Orthosilicic Acid Review

What You Should Know About Orthosilicic Acid:

No, I’m not starting a chemistry blog here. True, this is about orthosilicic acid, a chemical compound but the real value is what this compound can do for us. People who take it as a dietary supplement can see real benefits and it’s thought that Orthosilicic Acid might also help with certain medical conditions.

So yes, there is some light chemistry here but only enough to get us started on the same page as far as understanding what we’re dealing with.

Orthosilicic Acid 101

Forget orthosilicic acid for a moment. Let’s talk silica. Scientists know it as silicon dioxide and many of us who’ve heard of silicon can relate because it’s simply an oxide of silicon. Silicon of course is the second-most abundant element on earth, after oxygen.

Silicon is an important component of the minerals on this planet. When combined with oxygen atoms, it forms the quartzes, feldspars and other minerals in the earth’s crust. We call these silica. Finally, none of these are to be confused with silicone, which is what you get when you combine silicon with carbon and oxygen. It’s not found in rocks but it is used in the medical world in things like artificial joints and pacemakers.

Now here’s where orthosilicic acid comes in. It’s sometimes called soluble silica, since it’s a dietary form of silicon. In other words, it’s in bioavailable form so humans can ingest it and benefit from its properties. One could say that orthosilicic acid is the bioavailable form of silocon.

Silicon, of course, is known to play a role in bone mineralization, the creation of collagen, skin and hair as well as nail health, immune system enhancement, and even Alzheimer’s disease mitigation. Therefore, it’s believed by many scientists that orthosilicic acid could very well have health benefits as well.

It’s found naturally in seawater, drinking water, and beer. We also get silicon naturally from some foods like oats, barley, and polished rice.

What the Science Says About Orthosilicic Acid

Currently, scientists concur that orthosilicic acid has not yet been studied in lab settings enough to be able to draw any conclusions about its health benefits. What they do know is that there is a lot of silicon in the connective tissues of the body, with smaller concentrations found in the liver, heart, lungs, and muscles. It’s for this reason that reduced levels of silicon in the body that comes with ageing could be linked with all sorts of health problems like atherosclerosis. Therefore, silicon supplements should logically work to combat these issues, since it this may prevent the degenerative process.

So that’s why people take orthosilicic acid. It naturally follows that since it’s found in connective tissues in the body, taking the supplement can help with collagen production and bone structure. Both of these are linked to degenerative diseases.

There are studies showing the link between silicon and growth and skeletal development in baby chickens. Chicks who did not receive silicon supplementation or who were deprived of silicon exhibited retarded growth.

Another study shows that ortho-silicic acid stimulates the synthesis of collagen type 1 in the human body. In the abstract for that study, it’s mentioned that silicon deficiency is a problem for humans because it causes issues with the bones.

So there we have it: silicon helps bones and tissue, and Orthosilicic Acid is the form of silicon that’s available for easy human intake. That means anything from brittle hair and nails to osteoporosis or painful joints can be improved by ingesting orthosilicic acid supplements.

A Final Word On Orthosilicic Acid

Remember, although the benefits of taking orthosilicic acid supplements seem clear and the substance itself seems natural and safe, it’s still largely an undocumented supplement so far.

Scientists simply haven’t studied it enough or long enough to know about long-term effects of taking this supplement. There’s limited research but consumers take comfort knowing it’s a natural compound found in many common foods anyway. Always consult your physician before taking any supplement…better to be safe!