Silicon is one of the most overlooked nutrients in human health — it is the second most abundant element in the Earth crust after oxygen, and it is present in every tissue in the human body, with the highest concentrations in the connective tissues including bone, cartilage, skin, tendons, and blood vessels. Despite its abundance in the body and its clear biological importance, silicon is not widely recognised as an essential nutrient, and its role in connective tissue health, bone mineralisation, and skin elasticity is rarely discussed outside of the specialist nutritional biochemistry literature. This is a significant oversight, because the evidence for the importance of silicon in human health is substantial — silicon is required for the proper cross-linking of collagen molecules, for the mineralisation of bone, for the maintenance of skin elasticity, and for the integrity of the blood vessel wall, and silicon deficiency is associated with a wide range of connective tissue disorders including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, premature skin ageing, and the cardiovascular disease that is associated with the degeneration of the vascular extracellular matrix.
Silicon and the Collagen Matrix
Silicon is an essential component of the extracellular matrix of all connective tissues — it is incorporated into the glycosaminoglycans and the collagen fibres that form the structural scaffold of bone, cartilage, skin, and blood vessels. The role of silicon in the collagen matrix is distinct from that of the other nutrients that are commonly associated with connective tissue health — while vitamin C is required for the hydroxylation of proline and lysine residues, and while copper is required for the lysyl oxidase enzyme that initiates the cross-linking of collagen, silicon appears to be involved in the polymerisation and the stabilising of the collagen fibres after the initial cross-links have been formed. This silicon-dependent stabilisation of the collagen matrix is essential for the mechanical properties of all connective tissues, and without adequate silicon, the collagen fibres are less stable, less organised, and more prone to degradation by the matrix metalloproteinases that are activated during inflammation and ageing.
The clinical importance of silicon for connective tissue health is most clearly demonstrated by the observation that silicon supplementation improves bone mineral density in people with osteoporosis. A double-blind randomised controlled trial in 136 postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density found that supplementation with 250mg of silicon daily (as orthosilicic acid, the bioavailable form) for 12 months significantly increased bone mineral density at the total hip and at the femoral neck compared to placebo, with the greatest benefits seen in women who had the lowest baseline dietary silicon intake. These findings were confirmed by a subsequent study that found that silicon supplementation at the same dose increased the markers of bone formation (serum osteocalcin) and reduced the markers of bone resorption (urinary pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline), demonstrating that silicon has a dual beneficial effect on bone metabolism — simultaneously stimulating bone formation and inhibiting bone resorption.
Silicon and Skin Elasticity
Silicon is also essential for the maintenance of skin elasticity and for the integrity of the skin extracellular matrix. The skin is composed of the dermis, which is the structural layer that is responsible for the mechanical properties of skin, and which is composed primarily of collagen (predominantly type I and type III collagen) and elastin fibres that are embedded in a ground substance of glycosaminoglycans. Silicon is a component of the glycosaminoglycans of the skin extracellular matrix, and it is required for the proper organisation and the stability of the collagen and elastin fibres. When silicon is deficient, the skin extracellular matrix is less well organised, the collagen and elastin fibres are less stable, and the skin loses its elasticity and develops the wrinkles and sagging that are the hallmark of skin ageing. Topical silicon preparations (silanols) have been studied for their effects on skin elasticity, with some evidence suggesting that topical silicon can improve skin texture and reduce the appearance of fine wrinkles.
Practical Application
For general silicon supplementation, the evidence-based dose is 250-500mg of silicon daily from orthosilicic acid or methylsilanetriol, the two most bioavailable supplemental forms. The typical dietary intake of silicon is approximately 20-50mg daily from whole grains, cereals, bananas, and plant-based foods, and most people in the developed world achieve this from a varied diet. Silicon should be taken with food and should be separated from calcium supplements by at least 2 hours to avoid competition for absorption. Silicon is generally well-tolerated with no significant adverse effects at therapeutic doses. For comprehensive connective tissue support, silicon pairs well with vitamin C (which is required for the hydroxylation of collagen), with copper (which is required for the lysyl oxidase cross-linking enzyme), with zinc (which is required for collagen synthesis and for the activity of the enzymes that are involved in connective tissue repair), with manganese (which is a cofactor for the glycosyltransferases that are involved in the synthesis of the glycosaminoglycans of the extracellular matrix), and with the omega-3 fatty acids (which have anti-inflammatory effects that reduce the degradation of collagen by the matrix metalloproteinases that are activated during inflammation).
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