SILICA AND BONE HEALTH

How important is silica to your bone health? Well, silica deficiency can cause deformities in peripheral bones and the skull; reduce cartilage (which you need for healthy joints); interrupt collagen production, and disrupt the mineral balance in your femur and vertebrae.

In other words, you can think of silica as the structural glue holding our bodies together.

And when it comes to our bones, silica has several uses. Most importantly, it reduces bone breakdown and stimulates new bone formation. (That’s a rare combination most nutrients don’t offer.)

Research shows that silica can:

Stimulate osteoblasts (your bone-building cells) by increasing protein collagen synthesis

Collagen is a protein that provides the framework of your bones, while calcium and other minerals fill in and strengthen that framework. This combination makes your bones both flexible and strong enough to withstand stress like falls.

Inhibit osteoclasts (your bone-resorbing cells) by directly discouraging bone resorption.

Bone resorption is when osteoclasts break down the tissue in bone and release minerals. This results in the transfer of calcium from your bone tissue into your blood. But we want those minerals to stay inside, not out!

“Charge” your bone formation

Over the past 30 years, there has been extensive research on the role of dietary silicon.

In the Framingham Offspring Cohort Study, researchers noted at least 40 mg of daily silicon accounted for 10% higher bone mineral density than lower intakes around 14 mg of silicon per day. (This was especially true for the denser outer bone — called cortical bone — in both men and premenopausal women’s hips.)

Another silicon study found more of the same in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. And this time, the spongy inner bone — known as trabecular bone — benefitted from silicon supplementation.

Study participants were divided into three groups: a control group; a group given an injection with 16.5 mg of silicon each week for four months; and a third group receiving an oral silicon supplement with 27.5 mg per week for three months. The women followed their normal diets, without supplemental calcium or vitamin D.

Both silicon groups enjoyed significant increases in trabecular bone volume compared to the control group.