by Dallas Clouatre, Ph.D.
Orthosilicic Acid:
Biologically Active Silicon Supports Bone and Joint Health
Osteoporosis and arthritis
currently are two
of the most active
categories of supplements
sales. In general,
bone, joint and connective tissue problems
are amongst the most common
health issues which trouble individuals
as they age. Concern with these conditions
obviously will increase as the
“baby boom” generation matures. By
the year 2010, almost a third of the
population of the U.S. will be aged 50
years or older. Bone, joint and connective
tissue problems also affect athletes
and others who exercise regularly and
vigorously.
Unfortunately, one of the most significant
products for supporting the
health of not only the bones, joints and
connective tissues, but also that of the
skin, hair and nails has remained
largely unknown in the American
market, despite its very strong appeal
in Europe. This product is biologically
active silicon, the form of silicon
known as orthosilicic acid. (Stabilized
concentrated orthosilicic acid is sold
exclusively under the name BioSil™.)
Silicon, in its biologically active
form orthosilicic acid, is intimately
involved in the growth and repair of all
of the structural tissues found in the
body because of its role in the
biosynthesis of collagen.
Collagen fibers are constructed from chains of the amino
acids lysine and proline woven together
to form strands. These fibers are the
primary structural proteins of the body
and they take various shapes to match
the body’s needs. Thin layers form the
skin, rope-like structures form the tendons
and yet another shape supplies
the basic scaffolding of the bones. As
this suggests, collagen is the most
abundant protein found in the body. It
consists not only of amino acids but
also of specialized sugars which influence
its strength. In addition to these,
the synthesis of collagen requires
vitamin C and the minerals copper,
iron, manganese, silicon and zinc.
The formation of collagen into support
structures requires cross-linking
through the activity of enzymes known
as metallo-enzymes, because they are
activated by metals. From detailed
biochemical analyses it has been
shown that silicon is present in
collagen-based networks such as the
mucopolysaccharide networks,
as silanolate.
Silanolate is
a derivative of
silicic acid. It is the
silanolate which gives rise to
the silicon-oxygen bridges
that cross-link several
mucopolysaccharide
molecules to form
three-dimensional networks. Supplementing
with stabilized orthosilicic
acid stimulates the synthesis of collagen
and leads to enhancements in the
repair of tissues based upon collagen.
Although most people are unaware of
it, enhanced collagen synthesis plays a
significant role in bone mineral density
and bone quality.
SILICON AND BONE HEALTH
Today scientists know that orthosilicic
acid supplementation both increases
the amount of calcium available in the
circulation for deposit in the bones and
increases actual bone density. However,
such facts are not widely appreciated
because this research is relatively new.
It was first recognized (only about 30
years ago) that silicon is a factor in the
calcification of bone. Since then the
picture has been more fully worked
out. Bone consists of crystals of the
calcium-phosphorus mineral apatite, imbedded in a matrix of the fibrous collagen protein and associated amino sugars known as glycosaminoglycans. This combination
produces a tissue of
uniquely flexible strength which at
the same time is capable of bearing
weight. Approximately 28 percent of
bone is collagen, mostly type I, and
another three percent of bone is made
up of several different types of glycosaminoglycans
(also known as mucopolysaccharides). In the journal
Bone a study was published in early
2003 which demonstrated directly
that orthosilicic acid at physiological concentrations stimulates collagen type 1 synthesis
in human osteoblast-like cells (boneforming
cells) and enhances osteoblastic
differentiation.
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THE FACTS ARE THESE:
First, where there is an experimentally-induced silicon deficiency, there also are found abnormalities in bone growth, with decreased amounts of collagen, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and glycosaminoglycans in the bone and cartilage.
Second, supplementation with orthosilicic acid, in contrast, increases bone density in the femur (the bone in the leg running from the hip to the knee). In a clinical study of 53 women who had osteoporosis, silicon supplementation produced an increase in bone mineral density or an increase in bone mass. Indeed, silicon seemed to be the only thing that could alone help relieve the destructive process that results in osteoporosis.
Third, supplementation with orthosilicic acid (as BioSil) improves the concentrations of calcium found available in the serum. It has been shown that supplemental stabilized orthosilicic acid ingested by human subjects is highly bioavailable and that it stimulates the synthesis of collagen. This year, yet more data was presented showing that in a model in which one would not expect supplemental silicon to have any impact, BioSil stabilized orthosilicic acid that resulted in a significantly higher serum calcium concentration, a higher bone mass and a higher density in cortical and trabecular bone of the femur.
Finally, another study mentioned in the journal Bone 2003 reveals that the dietary intake of silicon is a major determinant of bone mineral density in men and in premenopausal women.
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SILICON AND THE JOINTS
Similar to the bone, the cartilage of the joints
is composed of 20 to 25 percent collagen and
proteoglycans, compounds which are themselves
made up of glycosaminoglycans. Many
of the same factors that protect the health of
the cartilage of the joints will influence the
health of the bones and vice versa. Silicon is
required for the production of the collagen
structural units and collagen is the initial
“building block” for the connective tissues.
Chondroitin sulfate requires silicon to construct
the chondrocytes, the cells that make up
the sponge-like material in the joints that
nourishes cartilage components involved in
joint movement. In fact, silicon, in the form
of silanolates, actually connects the chondroitin
sulfate molecules in joint tissues
responsible for fluid balance. Increased
hydration promotes connective tissue elasticity
and cushioning. When there is a nutritional
silicon deficiency, the joints are
malformed and there is a decreased content
of articular cartilage.
SILICON AND THE HEART
A substantial amount of the body’s connective
tissue lines the veins and arteries. Clinical
studies show that silicon progressively declines
in the artery wall. In seniority and heart disease,
silicon in the aorta is only 15 percent of
that found in childhood. Silicon makes the
inner lining of arterial tissue (the tunica
intima) less permeable. Since arterial damage
is usually the first step in plaque formation
that eventually can clog an artery and lead to
surgical consequences, researchers are beginning
to think that a silicon deficiency may predispose
individuals toward certain types of
cardiovascular disease.
SILICON FOR THE SKIN, HAIR AND NAILS
To improve skin health, there are two primary
approaches that can be taken. The first is to
speed the rate at which the skin is renewed.
The second is to reduce the rate at which the
skin is destroyed through processes such as
inflammation and degradation by enzymes. A
powerful means of improving skin regeneration
is through supplementation with
orthosilicic acid. Orthosilicic acid supplementation
(as BioSil) in animal studies has been
shown to increase the collagen concentration
in the dermis by up to 12.5 percent. Because
silicon is crucial for the activation of the
enzymes responsible for the cross-linking in
collagen, supplementation not only speeds the
regeneration of this protein but also increases
its strength and elasticity. The result is better
skin with fewer wrinkles. Similar benefits are
realized with the hair and nails, as well.
SILICON VS. ALUMINUM
Silicon may protect against aluminum toxicity.
Aluminum is widely suspected of playing a
role in certain age-related reductions in mental
functioning.
Whereas it is quite clear that biologically
active silicon is an important element, it is
much less clear how silicon can be added to the
normal daily diet. We no longer regularly consume
many of the best food sources of silicon.
Moreover, dietary silicon compounds, whether
from plants and other foods or from mineral
water, are all polymerized forms of orthosilicic
acid. The only bioavailable form of silicon is
orthosilicic acid [Si(OH)4], not silica [SiO2].
Silica is silicon dioxide, which is not bioavailable.
Silicon found in food (and horsetail) as
silicates likewise are not bioavailable. To
become bioavailable, all dietary silicon first
must be dissolved in the stomach into
orthosilicic acid, the monomeric (single unit)
correct form of silicic acid, which is absorbed
and used by the body. Silicic acid, however, is
unstable. In concentrations over 1 ppm (the
amount typically found in mineral water),
orthosilicic acid readily polymerizes into long
chains, converting in the process back into a
non-bioavailable silicate.
Inasmuch as orthosilicic acid is the
primary form of silicon found in the bloodstream,
clearly not only rich food sources but
also a strong digestion are required for optimal
utilization from dietary sources. The obvious
weakness here is that the production of the
stomach acid that is required to solubilize
dietary sources of silicon declines markedly
with age. In fact, by age 65 some 30 to 35 percent
of individuals are deficient in their ability
to produce stomach acid. Therefore, supplementation
is especially important as individuals
enter their later years.
BioSil is the only supplement that supplies
orthosilicic acid in its biologically active form,
plus it is highly concentrated. One bottle of
BioSil contains the amount of silicon found in
600 bottles of mineral water. Orthosilicic acid
from BioSil can be absorbed directly through
the stomach wall and from the gastrointestinal
tract into the bloodstream.
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