By Setareh Kiumarsi
Do your nails have lots of vertical ridges?
In Ayurvedic medicine, vertical lines on the nails are considered a sign of decreasing bone density. Think of bones like sponges—if your body has enough earth element (meaning minerals), the sponge is dense and full. But when the body becomes mineral-deficient, the sponge starts to hollow out.
So, what can you do?
– Check your vitamin D levels, and if they’re low, take a supplement. Vitamin D acts like a hormone and plays a vital role in absorbing minerals in the digestive tract.
– Regularly oil your nails using sweet almond oil or sesame oil.
– Eat 10–20 soaked, peeled almonds daily.
(For more on proper almond consumption, see the article Almonds in Ayurvedic Medicine.)
– Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds over your salad each day.
– Drink digestive lassi 1–2 times daily, made with the following ingredients:
1/4 cup yogurt (or camel milk yogurt)
3/4 cup hot water
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp powdered dried oleaster
1/4 tsp fennel powder
1/4 tsp dried rose petals
a pinch of salt
– The combination of yogurt and turmeric is known to help strengthen both bones and nails.
– If you’re not vegetarian, drink 1–2 cups of bone broth daily.
To make it: Place a chicken or lamb carcass in a pot with chopped onion, turmeric, saffron, coriander seeds, salt, and lemon juice. Fill with water, cover, and let it simmer for several hours. Once cooled, skim the fat and store the broth in the fridge for use over several days.
If you republish this post, which was written with care and in the hope of well-being for all, please credit the author “Setareh Kiumarsi.”
