Silicon is chemical element. It has the atomic number 14 and the symbol Si. For humans, silicon is especially important in bonded and silicate forms.
What is silicon?
Silicon is a trace element. This means that although the substance is vital for the body, it is found in the body itself only in small quantities. Among other things, silicon is needed as a protein building block. If the body is supplied with too little silicon, a silicon deficiency occurs. With an excessive supply through dietary supplements, there is a risk of a silicon surplus.
Function, effect and tasks
Organic silicon performs many tasks in the body and is involved in many processes. Probably the best-known property of silicon relates to its function as a shaper. It gives structure to connective tissue, skin, tendons and ligaments and provides elastic stability. The trace element accelerates the formation of elastin and collagen. Elastin and collagen are special connective tissue fibers. Elastin keeps connective tissue elastic, whereas collagen provides strength. However, connective tissue not only has a supporting and holding function for the internal organs and external body structures. It also serves to supply nutrients. Only firm and elastic connective tissue can guarantee an adequate supply of nutrients to all surrounding cells. In addition, if the connective tissue is damaged, cell toxins cannot be properly disposed of. Silicon also has the ability to bind water in large quantities. Silicon can bind 300 times its own weight in water. Thus, it also has a function in regulating the water balance. A balanced water balance is the prerequisite for numerous metabolic processes. The water-binding capacity of the trace element also plays an important role in the elasticity of connective tissue, skin, cartilage, tendons and ligaments. Silicon is also able to increase the production of collagen fibers in bones. Collagen plays an important role in the stability of bones. Elastin production is also increased by silicon. Thus, the bone not only gains stability, but also a certain degree of elasticity. If the bone were exclusively stable and not also minimally flexible, it would break very quickly. Silicon, however, is not only a component of bone and connective tissue, but also part of the blood vessels. Here, too, the trace element ensures flexibility and elasticity in the vessels and thus prevents diseases of the cardiovascular system. Silicon is also needed to stimulate the immune system. It activates the production of lymphocytes and phagocytes, helping the body to fight microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses or fungi.
Formation, occurrence, properties and optimal values
Silicon cannot be formed by the body, but must be supplied through the diet. The daily requirement of silicon for an adult is about five to eleven milligrams of silicon. Plants absorb inorganic silicon from the soil and convert it so that it can be used by the human body. However, even the silicon molecules contained in plants can only be absorbed by the body to a certain extent. The rest is excreted in the stool and urine. Due to the industrial processing of foodstuffs and intensive agriculture, the silicon content in foodstuffs is decreasing more and more. Good sources of silicon are oats, barley, potatoes and millet. Silicon is also found in many types of fruit and berries. Plants such as stinging nettle, horsetail and horsetail are particularly rich in silicon.
Diseases and disorders
If the intake is too low, silicon deficiency occurs. A lack of silicon can lead to growth disorders. Also, some skin diseases with chronic eczema and chronic itching seem to develop in association with a silicon deficiency or worsen under silicon deficiency. Common symptoms of deficiency are brittle nails and hair loss. Dry and brittle hair or hair that breaks quickly is also an indication of a deficiency. In severe deficiencies, blood vessels and bones can also be affected. As a result of collagen deficiency, osteoporosis or atherosclerosis may occur. However, an excess of silicon can also cause damage. However, an oversupply of the trace element can usually only be achieved by taking dietary supplements.The consequence of an excess of silicon is hemolysis of the red blood cells. In hemolysis, the blood cells dissolve. This leads to anemia. This manifests itself in symptoms such as shortness of breath, weakness, rapid fatigue, nausea, fainting, tinnitus, hair loss, split ends, palpitations, cardiac arrhythmias and pallor. Long-term and excessive intake may also cause kidney stones and urinary calculi. Pregnant women should under no circumstances take silicon in the form of a food supplement. It is not yet known whether and what effects the trace element in high doses has on the unborn child. Silicon becomes dangerous when it is present in the air in higher concentrations. The substance then enters the lungs via the respiratory tract and accumulates in the alveoli. This is known as pneumoconiosis or, in medical terms, silicosis. Silicosis is a typical occupational disease of miners. Characteristic symptoms of silicosis are irritable cough, dry cough and shortness of breath. However, the first symptoms usually do not appear until ten to twenty years after exposure. As the disease progresses, lung performance deteriorates progressively. The disease is always fatal.
