Best Silica Supplements

Buying guide for best silica supplements

Do you want healthier, younger-looking skin that resists aging? How about stronger fingernails and hair that’s smooth and shiny? And what about sturdier bones, healthier blood vessels, and a stronger stomach? Sounds pretty good, right? What if there was one supplement that could not only potentially provide all of the above but also strengthen your immune system and reduce systemic inflammation? If you’re thinking there is no such thing outside science fiction, think again, because a good silica supplement improves your health in several ways, keeping you not only looking younger but also feeling better.

Choosing the right silica supplement for your needs can be confusing, however. That’s where BestReviews comes in. We’ve written this buying guide to help you decide if a silica supplement is something you should add to your daily routine, and if so, which product to choose. We’ve included a few of our favorite silica supplements for your consideration, too.

Silica is a major building block of collagen, the protein that gives structure to your bones, muscles, and connective tissue.

Key considerations

Silicon, silica, silicone

While the names are very similar, and the substances are related, silicon, silica, and silicone are not the same things. Without getting too scientific or technical, here’s a basic breakdown of the relations and differences between them.

Silicon: If you remember your high school science class, you know that silicon is one of the naturally occurring chemical elements, with the atomic number 14 and the symbol Si on the periodic table. Despite being the eighth most common element by mass in the universe, silicon rarely appears naturally in its pure form on Earth.

Silica: Because silicon has a very high affinity for oxygen, its most common presence on Earth is in the form of silica, which on an atomic level is one atom of silicon bonded to two atoms of oxygen, a structure reflected in silica’s other common name of silicon dioxide. In easier terms, silica is one of the most abundant compounds on Earth. It forms a large portion of the planet’s crust, including rocks, clay, quartz, crystals, and sand. It’s also naturally found in many plants, which absorb it from the soil.

Silicone: Unlike silicon and silica, silicone does not occur naturally but is a synthetic compound containing silicon, oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and occasionally other elements as well. Silicone has a wide range of industrial, medical, household, and personal applications.

Silica’s role in the body

Silica is one of the trace elements necessary for our health. In fact, a typical adult human body contains 7 grams of silica, making it the most abundant trace element by weight after iron and zinc. One of silica’s most important roles in the body is as a building block of collagen, the protein that holds us together in the form of cartilage, bone, skin, and tendons, as well as in nails and hair. Some specific roles silica plays in the body include the following:

Bones: Silica is a major player in the formation and maintenance of strong and healthy bones and teeth. It makes up the collagen base of bone upon which calcium is deposited and also promotes bone mineralization.

Joints: Silica, in the form of collagen, is crucial not only for the formation of the ligaments, tendons, and cartilage that hold your joints together but also for their smooth motion, strength, flexibility, and elasticity.

Nails and hair: Your nails and hair rely on silica in the form of collagen to maintain strength, structure, and general health. Lack of silica leads to brittle, ridged nails and dull, thinning hair.

Immune system: In the form of collagen, silica helps keep your immune system ready to fight off invaders by contributing to antibody formation, warding off infection, and speeding up healing.

Heart: Silica helps keep your arteries from hardening as you age by reducing the formation of calcium buildup inside blood vessels. It also plays a role in keeping blood vessels strong and flexible.

Digestive system: Collagen keeps the lining of your digestive system supple and strong, helping to ward off leaky gut and other stomach woes. It also contributes to bile and stomach acid production and flow.

Skin: Collagen makes up most of the dermis, which is the layer of living tissue beneath the skin’s outer layer (the epidermis). When your body has enough collagen, your skin is healthy, moist, and young looking. Collagen also helps speed the healing of cuts, burns, scrapes, and other skin irritations.

Why take a silica supplement?

Since you take in silica through your diet, and your body contains a significant amount of this trace mineral, you might wonder why you’d need a supplement. The answer mostly has to do with aging. As with many other things, your natural stores of silica and collagen tend to dwindle as you age, particularly as you move into middle age and beyond. Signs of decreased silica in your body include dry, dull hair, nails that break easily, wrinkled and dry skin, slow healing of wounds, weak bones, and teeth that crack or chip easily. A silica supplement is an easy way to restore your optimum levels of this essential element.

Features

Source

Choosing any type of supplement can be bewildering because there are so many choices, and silica is no exception. While there are supplements that contain synthetic forms of silica, most health experts recommend a natural source. The two most common are the horsetail plant and bamboo. While both are effective, bamboo is said to contain a far higher concentration of silica, making it potentially a stronger source of the mineral. You’ll also find silica supplements derived from red algae, quartz crystal, and diatomaceous earth. 

Form

Another decision is between liquid, capsule, and soft-gel forms of the supplement. While this is mostly a matter of preference — some people have a hard time swallowing capsules and so prefer liquid supplements — there are some health experts who feel liquid forms of the supplement are more completely absorbed, while others say that the convenience of capsules or soft-gels makes them preferable because liquid supplements need to be refrigerated after opening. Taste is another consideration when choosing a liquid supplement, but most users say that liquid silica supplements have little flavor and are not objectionable.

Other ingredients

Along with silica, many brands contain a wide variety of other minerals, vitamins, herbal infusions, and other health-boosters that might improve the absorbability of the silica, as well as providing benefits of their own. One thing you do not want, however, is fillers that serve no purpose but taking up space in the capsule or tablet. Always read the ingredient list of any supplement you’re considering to be sure it’s free of sugar, artificial colors or flavors, inert fillers, or any ingredient to which you are allergic or intolerant.

Dose

Although there is no recommended daily allowance for silica, the mineral is considered beneficial and safe in doses ranging from 20 to 50 milligrams per day. While there are some supplements with higher doses of silica, some nutrition experts caution that toxicity or side effects are possible in doses higher than 100 milligrams of silica per day. 

Silica supplement prices

Silica supplements aren’t too expensive. As a general rule, the biggest determinant of the price is whether the supplement is in liquid or capsule form. For either form of the supplement, you’ll pay more for products with extensive lists of other beneficial minerals, vitamins, or herbs. You’ll also pay more for organic supplements.

Capsule or soft-gel: Expect to pay between $10 and $15 for capsule or soft-gel silica supplements.

Liquid: These silica supplements range between $20 and $50.

Tips

While it’s not complicated to take a silica supplement, the following tips will help you gain the most benefits.

• Take silica at the same time every day. You can take your supplement any time of day, because it won’t interfere with your sleep, but try to take it at around the same time every day for steady absorption into your system.
• Take silica with or without food. Unlike some other supplements, it doesn’t matter if you take silica on an empty or full stomach.
• Store liquid silica supplements in the refrigerator. Keep capsules or soft-gels away from heat sources, moisture, or intense light.
• Keep any type of medication or supplement out of the reach of children.
• Be patient. It takes several weeks, or even months, to start to see the benefits of a silica supplement, so be patient and don’t assume your supplement isn’t helping you.
• Buy silica derived from natural sources.
• Don’t open capsules filled with powdered silica supplement. While safe to ingest orally, inhaling powdered silica can lead to lung irritation.
• Check the dose. When choosing a supplement, always check how many capsules or tablets are required to equal one dose. This varies from brand to brand.

Other products we considered

While we really like our five picks in the matrix above, there are other good silica supplements on the market. If you prefer a liquid supplement, you’ll find that Orgono Living Silica is a strong contender. It only has two ingredients: silica derived from quartz crystal and purified water for a dose of 22.5 mg of silica per tablespoon. No fillers, no artificial anything, and no unneeded additives. The manufacturer claims the absorption rate is far higher than other silica supplements, and there is no unpleasant taste or odor.

If you don’t want to take a liquid or a capsule supplement, the Orgono Living Silica Collagen Gel is quite intriguing. This unique supplement is absorbed through the skin. Just massage a tablespoon of the gel onto exposed skin once a day for a dose of 22.5 mg of silica derived from quartz crystal.

Many people enjoy shinier hair, stronger nails, and younger-looking skin after starting a silica supplement regimen.

FAQ

Q. Can I get silica through my diet?
A. Absolutely, although many people don’t get enough silica to maintain healthy levels of this important trace mineral. Good food sources of silica include the following:

• Green leafy vegetables
• Bananas
• Oats
• Whole grains
• Beer
• Bell peppers
• Brown rice

Q. Do silica supplements have any side effects?
A. For most people, silica supplements won’t have any side effects. A small percentage of people might experience stomach pain or digestive upset after long-term use of a silica supplement derived from horsetail plant, however.

Q. Are silica supplements safe for everyone?
A. Most people can safely take silica, but because there are no long-term or extensive studies on the use of these supplements by children, it’s best to limit the use of these products to adults. Horsetail-based silica supplements can sometimes cause hypoglycemia in diabetics who use insulin, and they may also cause kidney damage when consumed in very high dosages. And as with any supplement or OTC medication, check with your doctor before taking silica if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.