WHY BITING OF YOUR NAILS COULD ACTUALLY BE GOOD FOR YOU
worse reputation than nail biting, and still, that never seems to stop us.While some people bite their nails in the face of anxiety, for others, the motivation is much less well-defined.
I’m a nail biter — have been since as long as I can remember. But I can promise you, I don’t bite them because I’m especially nervous or anxious. I don’t bite them because they taste good, either. For me, it’s sort of just a habit — one that I engage in for no specific reason. Almost like an instinct.
But instincts don’t just materialise out of nowhere. Usually instinctive behaviours serve important purposes. That got me thinking, does any good come from biting our nails? Or is it just a “tacky” habit that everyone should stop doing, immediately?
It turns out that nail biting, albeit a bad habit, might not be so bad as the common perception, and what’s more — there might actually be a good side to nail biting.
Nail biting boosts your immune system
While biting your fingernails isn’t the cleanest of habits, it has been linked to certain health benefits. Our hands are filthy, which in the case of nail biting, is actually a good thing.
Every time we find ourselves gnawing away at our fingernails, we’re exposing our bodies to a multitude of new germs. Some even immune-boosting.
However, once our bodies have been exposed to these potentially harmful germs for the first time, we start to build up antibodies and subsequently strengthen our immune systems.
It’s the same concept as the “flu shot,” where a vaccine will inject a minuscule amount of the virus into our bodies to avoid any serious infection.
Additionally, by constantly biting your nails and bringing newer germs into your body, you’re, in effect, “working out” your immune system. By keeping your immune system actively fending off bacteria, you’re continuously strengthening it more and more.
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