*Some anti-caking and anti-foaming additives in foods are are made from silica
*Silica may help to counter the effects of too much aluminium in the body, which some studies suggest is implicated in Alzheimer's disease.
It is unlikely that a silica deficiency would occur in many people, but if it did, it is thought that it may result in the following deficiency symptoms:
Problems with the teeth and bones (decay and softening)
Hardening of the arteries
Silica and health
*Ageing - silica levels drop as people age and it might therefore be beneficial as an anti-aging component in the diet of older people. In addition to this, silica helps to mitigate any adverse health effects that aluminium have on the body, in particular as a risk factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Several studies show that silica may play a role in prevention of this disorder, but more studies are needed to confirm the results of initial studies
*Atherosclerosis - studies show that silica may play an important role in ensuring the blood vessels and particularly, the walls of arteries (which get clogged up in people with atherosclerosis) are healthy and functioning correctly
*Bone health - silica looks promising as a way to completely heal bone fractures as it in needed by the body to help with bone health and reduce risk of osteoporosis. While results from initial studies are positive, more research needs to be done in this area to confirm this ability
* Symptoms of silica deficiency
It is unlikely that a silica deficiency would occur in many people, but if it did, it is thought that it may result in the following deficiency symptoms:
Problems with the teeth and bones (decay and softening)
Hardening of the arteries
[[Category:Treatments]]
[[Category:Dietary minerals]]