By Adrien Baccichetti (biologist) and Kateryna Baccichetti (biochemist).
The form in which silicon is found determines its effectiveness. Not all forms are assimilable and effective for the body, some may even be toxic. Silicon can be found in mineral or organic form (bound to a carbon atom).
1. Mineral silicon.
Mineral silicon, in the form of silica or silicates, is very difficult for the body to assimilate because, as shown by Professor Voronkov, it becomes insoluble upon contact with gastric juice. Indeed, in orthosilicic acid and silicates, silica is in an oxidized form and has a Si-O bond that the body is unable to break. To be assimilated by animal organisms, silicon must therefore be organic and have been transformed by plants to make it bioavailable. In colloidal form, meaning reduced to fine solid particles suspended in water, mineral silicon can be somewhat toxic, causing kidney stones because mineral forms are not usable by the body.
2. Organic silicon.
Only organic silicon is bioavailable. However, one must be cautious because not all organic silicons are natural, and some are chemically manufactured. For a long time, silanols were used, which are called organic because they are linked to carbon atoms. But they come from the petrochemical industry and are not natural. They were banned by the EU in 2009 for oral use, but other chemical industry derivatives continue to be sold.
The healthiest source of organic silicon comes naturally from plants. Our ancestors and nature never needed the chemical industry to survive.
3. The most suitable plant.
Silicon can be found in vegetables, whole grains, and certain plants. The richest sources are nettle, horsetail, and bamboo. Biochemical research has shown that in bamboo, silicon is in the form of SiO2, meaning it is in a mineral form as it is used as a construction material to ensure rigidity. In contrast, in nettle, silicon is bound to the plant’s proteins and sugars to participate in its metabolism. This soluble form is thus the best form of natural organic silicon because it is the most bioavailable. Nettle can contain up to 4% of silicon-bound molecules. This richness partly explains the numerous virtues of this plant, particularly in remineralization, reducing joint pain, or increasing renal excretion.