Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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So, the very tips of my fingernails have started to peel - I'm about 9 days way through my Whole30 - 19 days if you discount a single meal.

Whereas they had stopped peeling when I went lacto-paleo, now the tips of my fingernails have started to get "peely" again. The only major difference for me is having given up dairy in July.

Is much-reduced K2 the culprit? Or is there some other nutritional shift that could be the reason my once-strong fingernails have weakened and are flaking/peeling?

flag	asked Jul 19 2011 at 12:27 familygrokumentarian 12.4k●4●25●87

Interesting that you asked this question... I am on day 10 of the whole30 and yesterday was lamenting my peeling nails, though I had yet to wonder if it had to do with the dietary changes. I'm eager to hear the answers you get. I'm doing the Whole30 with additional restrictions for possible autoimmune, so no eggs, nuts or nightshades. – themommybug Jul 19 2011 at 12:55

mth · Answer 1 · 2011-07-19 14:22:05Z UTC

Nothing diet related you have done for the last 19 days is causing your nail to split today.

Either you have the fastest growing fingernails in the world for Whole30 to affect your fingernail tips, or 6 months ago you had some kind of problem and it is now coincidentally showing up.

Fingernails grow on average .1mm per day. Using me as an example, my index finger is roughly 15 millimeters long. So, using the average, that would mean that if something diet or health related were to weaken the nail today, I would not start seeing the efects at the tip until around December 16, 2011.

Now, you might have scratched, smashed, bumped, bent your nail tips causing it to weaken in the last 9 days.

cliff · Answer 2 · 2011-07-19 12:38:51Z UTC

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I assume you still eat eggs? Do you get adequate nutrition?

If dairy stops the problem and you have no issues with dairy I would keep doing that.

answered Jul 19 2011 at 12:38

cliff
13.4k●2●9●28

	I'm still eating lots of eggs and various kinds of meat, including fish, and a huge variety of veggies and fruits. Added fats in the form of macadamia oil, coconut oil, coconut milk, olive oil, etc. – familygrokumentarian Jul 19 2011 at 13:25
	Interesting. They say biotin is pretty vital for nail health but you probably got that covered with the eggs. Maybe its just a calcium issue? or k2 as you stated but I think that's pretty unlikely as most dairy is a pretty poor source of K2. – cliff Jul 19 2011 at 13:30

Todd Shipman · Answer 3 · 2011-07-19 13:40:29Z UTC

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I had same problem. Searched google about it, but it went away midway through

answered Jul 19 2011 at 13:40

Todd Shipman
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Josh M · Answer 4 · 2011-07-19 14:05:55Z UTC

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Perhaps a deficiency in Biotin, a B vitamin. Other things to try: eating gelatin, taking glucosamine sulfate or silicon supplements. Low sulfur can be a culprit. Eggs are a great addition to one's diet.

answered Jul 19 2011 at 14:05

Josh M
11k●1●7●30

Todd Shipman · Answer 5 · 2011-07-19 20:46:34Z UTC

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i dont think they mean their actual FINGER NAILS, but the tips of their fingers are peeling. This happened to me when i went over to whole30, all the skin at the tips of my fingers started to peel.

answered Jul 19 2011 at 20:46

Todd Shipman
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Nope, this time I mean fingernails - not fingertips. – familygrokumentarian Jul 20 2011 at 16:28

Why are my fingernail tips starting to peel while I’m on Whole30?

5 Answers