esoterica
New Member
After reading this, silica is on my shopping list!
http://www.healthywaymagazine.com/issue25/05_silica_saves_skin.html
http://www.healthywaymagazine.com/issue25/05_silica_saves_skin.html
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Silica
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esoterica
New Member
Biosil (Liquid Silicon), Jarrow Formulas, 30 fl ml
http://www.iherb.com/biosil.html
• 2 1/2 X More Bioavailable
• Clinically Proven
• Beautifies Hair, Skin, and Nails
• Highest Absorption
• Essential For Collagen, Bone, Joints
• 3 Month Supply
Patented BioSil contains 600 mg of stabilized Orthosilicic Acid (monomeric, single-unit silicic acid). Each drop provides 1 mg of silicon. Bottle contains 600 drops of a concentrated 2% solution of biologically active silicon. Six drops per day provides a 100 day supply.
Directions: Take 6 drops per day. Mix in 1/4 cup of fluid, (preferably juice), and drink immediately; or drop into an empty hardshell capsule and swallow immediately with liquid.Label Information:
BioSil's Active Silicon is an essential partner of calcium for bones, glucosamine for joints, and antioxidants for healthier arteries and cardiovascular function.
The Importance of Silicon-Silicon is a trace mineral required for the formation of healthy connective tissue, bone, skin, hair and nails. Silicon is essential for collagen formation, healthy arteries and regulates calcium deposition in bones.
Absorption is Key- Dietary sources of silicon such as those found in food, horsetail and colloidal gel (silica) products, are very poorly absorbed because of their insoluble, polymerized forms. For absorption to occur, dietary silicon must be first converted to Orthosilicic Acid (monomeric silicic acid), the bioavailable form found in Biosil.
Why is BioSil Different? BioSil (Si{OH}4) is 20,000 times more soluble than silica (SIO2-found in horsetail and colloidal gels) and many times more bioavailable than other forms of silicon!
MzTami
Hellerrrr
I bought some Ginger Capsules the other day that contains Silica. I bought it for my digestive system, but it's good to know that it works great for hair too. Thanks for the informative information.
Transitioning
Last relaxer- 07/02/2005
Texture-2b/medium???4b/medium ( I haven't figured it out yet)
Length- 2 to 3 inches pass shoulder
Goal-shoulder length 100% natural healthy hair.
I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn’t, than live my life as if there isn’t and die to find out there is!- unknown
Transitioning
Last relaxer- 07/02/2005
Texture-2b/medium???4b/medium ( I haven't figured it out yet)
Length- 2 to 3 inches pass shoulder
Goal-shoulder length 100% natural healthy hair.
I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn’t, than live my life as if there isn’t and die to find out there is!- unknown
HoneyDew
Well-Known Member
I use the Biosil. I was using the capsules and noticed that my nails are looking great. My manicurist even commented that they are very strong. I used the whole month supply of those and now I am trying the liquid version.
I am now only using the Biosil and my daily multi-vitamin and I can see a nice improvement in my skin and nails.
I have braids in now, so I am not sure how my hair is being affected.
I am now only using the Biosil and my daily multi-vitamin and I can see a nice improvement in my skin and nails.
I have braids in now, so I am not sure how my hair is being affected.
PrettyBrownEyes
Well-Known Member
I've been taking GNC Silica for the past several weeks and I've noticed the difference in my nails (although they've always grown long) and I'm pretty sure my hair growth too.
foxybrownsugar
New Member
my multi has a small amount of silica. i eat plenty onions, garlic, and wholegrains i dont think im in defiency range.
Cichelle
Well-Known Member
Koffie said:
I drink a geothermal spring water called "Trinity N.M.S.". As far as what it does for health, it does what any other mineral supplement with a similar composition would do. In that regard, you have to monitor how much of it you drink. The water is coming from deep in the ground and has naturally occuring minerals in it, including flouride, silica and bicarbonate and sodium. I monitor my mineral intake and act accordingly. The bottle suggests not drinking more than one liter a day.
I didn't start drinking this water for the silica. It just happens to be a benefit. I drink two liters of water a day and decided to make one of them a mineral water. This water supplies about 75 mg of silica per liter, which I've discovered is more than the average supplement. Silica is one of those weird things. It seems 1000 mg of horsetail can actually add up to only 100 mg of silica. The supplement asphyxxia posts about here says it supplies one mg of silicon per drop, yet it is 600 mg of stabilized Orthosilicic Acid. I think it has something to do with what is actually available to the body, but I'm not sure.
Cichelle
Well-Known Member
asphyxxia said:
Yeah, I get that part. But this part: "Bottle contains 600 drops of a concentrated 2% solution of biologically active silicon", is less clear. (Btw, I'm not knocking this supplement at all! Just trying to understand about silica supplements in general.) I am also interested in the fact that they are recommending only 6mg of silica a day. I have no idea how much is generally recommended. So I'm just jotting that down for comparison.
ETA: Here's an old thread that pretty much sums up what has confused me about silica supplements:
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=3431
Last edited:
esoterica
New Member
I found an article!
Silicon: An Overlooked
Trace Mineral
image
Bioavailability and efficacy of silicon supplements
When selecting a silicon supplement, the most important considerations should be safety and bioavailability. (Bioavailability is a complex term for the degree of absorption and the biological response to the silicon compounds which are present in the product.) Organic silicon compounds, which are laboratory synthesized, contain silicon-carbon bonds. These molecules are normally not present in biological systems and can be very toxic. For this reason it is safest to use silicon compounds that are already present in nature or compounds that are the derivatives of natural products. Common silicon supplements include:
Plant extracts:
Bamboo and algae usually have high silica concentrations. However, plant extracts are often not standardized and the silicon concentration in these products varies greatly. As the silicon from plant extracts cannot be absorbed directly through the stomach wall, the bioavailability of these products requires high stomach acidity in order to produce soluble orthosilicic acid.
Colloidal silicon gel:
These products offer large, insoluble, polymer molecules of silicic acid suspended in water. Like plant extracts, these polymer-molecules cannot be absorbed directly through the stomach wall and therefore have a low rate of absorption. The stomach's ability to produce soluble orthosilicic acid is also limited to low concentration levels due to orthosilicic acid's limited stability.
Stabilized orthosilicic acid:
Now on the market is a liquid, stabilized orthosilicic acid concentrate. A research group from the University of Antwerp in Belgium has published a supplementation study describing a high rate of silicon absorption from a liquid silicon supplement containing 2% silicon in the form of stabilized orthosilicic acid. In the six-month study with calves, the total dietary silicon intake was increased by only 5% in the form of stabilized orthosilicic acid. Even with such a small dose of orthosilicic acid, the supplemented group showed 70% higher blood silicon levels than the unsupplemented group. These higher silicon blood levels also translated into a 12% higher collagen concentration in the skin of supplemented animals compared to unsupplemented animals. This study clearly demonstrated that the bioavailability of stabilized orthosilicic acid concentrate is very high compared to dietary silicon.19
THE COMPOSITION
OF SILICON
The slow and lengthy process of soil erosion breaks down rocks into clay and loam; eventually the silicates react with water to form soluble silicon molecules. These soluble silicon molecules are called orthosilicic acid or monomeric silicic acid. Orthosilicic acid is the natural water soluble compound present in sea water, drinking water and other beverages such as beer. However, natural mineral water has extremely low concentration levels of orthosilicic acid (0.1-1.0 parts per million) due to the molecule's limited stability. Attempts to increase the concentration of orthosilicic acid in mineral water result in the linking of several small orthosilicic acid molecules into larger, insoluble polymer-molecules. This so-called polymerization of orthosilicic acid occurs also in plants where the silicon fibers are important for the mechanical strength and flexibility of the plant. Silicon accumulating plants such as bamboo are characterized by a strong but flexible structure, whereas silicon deficiency in soil and plant tissues results in weakened mechanical strength.
image
Two independent Belgian research groups demonstrated both in a comparative human study that the total silicon absorption by the human body is considerably higher (more than 2.5 times higher) after supplementation of stabilized orthosilicic acid (as present in a product called BioSilTM) compared to plant extracts or colloidal supplements. In fact, only BioSilTM supplementation resulted in a statistical significant increase in silicon absorption compared to the placebo. Without exception, each test subject had a similar absorption from orthosilicic acid, whereas large differences among subjects were found for the other silicon supplements.20,21
The bone stimulatory properties of silicon was recently investigated in an extended study on chicks. For the first time a normal diet was used instead of silicon deficient diet, which made it possible to observe the superior biological action of silicon in supplemented chicks compared to a control group. The silicon was added to the drinking water of the chicks, which increased the total dietary silicon intake less than 0.5%. Despite this extremely low dose a significant effect was found on both the calcium concentration in the blood and the density of thigh bones (femura).
In fact, the chicks had, after six weeks supplementation, 5.6% higher bone density in the hip region and 4.25% higher bone density at the midshaft of their thigh bones compared to non-supplemental chicks. These results show clearly that stabilized silicon (choline-silicon complex) was able to stimulate the bone formation machinery resulting in a higher density.22
Based on all the current research, silicon is now being considered a critical nutrient to better manage the effects of age on the body. Increasing the silicon in your body can occur through foods, plant extracts or supplements. Those with osteoporosis should especially consider the benefits of consistent silicon intake.
References
1. Calisle EM. Silicon, an essential element for the chick. Science 1972, 178:619-62
2. Schwartz K, et al. Growth-promoting effects of silicon in rats. Nature 1972, 239:333-334.
3. Seaborn C, et al. Effects of germanium and silicon on bone mineralization. Biological Trace Element Res 1994, 42:151-164.
4. Seaborn C, et al. Silicon deprivation decreases collagen formation in wounds and bone, and ornithine transminase enzyme activity in liver. Biol Trace Elem Res 2002, 89(3):251-61.
5. Schwartz K. A bound form of silicon in glycosaminoglycans and polyuronides. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 1973, 70(5):1608-1612.
6. Reginster J, et al. Long-term effects of glucosamine sulphate on osteoarthritis progression: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Lancet 2001, 357:251-56.
7. Carlisle EM. Silicon: a possible factor in bone calcification. Science 1970, 167:179-280.
8. Hott M, et al. Short-term effects of organic silicon on trabecular bone in matue ovariectomized rats. Calcif Tissue Int 1993, 53:174-179.
9. Keeting et al. Zeolite A increases proliferation, differentiation, and transforming growth factor beta production in normal adult human osteoblast-like cells in vitro. J Bone and Miner Res 1992, 7(11):1281-1289.
10. Rico H, et al. Effect of silicon supplement on osteopenia induced by ovariectomy in rats. Calcif Tissue Int 1999, 66:53-55.
11. Eisinger J, Clariet D. Effects of silicon, fluoride, etidronate and magnesium on bone mineral density: a retrospective study. Magnesium Research 1993, 6(3):247-249.
12. Candy JM et al. Aluminosilicates and senile plague formation in Alzheimer's disease. Lancet 1986, 1:354-356.
13. Carlisle EM, Curran MJ. Effect of dietary silicon and aluminum on silicon and aluminum levels in rat brain. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 1987, 1:83-89.
14. Jacmin-Gadda H, et al. Silica and aluminium in drinking water and cognitive impairment in the elderly. Epidermiology 1996, 7:281-285.
15. Loeper J, et al. Study of fatty acids in atheroma induced in rabbits by an atherogenic diet with or without silicon IV treatment . Life Sciences 1988, 42:2105-2112.
16. Loeper J, et al. The antiatheromatous action of silicon. Atherosclerosis 1979, 33:397-408.
17. Pennington JAT. Silicon in foods and diets. Food Addit Contam1991, 8:97-118.
18. Sangstet AG, et al. Silica in higher plants nutrition. In Silicon Biochemistry, CIBA Foundation Symposium 121, John Wiley and Sons, New York, p. 90-111.
19. Calomme M, Vanden Berghe D. Supplementation of calves with stabilized orthosilicic acid. Biol Trace Elem 1997, 56:153-156.
20. Calomme M, et al. Silicon absorption from stabilized orthosilicic acid and other supplements in healthy subjects. Trace elements in Man and Animals 10, ed by Roussel et al. Plenum, p. 1111-1114.
21. Van Dyck K, et al. Bioavailability of silicon from food and food supplements. Fresenius J Anal Chem 1999, 363:541-544.
22. Calomme M, et al. Effect of choline stabilized orthosilicic acid on bone density in chicks. Calcif Tissue Int 2002, 70:292.
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2003/apr2003_report_silicon_02.htmlTrace Mineral
image
Bioavailability and efficacy of silicon supplements
When selecting a silicon supplement, the most important considerations should be safety and bioavailability. (Bioavailability is a complex term for the degree of absorption and the biological response to the silicon compounds which are present in the product.) Organic silicon compounds, which are laboratory synthesized, contain silicon-carbon bonds. These molecules are normally not present in biological systems and can be very toxic. For this reason it is safest to use silicon compounds that are already present in nature or compounds that are the derivatives of natural products. Common silicon supplements include:
Plant extracts:
Bamboo and algae usually have high silica concentrations. However, plant extracts are often not standardized and the silicon concentration in these products varies greatly. As the silicon from plant extracts cannot be absorbed directly through the stomach wall, the bioavailability of these products requires high stomach acidity in order to produce soluble orthosilicic acid.
Colloidal silicon gel:
These products offer large, insoluble, polymer molecules of silicic acid suspended in water. Like plant extracts, these polymer-molecules cannot be absorbed directly through the stomach wall and therefore have a low rate of absorption. The stomach's ability to produce soluble orthosilicic acid is also limited to low concentration levels due to orthosilicic acid's limited stability.
Stabilized orthosilicic acid:
Now on the market is a liquid, stabilized orthosilicic acid concentrate. A research group from the University of Antwerp in Belgium has published a supplementation study describing a high rate of silicon absorption from a liquid silicon supplement containing 2% silicon in the form of stabilized orthosilicic acid. In the six-month study with calves, the total dietary silicon intake was increased by only 5% in the form of stabilized orthosilicic acid. Even with such a small dose of orthosilicic acid, the supplemented group showed 70% higher blood silicon levels than the unsupplemented group. These higher silicon blood levels also translated into a 12% higher collagen concentration in the skin of supplemented animals compared to unsupplemented animals. This study clearly demonstrated that the bioavailability of stabilized orthosilicic acid concentrate is very high compared to dietary silicon.19
THE COMPOSITION
OF SILICON
The slow and lengthy process of soil erosion breaks down rocks into clay and loam; eventually the silicates react with water to form soluble silicon molecules. These soluble silicon molecules are called orthosilicic acid or monomeric silicic acid. Orthosilicic acid is the natural water soluble compound present in sea water, drinking water and other beverages such as beer. However, natural mineral water has extremely low concentration levels of orthosilicic acid (0.1-1.0 parts per million) due to the molecule's limited stability. Attempts to increase the concentration of orthosilicic acid in mineral water result in the linking of several small orthosilicic acid molecules into larger, insoluble polymer-molecules. This so-called polymerization of orthosilicic acid occurs also in plants where the silicon fibers are important for the mechanical strength and flexibility of the plant. Silicon accumulating plants such as bamboo are characterized by a strong but flexible structure, whereas silicon deficiency in soil and plant tissues results in weakened mechanical strength.
image
Two independent Belgian research groups demonstrated both in a comparative human study that the total silicon absorption by the human body is considerably higher (more than 2.5 times higher) after supplementation of stabilized orthosilicic acid (as present in a product called BioSilTM) compared to plant extracts or colloidal supplements. In fact, only BioSilTM supplementation resulted in a statistical significant increase in silicon absorption compared to the placebo. Without exception, each test subject had a similar absorption from orthosilicic acid, whereas large differences among subjects were found for the other silicon supplements.20,21
The bone stimulatory properties of silicon was recently investigated in an extended study on chicks. For the first time a normal diet was used instead of silicon deficient diet, which made it possible to observe the superior biological action of silicon in supplemented chicks compared to a control group. The silicon was added to the drinking water of the chicks, which increased the total dietary silicon intake less than 0.5%. Despite this extremely low dose a significant effect was found on both the calcium concentration in the blood and the density of thigh bones (femura).
In fact, the chicks had, after six weeks supplementation, 5.6% higher bone density in the hip region and 4.25% higher bone density at the midshaft of their thigh bones compared to non-supplemental chicks. These results show clearly that stabilized silicon (choline-silicon complex) was able to stimulate the bone formation machinery resulting in a higher density.22
Based on all the current research, silicon is now being considered a critical nutrient to better manage the effects of age on the body. Increasing the silicon in your body can occur through foods, plant extracts or supplements. Those with osteoporosis should especially consider the benefits of consistent silicon intake.
References
1. Calisle EM. Silicon, an essential element for the chick. Science 1972, 178:619-62
2. Schwartz K, et al. Growth-promoting effects of silicon in rats. Nature 1972, 239:333-334.
3. Seaborn C, et al. Effects of germanium and silicon on bone mineralization. Biological Trace Element Res 1994, 42:151-164.
4. Seaborn C, et al. Silicon deprivation decreases collagen formation in wounds and bone, and ornithine transminase enzyme activity in liver. Biol Trace Elem Res 2002, 89(3):251-61.
5. Schwartz K. A bound form of silicon in glycosaminoglycans and polyuronides. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 1973, 70(5):1608-1612.
6. Reginster J, et al. Long-term effects of glucosamine sulphate on osteoarthritis progression: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Lancet 2001, 357:251-56.
7. Carlisle EM. Silicon: a possible factor in bone calcification. Science 1970, 167:179-280.
8. Hott M, et al. Short-term effects of organic silicon on trabecular bone in matue ovariectomized rats. Calcif Tissue Int 1993, 53:174-179.
9. Keeting et al. Zeolite A increases proliferation, differentiation, and transforming growth factor beta production in normal adult human osteoblast-like cells in vitro. J Bone and Miner Res 1992, 7(11):1281-1289.
10. Rico H, et al. Effect of silicon supplement on osteopenia induced by ovariectomy in rats. Calcif Tissue Int 1999, 66:53-55.
11. Eisinger J, Clariet D. Effects of silicon, fluoride, etidronate and magnesium on bone mineral density: a retrospective study. Magnesium Research 1993, 6(3):247-249.
12. Candy JM et al. Aluminosilicates and senile plague formation in Alzheimer's disease. Lancet 1986, 1:354-356.
13. Carlisle EM, Curran MJ. Effect of dietary silicon and aluminum on silicon and aluminum levels in rat brain. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 1987, 1:83-89.
14. Jacmin-Gadda H, et al. Silica and aluminium in drinking water and cognitive impairment in the elderly. Epidermiology 1996, 7:281-285.
15. Loeper J, et al. Study of fatty acids in atheroma induced in rabbits by an atherogenic diet with or without silicon IV treatment . Life Sciences 1988, 42:2105-2112.
16. Loeper J, et al. The antiatheromatous action of silicon. Atherosclerosis 1979, 33:397-408.
17. Pennington JAT. Silicon in foods and diets. Food Addit Contam1991, 8:97-118.
18. Sangstet AG, et al. Silica in higher plants nutrition. In Silicon Biochemistry, CIBA Foundation Symposium 121, John Wiley and Sons, New York, p. 90-111.
19. Calomme M, Vanden Berghe D. Supplementation of calves with stabilized orthosilicic acid. Biol Trace Elem 1997, 56:153-156.
20. Calomme M, et al. Silicon absorption from stabilized orthosilicic acid and other supplements in healthy subjects. Trace elements in Man and Animals 10, ed by Roussel et al. Plenum, p. 1111-1114.
21. Van Dyck K, et al. Bioavailability of silicon from food and food supplements. Fresenius J Anal Chem 1999, 363:541-544.
22. Calomme M, et al. Effect of choline stabilized orthosilicic acid on bone density in chicks. Calcif Tissue Int 2002, 70:292.
Cichelle
Well-Known Member
Thank you. This article was very helpful. I only wish it had more directly addressed geothermal water, which in fact can have a high concentration of silica. I think one of the most important points in the article is that "..it is safest to use silicon compounds that are already present in nature or compounds that are the derivatives of natural products." That's something to remember.
Btw, I read the study with the calves. I always like to go to the direct source if I can, because these things interest me. I also read a study about silica in water and it's effects against aluminum absorption...which might prevent Alzheimer's. These studies, in their orginal form are a trip to read. I have to go over them a few times just to understand what they are saying!
Btw, I read the study with the calves. I always like to go to the direct source if I can, because these things interest me. I also read a study about silica in water and it's effects against aluminum absorption...which might prevent Alzheimer's. These studies, in their orginal form are a trip to read. I have to go over them a few times just to understand what they are saying!
blackbarbie
New Member
So the verdict is?...........................
I read the articles and they were quite informative and I will be taking a field trip to the whole foods store today to pick up a few things and will be picking up the silica. So I am wondering what brand/form has worked well for most?
I read the articles and they were quite informative and I will be taking a field trip to the whole foods store today to pick up a few things and will be picking up the silica. So I am wondering what brand/form has worked well for most?
ms jadu
Well-Known Member
Last edited:
