Products
Silicon is available as a dietary supplement in the form of tablets, powder, gel, balm and solution, among others. It is also sold commercially under the name silica. As an excipient, it is contained in numerous drugs, medical products and cosmetics. See also under silicon dioxide. Caution: In English, the chemical element is called and not . This repeatedly leads to translation errors. Silicones are artificial polymers composed of silicon, oxygen and alkyl radicals.
Structure and properties
Silicon (Si, atomic number 14) is a shiny and brittle semimetal with a high melting point of 1414°C. It occurs in nature primarily as silicon dioxide (SiO2) and in the form of silicates. It is rarely found in elemental form. Silicon is the second most abundant element in the earth’s crust and is found in almost all minerals or rocks, for example, in sand, quartz, rock crystals, granite, mica, sandstone, clay, mudstone, and feldspar. An exception is limestone with calcium carbonate. Ordinary glass is made of silicon dioxide. And silicon is also used for microchips and solar cells.
- Pharmacopoeia-grade silicon dioxide (silica) exists as a white, light, amorphous powder and is virtually insoluble in water. The pharmacopoeia distinguishes different qualities.
- Silica (diatomaceous earth, Terra silicea) is a fossil sediment formed by diatoms (diatoms) and consists mainly of silica.
- Silicates are anions of tetrahedral arranged silicon and oxygen atoms respectively their salts.
- Silicas such as the orthosilicic acid Si(OH)4 are the acids of silicon.
Active ingredients and excipients such as healing clay, kaolin, talc, attapulgite, bentonite, rock powder, as well as the defoamer simeticon contain silicon in the form of its oxygen compounds.
Effects
In the body, silicon is important for bones, connective tissue, blood vessels, and hair and nails, among other things. It is probably an essential trace element. Our organism contains about 1 to 2 g of the element. Humans consume about 20 to 50 mg daily through diet and drinking water.
Fields of application
The areas of application include:
- As a dietary supplement for disorders of hair and nail growth, brittle hair and brittle nails.
- To strengthen the skin, connective tissue and bones.
- Silicon dioxide is used as a pharmaceutical excipient, including as a flow regulator, thickening, stabilizing and disintegrating agent. For example, it prevents the active ingredients from settling in suppositories.
- As a desiccant for the binding of water.
- Healing earths are taken for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders and applied externally, for example, skin diseases. Simeticon is indicated for flatulence.
Dosage
According to the package insert. The intake depends on the product.
Contraindications
Silica:
- Hypersensitivity
- Severe renal dysfunction
- Children under 12 years
Full precautions can be found in the package insert.
Adverse effects
Silica is usually well tolerated. Misuse and overdose may cause siliceous kidney stones. Fine silica should not be inhaled because it can cause lung disease. Asbestos is a fibrous silicate that causes lung cancer.