Silicon in Humans: Beneficial or Essential?

Relevant data on silicon research in humans have been inventoried. Although there are reliable data on the clinical effects of Si in humans this mineral is almost completely neglected in Medicine. These clinical effects are compared with the results of an open label study with a liquid food supplement with bioavailable and stabilized oligomeric silicic acid and a low dose of boric acid (OSAB) in Amsterdam during 2004-2007. OSAB showed to be a safe and beneficial food supplement with significant effects on connective tissue, bone, cartilage, skin, hair, nails, etc. The data confirm earlier clinical data in which show that Si is at least beneficial for humans and animals. Due to a lack of sufficient data on the metabolism of Si in humans essentiality has not (yet) been established. Silicon must be considered ‘quasi-essential’ as defined by Epstein (1999) for plants.