According to Dr David Sinclair, your fingernails can reveal much about the state of your health. In fact, he states that there is a sign that appears on your fingernails that can indicate your life expectancy. But, what is this sign and what should you do if you see it? Let’s find out more about the connection between this sign and life expectancy below.
Your Life Expectancy According to Your Fingernails
Dr. Sinclair claims that he closely examines his fingernails regularly to determine how rapidly he is aging. Now, for most people, this is typically the last part of the body they would think of looking at to gauge their health. The majority of us tend to pay more attention to our diet, lungs, heart, and overall health than our nails when it comes to determining how healthy we are. However, according to Dr. Sinclair, the state of your nails reveals the rate at which new healthy cells are produced in your body. The quicker the rate that in which new cells are produced, the greater the protection your body has against health decline related to aging.
Signs of Biological Aging
Your actual age can very often differ from your biological age. Your biological age is determined by observing how well the tissues and cells in your body appear to function. This can be clearly observed in the rate at which your nails grow. The doctor stated that he specifically pays attention to whether his nail growth has slowed down or not and notes how long ago he previously cut them. He made reference to a specific study conducted in 1979 in which scientists observed the growth rate of hundreds of people’s fingernails. What they found was that the participant’s fingernail growth rate slowed down by 0.5% annually from the age of 30 onwards. This suggested that if your nails grow faster than this anticipated rate, then you are aging at a slower rate than average.
Other Health Signs Revealed Through Your Nails
Your nails can reveal more than your biological age, though. There are several health conditions that change the appearance of your fingernails. For example, a dark streak on a fingernail could indicate the development of melanoma. Nails with numerous little dents could indicate that you have psoriasis or atopic dermatitis. Yellowing nails can be a sign of rheumatoid arthritis or lung disease. Clubbed or curved nails could indicate health issues associated with your heart, lungs, liver, and stomach. White nails can indicate that you have diabetes or liver disease and pale nails could indicate that you are anemic. If your nails are blue, it could indicate that you are not getting enough oxygen in your bloodstream.
