Zinc deficiency?

[cartersmom]

Are white spots on one's fingernails indicative of a zinc deficiency? If not does anybody know what causes them? I googled this and got so many different answers...from nail bed trauma to zinc defoiciency to calcium deposits....

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

They are indicative of low zinc with me. If I see them I go to the chemist and do the oral zinc test, just to check.

[cartersmom]

They are indicative of low zinc with me. If I see them I go to the chemist and do the oral zinc test, just to check.


What is an oral zinc test? Does one have to get it through a doc?

[Serephina]

No Dr required ;)

It's also called a zinc tally test. Basically you take a little liquid zinc and hold it in your mouth. If you can't taste it then you need more zinc. If your zinc levels are okay then the taste will be quite vile.

[cartersmom]

No Dr required ;)

It's also called a zinc tally test. Basically you take a little liquid zinc and hold it in your mouth. If you can't taste it then you need more zinc. If your zinc levels are okay then the taste will be quite vile.

And one can get this at a drug store over the counter?? If I do this and get the vile taste and zinc levels are ok...what else might the white spots be??

[Sandra17]

I've been through this process, though I don't feel I have the level of knowledge to tell you vehemently. I always assumed that lo9w zinc was my problem but once I had taken steps to improve that and still had the white nails on my fingernails, I sought more information and help and started to take a calcium + magnesium supplement. I am seeing a positive difference just a few weeks down the track, with significantly fewer white marks evident on my nails.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

I've been through this process, though I don't feel I have the level of knowledge to tell you vehemently. I always assumed that lo9w zinc was my problem but once I had taken steps to improve that and still had the white nails on my fingernails, I sought more information and help and started to take a calcium + magnesium supplement. I am seeing a positive difference just a few weeks down the track, with significantly fewer white marks evident on my nails.


Sandra is correct. The key is to eliminate the possibilities one by one. yes we get the zinc test at the chemist, but it's not called the zinc tally test here. :giggle:Yet another inter country difference.

The calcium magnesium issue is a different one, but the mineral most likely making the difference, is magnesium, becasue magnesium keeps calcium in a fluid form and stops it being deposited as white particulate matter.