The Library Brands All Products for Encyclopedia Health Concerns Vitamins, Minerals, etc. The common condition of brittle nails is often not definitively linked with any known cause. Nonetheless, natural medicine may be able to help strengthen brittle nails. If there is any question about what the problem is, it is important to get a diagnosis from a healthcare practitioner.
Iron deficiency can cause spoon-shaped nails.
For years, some doctors of natural medicine have believed that zinc deficiency can cause white spots to appear on nails. In China, excessive selenium has been linked to nails actually falling out. 3 Biotin , a B vitamin, is known to strengthen hooves in animals. As a result, Swiss researchers investigated the use of biotin in strengthening brittle fingernails in humans, despite the fact that it remains unclear exactly how biotin affects nail structure. As a result, splitting of nails was reduced.