Silica In Supplements: What Is It And Why Is It Bad?

SheilaHelm1

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I can't find much information on Ray Peat site about silica. I buy and use ThyroGold and it is included in that, I'm not sure if its in the capsules or the powder?? Maybe he has written about it in his newsletters, which I haven't read or managed to get.
Any info would be great, thanks :?
 

Dan W

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I've also wondered about this. Peat was the only credible person I had found (after casual searching) that objected to silica, and I didn't find any detail about his objections.

He does specifically mention, "I don't use any product containing fumed or colloidal silica". I wonder if that suggests that naturally-occurring silicon dioxide / silica is ok.

On your other question, I suspect the silica is in the ThyroGold powder itself (I think it's primary use in supplements is to make powder-processing easier by preventing caking), so you may not be able to avoid it by opening the capsules.

I hope other people will chime in with more information.
 
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SheilaHelm1

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Thanks Dan, glad I'm not alone in this :D you're probably right its going to be in the powder, I did wonder if it would benefit me emptying it. I can't seem to find anything about Ray and silica, its a bit annoying because like you say, nobody else sees it as so bad??? :?

Thanks Jenn, I am trying to avoid silica not supplement with it, but you have got my attention ha ha what is horsetail and what does it do... should I be using it?? :shock:
 

Mittir

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RP talked about danger of nano particles, super fine silicon dioxide and titanium dioxide in most drugs and supplements. He mentioned an animal study where these particles reached their brain tissue when they inhaled it or exposed to it. I have done an online search using this key words " nanoparticles animal studies brain tissue titanium dioxide" .There are tons of studies showing danger of these particles.
 
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SheilaHelm1

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Thanks Mittir, I'll definitely check this out. So does it reach the brain even if you eat it and don't inhale it? sorry if thats a stupid question,.... and silicon dioxide is that the same as silica?? not too clued up sorry. x
 

Dan W

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Another tidbit: elsewhere on the forum Bradley had mentioned Peat warning about silica in the 2/15/2013 KMUD interview. I found the relevant quote: "…people taking supplements should be very careful to avoid anything with particles such as titanium dioxide or silica. […] And those things getting into the bloodstream trigger the stress hormones, and obesity is the least of the things they contribute to."

And thank you, Mittir, I'll have to do some reading.

Sheila, I believe silica and silicon dioxide are the same thing.
 

Mittir

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SheilaHelm1 said:
Thanks Mittir, I'll definitely check this out. So does it reach the brain even if you eat it and don't inhale it? sorry if thats a stupid question,.... and silicon dioxide is that the same as silica?? not too clued up sorry. x

I did a quick reading and it seems like there is a consensus on danger of inhaled nanoparticles of titanium dioxide and silica( silicon dioxide). They are not sure about effect of ingested nanoparticles.
"Although TiO2 is permitted as an additive (E171) in food and pharmaceutical products we do not have reliable data on its absorption, distribution, excretion and toxicity on oral exposure" -- Titanium dioxide in our everyday life; is it safe?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3423755/
Another quote from wikipedia on silica "Inhaling finely divided crystalline silica dust in very small quantities (OSHA allows 0.1 mg/m3) over time can lead to silicosis, bronchitis, or cancer, as the dust becomes lodged in the lungs and continuously irritates them, reducing lung capacities.[36" -- wikipedia
 

Gran Turisma

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Silica, also known as silicon dioxide, is mined from quartz and can also be synthesized in a lab, but is also found in plants such as horsetail, oats, barley, etc. At a guess, the difference may be that when it is processed by a plant it becomes bio-friendly to our bodies, whereas the mined silica remains non bio-friendly. The silica you see as a filler in capsules is typically either mined or synthesized in a lab. Not sure why it is not bio-friendly to humans. Sorry. That doesn't really answer your question. :?

Edit:
Oh wait, just found this at http://www.ryandrum.com/threeherbs1.htm
"..horsetails [a herb] have silica plates which are readily shed when dried and are hazardous for the gastrointestinal tract and the respiratory tract.."

Bugger.
 

Lecarpetron

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No silica? :( If Ray doesn't think silica is beneficial, what instead of diatomaceous earth (DE) would you guys recommend for parasite removal? Or for heavy metal detox? Or for the hair/nails/skin benefits everyone on DE raves about?

I was thinking DE could knock out a bunch of things in one fell swoop.
 

Entropy

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Monomethylsilanetriol (MMST) is non colloidal, and may be safer to metabolize based on a few studies, although I'm still researching. I might try this form soon.
 

tara

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If Ray doesn't think silica is beneficial, what instead of diatomaceous earth (DE) would you guys recommend for parasite removal?
Peat has recommended flowers of sulphur as a possible anti-parasitic. Just one or two doses. I've not tried it.
My impression of DE (not from Peat) is that it can be rough on the gut lining - cuts it up like it does to the parasites. If you are strong of gut, and there are bothersome parasites undermining you, the trade-off may be worth it in some cases.

The silica you see as a filler in capsules is typically either mined or synthesized in a lab. Not sure why it is not bio-friendly to humans.
Peat has talked about small insoluble particles like silicon dioxide getting adsorbed from the gut to the blood stream, and potentially getting stuck in the small capillaries in random parts of the body. I'm not that keen on having them accumulate in my brain.
 

natedawggh

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I've known for a long time that Silica in dietary supplements caused itchiness and other skin problems. When I was sicker I used to get severe flareups of eczema from which I was suffering. I ran out of a supplement I usually order online, because local store brands all have silica, and I bought a store brand to tide me over until the other one arrived. I hadn't taken it for even a day before my skin started itching like crazy. After my new order arrived it took about two or three days for the itching to go away. So just be warned it's best not to buy supplements that contain forms of silica.
 

Nenupharlily

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Hi everybody,
Does anybody know how to detox my body from silicon ? I just removed my breast implants and they was slowly killing me since 4 years. I have aches in all my muscles, my bones and my joints. My gut is really inflammed too. My ears are ringing. Etc.
Thanks for your help !
 

paymanz

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synthetic silica is bad. ORGANIC silica for example from horsetail is very good for hair, nails, skin etc.. Same for example with organic copper from the liver with all the cofactors vs copper pan, pipe.. Just because it has same name. It doesnt mean that it works the same in the body...
nutrition companies promote horstail extract as a organic silicon source,but thats not true, bamboo extract is not organic either.only natural organic(with a carbon bind) in nature is sands of beach- which is made of bacteria.and a french dr found a way to extract organic silicon from them.(there is also synthetic organic silicon and some of them are good silicon source)
inorganic silicon in natrural form is safe,what is not safe is the silica powders which produced in high temperatures , they are not soluble in water and doesnt form orthosilicic acid.its quartz silica and "silicone" in inplants which can make troubles.
 
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redlight

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There is a prenatal i found that looks good but it contains silica under the other ingredients; is that good or bad?
 

Nikki

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Free Radic Biol Med. 1993 May;14(5):463-72. PMID: 8394268



Abstract Author(s):
L N Daniel, Y Mao, U Saffiotti

Article Affiliation:
Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892-0041.

Abstract:
Using a simple DNA strand breakage assay, we detected the production of oxidant species, probably hydroxyl free radicals, in buffered suspensions of crystalline silica at pH 7.4. DNA damage was affected by the presence of oxygen and was accelerated by superoxide dismutase and by hydrogen peroxide. Deferoxamine blocked damage by hydrogen peroxide and silica but accelerated DNA damage by silica alone and by superoxide dismutase and silica. DNA damage was blocked by catalase and by the scavenging agents dimethyl sulfoxide and sodium benzoate. Chemical etching of crystalline silica to remove impurities by treatment of the surface with hydrofluoric acid resulted in markedly diminished DNA damaging ability. Even preparations of crystalline silica previously characterized as highly pure contained trace iron impurities in amounts significant enough to produce oxygen free radicals in aqueous suspension. Both superoxide and Fenton reaction oxidants were produced. We conclude that silica is able to mediate DNA strand breakage in vitro and that this DNA damage may be an important factor in silica toxicity.

Article Published Date : May 01, 1993
Study Type : In Vitro Study
Additional Links
Diseases : DNA damage : CK(1017) : AC(387)
Problem Substances : Silicon Dioxide : CK(4) : AC(4)
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Some features are currently member only features. If you are already a member, please login. Otherwise, click here to become a member.
 

smith

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nutrition companies promote horstail extract as a organic silicon source,but thats not true, bamboo extract is not organic either.only natural organic(with a carbon bind) in nature is sands of beach- which is made of bacteria.and a french dr found a way to extract organic silicon from them.(there is also synthetic organic silicon and some of them are good silicon source)
inorganic silicon in natrural form is safe,what is not safe is the silica powders which produced in high temperatures , they are not soluble in water and doesnt form orthosilicic acid.its quartz silica and "silicone" in inplants which can make troubles.
Which french doctor is this? Couldn't find anything about sands of beach, at least not yet. Would appreciate a source as this is really interesting, thanks
 

paymanz

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Which french doctor is this? Couldn't find anything about sands of beach, at least not yet. Would appreciate a source as this is really interesting, thanks
Sure,His name is Loic Le Ribault.

Welcome!
 
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Wendy B

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Are there safe silica supplements? Im wondering if it's the silica in a supplement that is making my skin look so good.
 

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