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Dry hair, skin and nails
My daughter has become “dry” which is the only way I can describe what is happening to her. Her hair, scalp, skin and nails are all dry and flaky and I am desperate to find something to remedy this. She is eight years old and drinks very little milk. Is there something lacking in her diet?
Dry skin and nails, in both children and adults, can be a sign of deficiency in essential fatty acids (EFAs) in the diet. These are called essential because the body cannot make them but must get them from food. Cold-water oily fish such as salmon are an excellent source and so, if she does not have any underlying allergy to them, are nuts and seeds.
I always keep a stash of the latter in the cupboard to sprinkle over salads, stir fries, steamed vegetables and soups or even over wholemeal toast. I buy in bulk, (a 975g pot of mixed dry roasted sunflower and sesame seeds costs £14.40 from Lawncourt Harvest; 01728 833004) and while this is an excellent way to boost her intake of EFAs, since the problem has become chronic, you will need to supplement her diet too.
Lots of parents are now giving children fatty acid supplements with their breakfast not least because there has been widespread publicity showing how these nutrients can help iron out behavioural difficulties in children diagnosed as suffering from a range of disorders, including hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder. To find out more on this, read my article - Difficult Behaviours - or Melissa Clark's article, Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs).
Healthy and Essential (08700 536000) is a small UK company specialising in importing good quality fatty acid supplements for both adults and children including the strawberry-flavoured mini MorEPA capsules for children which solve the problem of trying to get kids to swallow horrible-tasting fish oils.
Flaking nails can also be a sign of a lack of zinc in the diet- so again, she will benefit from taking a good quality multisupplement to counter this. I give my daughter, who is the same age, a chewy multivitamin formulated by Solgar as part of the Kangavites children’s range. To find a local stockist, call 01442 890355.