Can A Nail Biting Habit Cause A Zinc Deficiency?

[Cirion]

Serious question. I've been a nail biter basically my whole life, dunno why, just have been.

I've been having some thoughts in my head, various reasons, making me wonder if I'm zinc deficient and trying to get to the bottom of why, and what I can do about it - this is one thought I've had. My nails rarely get more than a mm of the "white" extension before I bite or pick them off.

I wonder if this can cause a deficiency, because your body is basically constantly needing to provide materials to regrow it. I do realize that nails basically can grow almost indefinitely beyond just a couple inches of the "white", but doesn't it slow down / not require as much material/energy to grow after a while? At least that's my thinking process?

I also wonder about zinc because like I said other reasons, for example I've noticed that some people tend to get more benefit from nofap than others - I'm one of the people that gets a big benefit from it - and I wonder if that's just partly due to a zinc defiency (we lose zinc in the act, correct?)

Time to try to force myself not to bite it anymore I suppose... Lol

 

[artist]

That's not how it works, no. Your body doesn't know how long your nails are, they will grow at the same speed regardless.

 

[Diokine]

I think that nail biting represents an attempt to restore sensitivity in the circuits regulating emotions. I suspect there is generally a deficit in the GABAergic portion of the feedback loop, which can manifest in behavioral patterns via serotonergic influence as a means of self-soothing. I think prolactin is involved in shifting the balance towards anxiety as well, but my thoughts on that are not very well examined.

I've found some forms of acupressure or acupuncture are effective for lessening the compulsion. The compulsion is significantly worse after periods of poor or inadequate sleep, or during sympathetic over-activity.

It's an interesting thought to connect zinc with this sort of behavior, I think there is good reason to suspect an influence. Zinc is required for proper differentiation of cellular topography and complete expression of encoded genetic information sets. I think that functional zinc deficiency is very common, and inflammation, fungal infection, and gut irritation are some of the causes. Hypothyroidism and chronic elevations of cortisol can cause swelling of extracellular tissues, which can consume zinc at a rapid rate. Zinc is required for matrix metalloproteinases, which are involved in the structuring and formation of collagen, cartilages, and other connecty bits. Damage to the nail matrix would probably increase requirements for zinc, but damage to intestinal tissue and mucosa is probably a much bigger factor.

 

[Cirion]

Interesting thoughts, I don't profess to totally understand what you said but I think I get the gist. I'd like to start incorporating oysters in my diet and see if that improves things, and if it does, that'll be verification enough about zinc I think. I have been taking zinc supplementation but if there's one thing I've learned in my Peat'ing experience so far, minerals from real food are generally far superior than supplementation so I'm doing my best to start getting all my needs from foods so I can start ditching my supplements one by one.

 

[LUH 3417]

Interesting thoughts, I don't profess to totally understand what you said but I think I get the gist. I'd like to start incorporating oysters in my diet and see if that improves things, and if it does, that'll be verification enough about zinc I think. I have been taking zinc supplementation but if there's one thing I've learned in my Peat'ing experience so far, minerals from real food are generally far superior than supplementation so I'm doing my best to start getting all my needs from foods so I can start ditching my supplements one by one.

That’s interesting because when I started eating a can of smoked oysters twice a week I stopped biting my nails. But then I got sick of eating them and starting biting them again. I’m going to try with oysters or zinc supp and see what happens this time.
For me the impulse is strongest and worst in traffic and similar situations where I am out of control. It’s something I can control that soothes me and I’ve been doing it since I can remember being alive.

 

[Cirion]

Interesting. Yeah I had a very stressful childhood/early adulthood which probably is at least part of the reason why I developed the habit myself. Didn't care at all about my health until I finished college. I think the act of chewing reduces stress. Maybe that's why I also really enjoy caffeinated chewing gum lol.

 

[LUH 3417]

Interesting. Yeah I had a very stressful childhood/early adulthood which probably is at least part of the reason why I developed the habit myself. Didn't care at all about my health until I finished college. I think the act of chewing reduces stress. Maybe that's why I also really enjoy caffeinated chewing gum lol.

Me too. It’s partly perfectionist tendencies for me too because everytime I start it’s just to “even out” one nail but then I end up attacking them all lol.

 

[Stilgar]

Ray told me he thought nail biting was a serotinin thing, an urge brought on by stress. He recommended pregnenolone to help kick the habit.

 

[LUH 3417]

Ray told me he thought nail biting was a serotinin thing, an urge brought on by stress. He recommended pregnenolone to help kick the habit.

Interesting. Thank you

 

[Cirion]

Not surprised. I have been suspecting I have chronically elevated serotonin which is why I'm trying to drop my tryptophan containing foods as much as I can.

 

[LUH 3417]

Not surprised. I have been suspecting I have chronically elevated serotonin which is why I'm trying to drop my tryptophan containing foods as much as I can.

If dilated pupils are a symptom of both elevated dopamine and serotonin levels, how would you know which one is causing it?

 

[SOMO]

Nail biting sounds like Pica.

I think you have it backwards, biting nails doesn't give you a mineral deficiency - you bite your nails BECAUSE you ALREADY have a mineral deficiency.

 

[LUH 3417]

Nail biting sounds like Pica.

I think you have it backwards, biting nails doesn't give you a mineral deficiency - you bite your nails BECAUSE you ALREADY have a mineral deficiency.

Which deficiency is the question

 

[frant26]

Me too. It’s partly perfectionist tendencies for me too because everytime I start it’s just to “even out” one nail but then I end up attacking them all lol.

LOL I have exactly the same. I also wonder if perfectionist tendencies can be related to physiological imbalances. Clearly the dopamine release after nail biting is perceived by the body as a promise to restore balance.

Not surprised. I have been suspecting I have chronically elevated serotonin which is why I'm trying to drop my tryptophan containing foods as much as I can.

Buddy has your nail-biting habit decreased? How did your low-tryptophan experiment go? Anything specific you do when you find yourself biting your nails?

I am struggling with the same issue; oysters or supp zinc make no difference. I never bite my nails in a social setting or while being physically active – but almost always when in front of the computer or TV.

 

[redsun]

LOL I have exactly the same. I also wonder if perfectionist tendencies can be related to physiological imbalances. Clearly the dopamine release after nail biting is perceived by the body as a promise to restore balance.



Buddy has your nail-biting habit decreased? How did your low-tryptophan experiment go? Anything specific you do when you find yourself biting your nails?

I am struggling with the same issue; oysters or supp zinc make no difference. I never bite my nails in a social setting or while being physically active – but almost always when in front of the computer or TV.

I don't know if pica can deal with a general mineral deficiency but I know for sure iron deficiency can cause pica.

 

[frant26]

I don't know if pica can deal with a general mineral deficiency but I know for sure iron deficiency can cause pica.

Thanks. I was tested with a full iron panel a few times, and show no iron deficiency.

 

[Kingpinguin]

Serious question. I've been a nail biter basically my whole life, dunno why, just have been.

I've been having some thoughts in my head, various reasons, making me wonder if I'm zinc deficient and trying to get to the bottom of why, and what I can do about it - this is one thought I've had. My nails rarely get more than a mm of the "white" extension before I bite or pick them off.

I wonder if this can cause a deficiency, because your body is basically constantly needing to provide materials to regrow it. I do realize that nails basically can grow almost indefinitely beyond just a couple inches of the "white", but doesn't it slow down / not require as much material/energy to grow after a while? At least that's my thinking process?

I also wonder about zinc because like I said other reasons, for example I've noticed that some people tend to get more benefit from nofap than others - I'm one of the people that gets a big benefit from it - and I wonder if that's just partly due to a zinc defiency (we lose zinc in the act, correct?)

Time to try to force myself not to bite it anymore I suppose... Lol

Everyone gets rid of their nails one way or another you either cut them or bite them. What makes you think biting would spur and faster regrowth then cutting them? If you dont bite or cut your nails will still grow the same speed and become really long untill either you break them or scratch them off with labour. Our ancestors the cavemen also had nails and they also bit them off aswell. Probably thats where your behavior comes from. Even dogs bite their nails to cut them and tons of other animals trim their nails. Its natural and just like cutting hair wont make it grow back faster biting your nails wont demand higher zinc then average.

 

[Kingpinguin]

I don't know if pica can deal with a general mineral deficiency but I know for sure iron deficiency can cause pica.

Thanks. I was tested with a full iron panel a few times, and show no iron deficiency.

Biting nails is not a pica behaviour. Its a very common natural way for animals to trim their nails. Humans do it even cavemen did it and dogs + lots of other animals also do it. Nothing to obsess about and spend money doing lab tests because you bite your nails.

 

[Neeters 27]

Serious question. I've been a nail biter basically my whole life, dunno why, just have been.

I've been having some thoughts in my head, various reasons, making me wonder if I'm zinc deficient and trying to get to the bottom of why, and what I can do about it - this is one thought I've had. My nails rarely get more than a mm of the "white" extension before I bite or pick them off.

I wonder if this can cause a deficiency, because your body is basically constantly needing to provide materials to regrow it. I do realize that nails basically can grow almost indefinitely beyond just a couple inches of the "white", but doesn't it slow down / not require as much material/energy to grow after a while? At least that's my thinking process?

I also wonder about zinc because like I said other reasons, for example I've noticed that some people tend to get more benefit from nofap than others - I'm one of the people that gets a big benefit from it - and I wonder if that's just partly due to a zinc defiency (we lose zinc in the act, correct?)

Time to try to force myself not to bite it anymore I suppose... Lol

its the other way around! you are low in minerals, so you are eating your nails to fix low iron and zinc. take supplements.

 

[Dutchie]

Back in my Lyme days, I often heard that nailbiting is caused by parasites.
In turn your body/immune system uses up a lot of zinc to fight pathogens, which could be why you feel you have zinc deficiency symptoms.