Nail Disorders
Nail disorders are changes in the structure, growth, color, or integrity of the nail plate, the nail bed, or the nail matrix where the nail is formed. They include brittle nails that split or peel, ridging, thickening, discoloration, slow or uneven growth, separation of the nail from its bed, and fungal nail infection. Because the nail plate is keratin produced by rapidly dividing cells in the matrix, a nail change can reflect local injury, an infection, or an underlying systemic issue such as anemia, thyroid disease, reduced circulation, or a nutritional deficiency. Only a clinician can determine the cause of a nail change, and the cause determines the appropriate care.
How Medical Foods Can Help
A medical food is not a drug. It is a food formulated to be used under the supervision of a physician for the dietary management of a condition that carries distinctive nutritional requirements. The nail plate is made of keratin produced by rapidly dividing cells in the nail matrix, so its formation draws on dietary protein and on vitamin cofactors involved in protein and one-carbon metabolism. Iaomai's EB-L1 is formulated for the dietary management of nail disorders, under the supervision of a physician, and supplies biotin, keratin, type I collagen, and L-methylfolate as part of that nutritional approach. Nutrition is only one of many factors behind a nail change, and some causes, including infections, are diagnosed and managed medically rather than through diet. EB-L1 is intended to sit alongside the plan your physician sets rather than to replace it, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Keratin and Nail Plate Structure
The nail plate is built from keratin. Biotin is a cofactor for the carboxylase enzymes involved in protein and fatty acid metabolism, and dietary keratin is a protein source that contributes amino acids the body uses in protein synthesis.
Protein Building Blocks
Type I collagen contributes amino acids such as glycine and proline that the body draws on as nail and nail bed tissue is formed, alongside adequate protein in the diet.
Folate and Cell Turnover
L-methylfolate is the biologically active form of folate the body uses in one-carbon metabolism, a pathway involved in DNA synthesis in rapidly dividing tissue such as the nail matrix.
Common Symptoms
- Brittle, splitting nails
- Slow nail growth
- Fungal infections
- Discoloration or ridging
- Weak nail structure
What Causes Nail Disorders?
Nail disorders arise through several distinct routes, and more than one can be present at once. Local causes include repeated trauma, frequent wetting and drying, and exposure to solvents or detergents, all of which weaken the bonds holding the keratin layers of the nail plate together and lead to splitting and peeling. Fungal nail infection is caused by dermatophytes, yeasts, or molds colonizing the nail plate and bed, and it is an infectious disease that a clinician diagnoses and manages medically. Systemic causes include iron deficiency anemia, thyroid disease, psoriasis, diabetes, and reduced circulation, each of which changes the environment in which the matrix builds new nail, while age and certain medications, including chemotherapy, reduce the rate of cell division in the matrix itself. Nutritional status can also be relevant, because the nail plate is a protein structure: its formation draws on dietary protein and amino acids and on vitamin and mineral cofactors the body uses in protein metabolism, among them biotin, a cofactor for the carboxylase enzymes, along with zinc and iron. Deficiency states are associated with characteristic nail findings, such as the thinned, spoon-shaped nails described in iron deficiency. Whether a nutritional factor is involved in any individual case is a question for medical evaluation rather than an assumption, and any nutritional intervention belongs under the supervision of a healthcare provider.
Medical Foods for Nail Disorders
Our scientifically-formulated medical foods are designed to address the nutritional needs specific to Nail Disorders.
Nail Disorders
EB-L1
Biotin, keratin, type I collagen, and L-methylfolate for nail health and restoration.
$149.00
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Individual experience. Results vary from person to person and are not typical or guaranteed. Testimonials describe one person's experience and are not evidence that any product will work for you. Iaomai Health products are medical foods for the dietary management of specific conditions, intended for use under the supervision of a physician.
Struggling with Nail Disorders?
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Explore how medical nutrition supports other related conditions that may co-occur or share similar underlying mechanisms.