What is it? - Ridges on the nail appear horizontally and vertically, but also sometimes both. If ridges occur, they happen on all of the nails. White spots occur more randomly, and can vary in size.
Causes - If there are no underlying illnesses, these problems are almost always a result of nutritional deficiencies. Ridges that are vertical usually indicate a lack of stomach acid or digestive problems, whist horizontal ridges are often due to a deficiency of calcium and/or magnesium. White spots are commonly a sign of a zinc deficiency.
Advice - To avoid deficiencies it is important to reduce the foods and other substances that deplete nutrients from the body. The main ones are sugar, alcohol and caffeine. This means reducing intake of junk foods that are based on sugary foods and refined carbohydrates, such as cakes, sweets, biscuits, white bread, white rice and white flour. Obviously, a good well balanced diet is important at preventing deficiencies and it is vital to be eating lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, oily fish, nuts, seeds and whole grains. This should give a good supply of nutrients, however, if there is a zinc deficiency extra nuts, seeds, seafood, eggs, lamb, oats and rye should be eaten. Calcium and magnesium can be topped up by eating more green, leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds. A good diet should ensure that sufficient stomach acid is being produced, however digestion can be improved by consuming foods rich in protein-digesting enzymes, e.g. pineapple and papaya. Sufficient fluids should also be consumed to ensure there is enough water to make gastric juices. There are also some useful supplements:
Massaging evening primrose or olive oil into the nails and cuticles on a regular basis with help speed up the growth of the nail tissue.