Top longevity doctor reveals sign in your fingernail that could tell you how long you’ll live
A world-famous longevity expert has revealed that you may be able to predict your lifespan based on how quickly your fingernails grow.
Dr David Sinclair, an expert in genetics at Harvard Medical School, said nail health is a key indicator of the rate at which our body generates new, healthy cells.
The faster this happens, the more likely we are to be protected against age-related decline.
Biological ageing is a scientific term used to describe how old the cells and tissues of the body appear, according to how well they function.
This can differ from your actual chronological age — the number of birthdays you’ve had.
Speaking on his podcast Lifespan, Dr Sinclair said: ‘The rate of your nail growth is a really good indicator of how you’re ageing or not ageing.’
He referenced a study from 1979 in which scientists attached tiny measuring tapes to hundreds of people’s fingernails and tracked growth over years.
They found that weekly fingernail growth rate decreased by about 0.5 per cent per year from the age of 30.
Dr David Sinclair, an expert in genetics at Harvard Medical School, said the rate of fingernail growth is a good indicator of biological age
He referenced a study from 1979 in which scientists attached tiny measuring tapes onto hundreds of people’s fingernails and then tracked them over years which suggested slowing fingernail
If nails grow faster than this, and you need to cut them more often than other people your age, it could be a sign you’re ageing at a slower rate than averaege, the researchers of the study suggested.
Dr Sinclair said the findings had informed how he looks at his own nails.
‘I do pay attention to whether my nails are slowing down in their growth or not,’ he said.
‘Every time I have to cut my nails, I’m thinking, how long ago did I cut my nails?’.
Age is thought to influence nail growth due to blood circulation slowing as we get older, which means the nails get fewer nutrients that fuel growth.
Other factors can include diet, with people who have deficiencies experiencing slower nail growth, as well as hormone levels — puberty and pregnancy are known periods when nail growth can spike.
How your fingernails look can also be a key sign of a variety of health problems.
Nail ridges are common among older people, as they are a normal sign of ageing, caused by the production of new cells slowing down.
However, in younger people they can also be a potential sign of an array of health issues.
White spots, red lines and ridges can be signs of health issues and deficiencies. Here, experts break down what each nail says about your health
This includes mumps, diabetes and hyperparathyroidism — where the glands in the neck produce too much of a hormone that manages the body’s calcium, or a dietary deficiency in vitamin A, zinc, calcium or iron.
While nails show some variation from person to person experts advise taking note of any changes that occur in their shape and colour.
Black spots underneath the nail can be a sign of cancer such as melanoma or a wart growing under the nailbed.
White spots and lines on your nails can be a sign you are not getting enough zinc, calcium, or iron in your diet or potentially a fungal infection.
Clubbing, when the nails widen and wrap around the side of the fingertips, is another nail change to watch out for.
While the condition can occur in a healthy person for no reason, it is often the sign of a serious health condition.
The change in shape can be caused by hypoxia — low levels of oxygen in the body’s tissues, usually caused by chronic heart or lung conditions.
While a respected expert in his field, Dr Sinclair came under criticism last year when was accused of pushing an ‘unscientific’ pill said to reverse ageing in dogs.
The controversy sparked a slew of resignations from the prestigious research body he founded – the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research – and Dr Sinclair was eventually forced to step down as president.
