Silicon is an often overlooked mineral, yet it plays an essential role in both your health and appearance. Although silicon is not as well known as any of the other nutrients, it has proven to be invaluable in promoting strong bones, flexible joints, and shiny hair. In this article, we take a closer look at the benefits of silicon for both your inner well-being and outer beauty, and find out how it can help you shine.
What is Silicon?
Silicon dioxide, also known as silicic acid or silicon, is a mineral made from a combination of silicon and oxygen. It occurs naturally in vegetables, including leafy greens, and whole grains. But nowadays you often find it in the form of supplements.
Minerals and trace elements
Just like vitamins, minerals are substances found in food that you need for a healthy life. They are essential for good health and normal growth and development.
There are two different types of minerals, namely: minerals and trace elements. The best-known minerals in our diet are calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. Minerals that your body secretly needs very little are also called trace elements. Examples include: silicon, zinc, iodine and selenium.
What is silicon good for?
The trace element silicon plays a role in the health of connective tissue, bones, skin, hair and nails. When you get enough silicon you can take advantage of the following benefits:
Healthy hair A young, firm and radiant skin Flexible joints and strong bones Strong nails
What does silicon do to your hair?
To determine how silicon promotes hair growth, we literally have to start at the root. Out research into the use of silicon for skin and hair care turns out that silicon provides essential nutrients to your scalp and hair follicles.
Although silicon has not been proven to prevent hair loss, according to other silicon research help to prevent hair breakage. Test subjects discovered that their locks were a lot stronger after taking 10 mg of silicon for 9 months.
What does silicon do for your skin?
If there’s one protein that’s good for your skin, it’s collagen. In principle, your body can produce collagen itself, but from the age of 25, the production of collagen continues to decrease. This can reduce the firmness and flexibility of your skin and can cause fine lines or even wrinkles in your skin.
Silicic acid is essential for collagen production. You can see as a kind of glue within the protein structure. It provides connection to retain water, so that your skin remains supple. Silicon also helps with cell growth, regeneration and repair.
What are the symptoms of a silicon deficiency?
Most people don’t get enough silicon through their diets, as your body doesn’t store this mineral. Instead, it may just be flushed out through your kidneys. A shame, but there’s nothing you can do about that. However, that does not mean that you are quickly deficient in silicon.
Only limited research has been done on the exact symptoms of a silicon deficiency. However, various complaints are regularly associated with a lack of silicon, namely:
Weak bones and joints Poor hair health Brittle nails Skin problems (lack of collagen and elastin) Wound healing problems
It is important to note that the symptoms of a possible silicon deficiency are often vague and non-specific. These symptoms may also be related to other nutrient deficiencies, such as a calcium deficiency or zinc deficiency. If you are concerned about possible deficiencies or symptoms, it is always advisable to seek medical advice from your GP. A healthy and balanced diet rich in a variety of foods, along with a generally healthy lifestyle, can generally help prevent deficiency of certain nutrients, including silicon.
Want to know more or a silicon deficiency? We have collected all the information in this article.
All about silicon supplements
Silicon is found in foods such as whole grains, vegetables and fruits. Many foods naturally contain silicon, so a balanced diet can contribute to your intake. That is always better than just switching to the supplements. There are silicon supplements, but it is advisable to seek medical advice before using them, especially if you have underlying health conditions.
Silicon in drops or tablets
Silicon supplements are often available in liquid form. That way you can dissolve the silicon drops in water or juice. Furthermore, silicon is also available in tablets. Some supplements also contain other minerals such as zinc, manganese and selenium.
What are the side effects and experiences of silicon supplements?
The safe upper intake limit for silicon is estimated to be 700 to 1750 mg per day for adults. That is quite a lot, because silicon supplements usually contain a dosage of 5 mg to 200 mg per day. As a result, you can hardly experience any side effects when taking silicon supplements. There are also (as yet) no side effects known about silicon supplements. The same applies to the experiences, which are still unknown.
That does not mean that you can just start taking silicon supplements. Always ask your doctor for advice.
Bron: Healthline, IVG info
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2023-08-08 13:58:00
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