., Brooksville, FL

A. Dear Darla, I would first recommend consulting with your healthcare practitioner, if you have not already done so. The ridges in your nails could be due to an underlying health issue that you may need to address.

Assuming the ridges are NOT due to an underlying illness, you may want to consider adding a bioavailable silica product extracted from horsetail. Many people never think about silica when it comes to nails, hair and bone health, but it is one of the most important minerals we need. Silica is found throughout the body; however, the highest concentrations occur in connective tissues, such as nails, skin, hair, and teeth, which are especially dependent on silica for strength and resilience. It’s also a major building block of collagen, which helps keep skin supple and blood vessels strong. As part of the aging process, the body undergoes a steady loss of minerals. Some of these minerals are well known, like calcium, magnesium, and potassium. But silica is lost at an even greater rate than these other essential minerals.

I recommend that you start by taking 60 mg of silica daily for 2-3 weeks in order to build a foundation for new, stronger nails. After the initial 2-3 weeks, you can then lower the dose to 10-20 mg daily. Because silica is poorly absorbed, you want to look for a product that contains organic silica and bioflavonoids, blended with marine lipids. This greatly increases absorption and will help you achieve the best benefits. It does take a little time for nails to grow, so you may not see changes right away. Be patient – I know you will see results.

Healthy Regards!

Terry . . . Naturally