Calcium and Nail Health

Summary: We get asked often about the relationship between calcium and nail health. Can calcium help my nails grow? Can calcium strengthen nails? The answer is that it’s possible that calcium might help nails, but the current studies don’t show any statistically significant relationship between calcium intake and nail health.

One of the questions we sometimes get asked is about the relationship between calcium intake and nail health.  Even though calcium is primarily stored in your bones and teeth, your nails do contain calcium.  If you’ve searched “does calcium help nails” or “is calcium good for nails and hair,” you're not alone. Many women notice changes in their nails over time—softness, peeling, or slower growth—and wonder whether calcium might help. Let’s see what the science actually shows. 

Do Nails Contain Calcium?

Yes, but not nearly as much as human bone.. According to The New England Journal of Medicine, fingernails contain about 0.03 percent calcium, compared to 20 to 25 percent in the skeleton. This may explain why people associate calcium with nail strength, even though the primary structure of nails is made of keratin, a protein, rather than minerals.

Does Calcium Intake Improve Nail Health?

Here’s where the evidence gets more nuanced. A group of researchers put together A 12-month randomized, placebo-controlled study of 683 healthy postmenopausal women to study this idea about calcium and nail strength and growth. They actualy found no statistically significant difference in self-reported nail texture or brittleness between those taking 1,000 mg of calcium citrate and those taking a placebo. The authors concluded that calcium intake did not measurably change nail quality in this population.

However, this study only evaluated isolated supplemental calcium, not calcium from whole food sources like Seen’s dairy-based chew, which delivers nutrients in a matrix the body recognizes and absorbs more efficiently. It’s possible that this distinction would add nuance to the conversation. 

What Our Customers Say

At Seen Nutrition, our customers often report improvements in how their nails feel after adding our Calcium Chew Complete to their daily routine. Each chew contains 500 mg of highly absorbable calcium from dairy, along with magnesium, protein, and vitamin D from real food.

For example, in one review, a nurse named Diana Jean shared:“I’ve noticed an improvement in my nails.”

Diana left us a review noting that, after taking Seen’s calcium chew for a few months, she “noticed an improvement in [her] nails.” We’ve heard similar feedback from other customers, but can’t scientifically verify that, of course.

While we definitely aren’t claiming our calcium chew directly causes nail growth or reduce brittleness, this kind of feedback reflects what many users feel when they switch to a digestible, food-based calcium source.  Maybe one day we’ll have to conduct our own study with dietary calcium!

Does Calcium Help Nails Grow?

There’s no strong evidence that calcium speeds up nail growth on its own. Researchers have studied nail growth rate and found that: “Fingernails grow at a rate of about 3 millimeters per month, and toenails grow a little slower.”  To date, no study has been conducted measuring dietary calcium consumption against nail growth rate.  However, calcium plays a supporting role in cell turnover, enzyme function, and keratin production, all of which are involved in nail formation. So while calcium is not a magic fix, it is still a part of the larger nutritional picture that contributes to overall nail health (and general health, of course). 

If you’re still wondering “does calcium make your nails grow,” the best answer is: maybe, but not on its own. Nail strength is a reflection of overall nutrition and health. Calcium is part of that, but so is your intake of a balanced diet. The evidence doesn’t support calcium as a silver bullet for nail health, but food-based calcium, as part of a balanced diet, can still contribute to how your body builds and maintains healthy tissue, including in your fingernails and toenails.