Absorbable Silica vs. Unabsorbable Silica
The Key to Stronger Skin, Nails, and Hair.
If you're concerned about fine lines, premature aging, brittle nails, or lackluster hair, understanding the role of silica in your beauty regimen will be essential to elevate your results —it’s a game-changer.
Silica is a crucial mineral that significantly impacts the synthesis of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid—three essential components for maintaining youthful skin, strong hair, and resilient nails. Collagen provides the structural support and elasticity needed to prevent wrinkles and breakage. Hyaluronic acid helps retain moisture, ensuring a hydrated and glowing appearance while elastin enhances skin's flexibility and bounce, ensuring it remains smooth and firm.
By enhancing the production of these vital substances, silica plays a pivotal role in fortifying the skin, hair and nails, promoting growth, and improving overall texture. However, not all silica supplements are created equal. The effectiveness of silica is highly dependent on its form and bioavailability of the silica they contain. Understanding the differences between various silica sources, including plant-based, colloidal, and mineral forms, will help you make informed choices to achieve a perfect collagen boosting ritual.
Silica is found in various forms, each with distinct properties affecting its absorption and efficacy.
Plant- Based Silica
Plant-based sources, such as bamboo and horsetail, contain significant amounts of silica but face limitations in bioavailability. Bamboo, which boasts over 70% silica, is valued for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the silica in bamboo often forms insoluble crystals that the body poorly absorbs, with an absorption rate of approximately 3% (Murray et al., 2014). Similarly, horsetail contains 5-7% silica, but its absorption is hindered by its phytolith content and thiaminase, an enzyme that depletes vitamin B1 (Verma et al., 2017). It has an absorption rate of approximately 5%.
Colloidal Silicic Acid
Colloidal silicic acid is another form of silica. This type features ultrafine particles are suspended in liquid solutions. While the particles themselves are not fully dissolved, this process still provides some absorption, achieving an approximate absorption rate of 7% (Gordon et al., 2015). Colloidal silica is commonly available in liquid supplements because it is cheap to manufacture and can be highly concentrated. Colloidal silica can face issues with potential nephrotoxicity at high concentrations, making it important to choose products with controlled particle sizes and concentrations (Hochschild et al., 2019).
Choline-Stabilized Orthosilicic Acid
Choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid combines orthosilicic acid with choline to further enhance silica absorption. This formulation achieves an absorption rate of 17% and is linked to benefits such as improved skin elasticity, hydration, and bone health (Clegg et al., 2010). Supplements containing choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid are available in liquid and capsule forms, promoting stability and enhancing silica absorption. While this form offers better absorption compared to plant-based and colloidal sources, it still lags more recent innovations.
The Ultimate Standard in Silica Supplementation
LIVING SILICA stands out with its exceptional absorption rate between 64- 89% (depending on the source study referenced). It is derived from purified quartz that undergoes a multi-stage process to achieve its final form –a chemical analog of silicic acid- that is enhanced through advanced technological processes that aim to create high concentrations of monomers and dimers, silica molecules that are “cell ready”, an optimized method for easy assimilation and maximum bioavailability. The patented Anti-Polymerization Technology –a proprietary method that prevents the natural aggregation of this particles, which would make them again not so much assimilable- and prevents the formation of large, crystallized particles (just as happens in nature). This method uses a carbon stabilization method that effectively blocks this process (Le Ribault, 1994; Silicium Laboratories, 2023). Clinical studies confirm that LIVING SILICA is the most effective form of silica. The clinical implications of superior silica absorption are profound. The enhanced bioavailability of silica leads to significantly better outcomes when concerned about efficacy. This superior absorption ensures that silica is effectively utilized for collagen, elastin, GAG´s and hyaluronic acid production, resulting in increased skin elasticity, stronger and more resilient hair, and healthier, less brittle nails. Additionally, optimal silica absorption plays a role in accessing connective tissues through the skin, something that would not be possible without a carrier otherwise and that living silica has scientifically demonstrated (Ferreira et al., 2016).
While various forms of silica offer different benefits, their effectiveness is significantly influenced by their absorption rates LIVING SILICA emerges as the most bioavailable form, with a proven 64% absorption rate that ensures maximum efficacy. Supported by robust scientific evidence, it stands out as a premier choice for those seeking to enhance their appearance, health and prevent connective tissue-related issues through superior silica supplementation.
Discover the benefits of LIVING SILICA for yourself. Shop now in our online store!