Organic silicon: the story of its discovery, the struggle for recognition, and the science behind an underappreciated mineral

By Uno Vita AS – Clinic for Integrative Medicine

If you've ever taken a silicon supplement without noticing a difference, chances are the problem was never the silicon itself, but the form. The vast majority of silicon products on the market – silica gel, colloidal silica, crushed rock crystal, many plant-based extracts – contain a form that the body is barely able to absorb. The body needs silicon in one specific, dissolved form to be able to use it at all.

This article is about that form: where it came from, who discovered it, why the discovery cost the discoverer dearly, and what the research literature actually shows about what bioavailable silicon means for bones, connective tissue, skin, hair and nails. We have gone through the documentation behind the most recognized organic silicon formulas on the market, dug into the history of the man who first managed to stabilize the substance for oral intake, and put it all within the framework of Uno Vita's fundamental understanding: that the body is not just chemistry, but an electromagnetic and information-carrying system where structure, frequency and charge are connected.

In short:

• Most silicon supplements (silica gel, colloidal silica, plant extracts) have less than 1–2 percent bioabsorption. Only stabilized, monomeric orthosilicic acid – such as ch-OSA or MMST – is effectively absorbed.
• In 1994, French researcher Loïc Le Ribault stabilized the first oral, bioavailable silicon formula. In 2016, his molecule (MMST) was formally approved for safety by the EU as a "novel food".
• Solid research (the Framingham Study) links silicon intake to bone mineral density in men and premenopausal women. Several randomized studies show improvement in skin, hair and nails.
• Silicon can help reduce the uptake and increase the excretion of aluminum – a mechanism that is well documented, but the link to Alzheimer's disease is still an active, debated research hypothesis, not an established conclusion.
• EFSA has rejected all 19 submitted health claims about silicon. A serious product therefore talks about support and contribution, not treatment or a cure.

Silicon: the earth's second most common element - and the body's forgotten building block

Silicon (Si) is a metalloid that is rarely found in pure form in nature. It almost always appears bound to oxygen, as silicates and silicon dioxide (SiO₂) – the dominant compounds in rock, sand and soil. Silicon was first isolated as an element by the Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius in 1824, and for almost 150 years after that, the substance was considered a geological and industrial curiosity, not something the body needed. That changed in 1972, when two independent research groups published findings that would turn that view completely on its head.

In the body, silicon is concentrated in tissues with high activity of collagen and glycosaminoglycan synthesis: skin, bones, cartilage, tendons, blood vessel walls and lung tissue. The concentration is highest in young, active tissues and gradually decreases with age – which has prompted researchers to investigate the connection between silicon levels and the aging of connective tissue. Silicon is considered the third most abundant trace element in the human body, and an ever-growing body of research points to biological functions that no other mineral seems to be able to take over.

The crucial question: why most silicon supplements do not make a difference

This is the core of the entire silicon field. Silicon is not silicon - the chemical form completely determines whether the body can use it, or whether it just passes through the digestive system unchanged.

Inorganic silica – SiO₂, silica gel and colloidal silicon. This is the cheapest form to produce, and the one you find in most capsules and powders labeled "silica" on the health food shelf, in addition to being used as an additive (E551) in processed food and as a filler in tablets. These forms are practically insoluble in water, and the small intestine has no effective mechanism for absorbing solid silica particles. The bioabsorption is usually well below 1 percent.

Plant-based silica - including ryegrass and bamboo extract. These contain a mixture of bound and free silicon. The free portion, such as orthosilicic acid, is available for uptake, but the amount varies with soil, plant variety and production method. This makes it difficult to standardize a precise dose, and uptake is consistently lower and less predictable than for stabilized forms.

Orthosilicic acid (Si(OH)₄) – the bioactive form. This is the only water-soluble, monomeric silicon, and the only form that the small intestine absorbs effectively. The problem is that pure orthosilicic acid is extremely unstable in solution: it spontaneously polymerizes into larger structures that are no longer bioavailable. It is this instability that for decades made it difficult to create an effective oral silicon supplement, no matter how much "pure" orthosilicic acid the label claimed the bottle contained.

The stabilization technologies – where the real difference lies. There are currently a few patented methods for keeping orthosilicic acid in dissolved, monomeric form all the way to the gut:

• Choline stabilized orthosilicic acid (ch-OSA), developed in the 1990s and documented in several of the most cited clinical studies on skin, hair and nails.
• Monomethylsilanetriol (MMST), an organosilicon compound with an Si–C bond that prevents polymerization. This is the formula that can be traced directly back to the French researcher Loïc Le Ribault, and which in 2016 was safety assessed and approved by the EU system as "novel food".
• Plant-based, stabilized orthosilicic acid ("Siliplant" type formulations), stabilized through natural preservatives such as rosemary instead of synthetic additives.

The manufacturers of the best-documented MMST formula (Silicon G7®) state a bioabsorption rate of around 64 percent in healthy people – around 35 times higher than colloidal silicon. This is not just a marketing number: the independent, peer-reviewed literature confirms the same. Sripanyakorn and colleagues measured in 2009 (British Journal of Nutrition) the absorption of silicon from eight sources in humans via urinary excretion: MMST and non-alcoholic beer came out equal at the top (64% of the dose), ahead of green beans (44%), free orthosilicic acid (43%), choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid (17%), bananas and magnesium trisilicate (4%), and colloidal silica at the bottom (1%).

A later study (Boqué et al., Scientific Reports, 2021) compared three commercial formulations from the same product family directly against each other – G7 Aloe, G5 Siliplant and the powder product Orgono Powder – in a randomized, double-blind study. All three produced a marked increase in silicon excretion (27–35% of the dose), with no significant difference between them. Once the silicon is stabilized as a monomer, the specific packaging – liquid, aloe vera, herbal extract or powder – seems to matter less than the stabilization itself. A balance study (Pruksa and colleagues, 2014) also found that less than 10 percent of ingested silicon is found in serum at a given time, while the rest is quickly excreted again via the kidneys – a sign that the body actively regulates and uses the soluble form, in contrast to inorganic silica, which mostly just passes through.

The story of discovery: two parallel paths to the same conclusion

1972 - science establishes that silicon is essential for life

The history of silicon as a nutritional factor formally begins in 1972, when two research environments - independently and almost simultaneously - published findings that proved that animals deprived of silicon in their diet suffered severe developmental disorders. Edith M. Carlisle of the University of California, Los Angeles, showed in the journal Science that newly hatched chicks on an extremely purified diet without silicon suffered severely stunted growth and maldeveloped skeletons - abnormal skull structure, poorly developed tibiae, poorly developed cartilage in joints. Chickens that received silicon supplements in addition grew up to 50 percent better and developed normally. In the same year, Klaus Schwarz and colleagues published similar findings in rats i Nature.

In the decades that followed, Carlisle mapped silicon's role in bone formation, cartilage tissue and collagen synthesis, and established that the element is necessary for the enzymes that hydroxylate proline and lysine – chemical steps that are crucial for the collagen fibers to mature and acquire the correct structure.

Loïc Le Ribault: from grains of sand under the microscope to a lifelong settlement

Parallel to the academic research, a completely separate, far more dramatic story unfolded in France.

Loïc Le Ribault (1947–2007) was a geologist and one of France's most renowned forensic experts. In 1971, aged just 24, he developed a new application of the electron microscope which he called "exoscopy" – a method for reading the surface structure of sand grains and reconstructing their geological history. The method made him an internationally respected forensic scientist; his work was featured by Pulitzer winner John McPhee in the book Irons in the Fire (1998).

It was precisely through this microscopy work that the discovery took place. In 1972, Le Ribault noticed something unexpected on the surface of some grains of sand: a water-soluble, amorphous silica layer containing microorganisms. According to the company's own narrative, he experienced positive effects after exposing his hands to a concentrate of the material – the starting point for a lifelong research project devoted to stabilizing and using organic silicon therapeutically.

Together with the chemist Norbert Duffaut at the University of Bordeaux, who had already synthesized an organic silicon molecule called DNR in 1957, Le Ribault worked for twelve years treating patients free of charge, in their own homes, with constantly further developed versions of the formula. In 1985, they secured an international patent. The success stories spread and received attention in French newspapers. In November 1993, the collaboration ended abruptly: Duffaut was found dead in his bed. The brand's own history refers to this as poisoning under suspicious circumstances; independent French sources state that the police concluded suicide. Shortly afterwards, Le Ribault himself was placed in solitary confinement for two months in a French prison, accused of practicing medicine without a license.

In 1994 came the breakthrough that would become his lasting scientific legacy: he managed to stabilize organic silicon so that it could be taken orally for the first time, and not just applied to the skin via compresses. This was the G5 formula. The media coverage that followed created such a large influx of people wanting treatment that local pharmacies are said to have lost a significant proportion of their turnover.

The persecution continued just as fully: first trial in 1995, conviction for illegal medical practice, and in 1997 secret exile – via Belgium to Jersey – where he continued his work. He registered several patents on the stabilization method through the French and European patent offices between 1985 and 1992, and in 2005 signed a collaboration agreement with what became Silicium Laboratories Europe. Loïc Le Ribault died on June 6, 2007.

His legacy lives on under two brand names with the same origin: in Europe as Silicon G5/G7®, where the original formula – today "Heritage Concentrate®" – was industrially continued by Silicium Laboratories Europe from 2010 at a GMP facility in Oiartzun in Spain; and in the United States which Orgono Living Silica, distributed by Silicon Laboratories LLC. Both trace the active ingredient directly back to the molecule Le Ribault stabilized in 1994.

The regulatory recovery: EFSA and the "Novel Food" approval in 2016

In March 2013, the Irish company LLR-G5 Ltd applied to place organic silicon (monomethylsilanetriol, MMST) on the market as a "novel food" ingredient. EFSA's scientific panel for food additives and food sources concluded on 9 March 2016 in an official statement (EFSA Journal 2016;14(4):4436) that the substance is safe to use under the proposed conditions of use. On 4 August of the same year, the European Commission made a formal decision (2016/1344) which approved marketing throughout the Union, and the ingredient is today included in the EU's consolidated list of approved new foodstuffs (regulation 2017/2470) - an ingredient that cost the inventor his freedom several times was thus, almost a decade after his death, formally assessed as safe by the same European system by which he was persecuted.

This approval was about security, not about health claims. It is a distinction that EFSA itself has tested in practice: in 2011, the expert panel processed a combined pile of applications with 19 different health claims about silicon – bones, connective tissue, joints, skin, hair, nails, cardiovascular, stomach acid neutralization, and protection against aluminum accumulation in the brain (EFSA Journal 2011;9(6):2259). All 19 were rejected, consistently because the documentation of a clear cause-and-effect relationship was not good enough to meet the requirements of the EU's health claims regulation. That is why a serious company talks about support and contribution rather than protection and treatment – ​​not because biology is uninteresting, but because the threshold for an approved health claim is far above what is "mechanistically probable".

What the research actually shows: silicon and the body's tissues

Bones and skeleton

The most robust single study in the field is the large US Framingham Offspring cohort, published by Ravin Jugdaohsingh and colleagues in Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (2004). The researchers examined the relationship between silicon intake and bone mineral density in 2,847 participants at four hip sites and the lumbar spine. Silicon intake correlated positively and significantly with bone mineral density in men and premenopausal women – the difference between the highest and lowest intake quintiles corresponded to up to 10 percent in bone density. The finding was later confirmed by several cohorts, including the Scottish Aberdeen Prospective Osteoporosis Screening Study, which showed that silicon intake from the diet interacts with estrogen levels in the impact on bone health.

The mechanism supports the epidemiological findings. Nutritionist Forrest H. Nielsen describes in a book chapter from 2024 (Silicon Advances for Sustainable Agriculture and Human Health) how orthosilicic acid at the bone's mineralization front is converted into a silicate ion that replaces phosphate in the crystal structure—a step that helps transform immature, amorphous bone tissue into hard, crystalline hydroxyapatite. In connective tissue, silicon acts via a different mechanism: by forming complexes with hexosamine and ascorbate, the building blocks of glycosaminoglycans and collagen. Recent cell research also shows that silicon both stimulates new bone formation - including via the BMP-2/Smad/RUNX2 signaling pathway - and slows down bone breakdown by inhibiting osteoclasts. An independent, published study (Reffitt et al., Bone, 2003) confirm that orthosilicic acid stimulates collagen type 1 synthesis and osteoblast differentiation in human cell cultures.

The most important clinical trial directly addresses the question of postmenopausal women: Spector and colleagues randomized 184 women with osteopenia (136 completed) to placebo or choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid at three doses—3, 6, or 12 mg silicon daily—in addition to standard calcium (1000 mg) and vitamin D (800 IU), over 12 months (BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 2008). At 6 and 12 mg, the groups had a significantly higher PINP – the most sensitive marker of type I collagen synthesis and early bone formation – than placebo, with no apparent dose response between the two levels. The resorption marker CTX-I showed a dose-dependent increase, suggesting a general increase in bone turnover rather than pure inhibition of degradation.

There was no significant effect on total bone density in the lumbar spine and hip in the main analysis, but in a pre-defined subgroup with the lowest starting point (femoral T-score below −1), the 6 mg dose produced a positive change in bone density in the femoral neck compared to placebo, which decreased in the same period – around 1–2 percentage points in favor of the silicon group. The authors conclude that ch-OSA as an addition to calcium and vitamin D has a beneficial effect on bone collagen turnover, and a possible benefit on bone density in vulnerable subgroups - but emphasize that the study was not designed to measure fracture risk. Later work builds on this: an exploratory study on patients with peri-implantitis (2021) found that ch-OSA stabilized bone parameters around dental implants better than placebo over 12 months, and a 12-week study on knee osteoarthritis found symptomatic improvement and reduced cartilage degradation markers, particularly in men.

The most up-to-date compilation of evidence is an "umbrella review" by Pritchard and Nielsen (Nutrients, January 2024), which reviewed all the literature on silicon and bone health from 1967 to 2023. The conclusion: the results are mixed, and the dose that consistently produced an effect in animal studies (around 139 mg/kg body weight daily) is far higher than what is practically achievable in humans (typically 5–30 mg total per day). Taken together, however, the most solid individual findings point in the direction that a daily intake of 5–12 mg of bioavailable silicon can provide a measurable, albeit modest, support for the quality of bone collagen and for bone formation markers - and possibly for cortical bone mineral density, especially in men and in premenopausal or oestrogen-replete women. This works best as one of several components of a holistic approach to bone health, along with calcium, vitamin D, protein and weight-bearing exercise, and requires consistent intake over months – not weeks – before you can expect to see any results.

Joints, cartilage and collagen

Cartilage and joint tissue depend on a durable but flexible matrix of collagen and proteoglycans, and silicon plays a documented role in both components. Silicon-rich structures such as artery walls, trachea and cartilage have a particularly high concentration of the element, probably linked to the role in the formation of glycosaminoglycans and cross-linking between proteoglycan complexes and collagen fibres.

Clinical documentation specifically on joints is thinner than on bones. An oft-cited study (Bioformis/Mérieux NutriSciences, 2011, 30 participants over six weeks) found that 87 percent reported improved joint mobility—a useful indication, but a small, self-reported study without formal placebo control, not a peer-reviewed trial along the lines of the bone and skin studies. The biological plausibility is nevertheless good: silicon's role in collagen and proteoglycan synthesis is well substantiated in animal and cell studies.

Skin, hair and nails

This is probably the area with the strongest clinical documentation, with several randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in recognized dermatological journals.

The most cited study (Barel et al., Archives of Dermatological Research, 2005) gave women with sun-exposed, aging skin choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid (10 mg Si/day) or placebo over 20 weeks. The active group had a significant improvement in the skin's surface microstructure and elasticity, measured objectively with the Corneometer, as well as lower scores for brittle hair and nails. A follow-up study by many of the same researchers (Wickett et al., 2007) similarly found that the hair's elastic properties and breaking strength were better preserved, with an increased cross-sectional area of ​​the hair strands - an objective sign of thicker hair.

Recent studies on monomethylsilanetriol formulations have found increased echogenicity (density) in the skin after 90 days (Favaretto and Campos, 2016), and improved nail growth, hair strength and skin moisture after 12 weeks with 20–30 mg Si/day (published in Cosmetics, 2018); a related, more publicized study from the same year also reported around a 25 percent reduction in wrinkles in 51 participants over five months.

An independent review of six clinical studies on silica and ch-OSA (SupplementScience.org, 186 participants in total, 2005–2018) lands on overall "strong evidence" for the field, but with a specific caveat worth bearing in mind: only 1 out of 3 studies on hair/nails and 1 out of 2 studies on bones were unequivocally positive in isolation. The positive studies are, in turn, among the methodologically strongest in the entire silicon field.

Aluminum and "detoxification"

This is both the most interesting and the most debated corner of silicon research.

Aluminum has no known biological function in humans, but is widespread in modern everyday life – cookware, foil, some additives, antiperspirants, some antacid drugs. The chemistry behind the interaction has been mapped by the research couple Birchall and Exley: dissolved orthosilicic acid condenses on aluminum hydroxide surfaces and forms a hydroxy-aluminosilicate (HAS) in two stages – first the slowly growing HASA (Si:Al ≈ 0.5), which at higher silicon concentrations builds on to the rapidly precipitating HASB. These complexes are far less bioavailable than free aluminum and are excreted via the kidneys.

An interesting, often overlooked finding: it is not necessarily the monomeric, nutritionally useful orthosilicic acid that binds aluminum most strongly. A controlled human study with radiolabeled aluminum (Jugdaohsingh et al., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2000) found that oligomeric (partially polymerized) silica reduced aluminum absorption by 67 percent, while pure monomeric silicic acid had no measurable effect on the absorption of simultaneously ingested aluminum – even though the monomer itself was rapidly absorbed and excreted, just as desired for silicon's own nutritional function. Other studies, on the other hand, show increased excretion of already absorbed aluminum by regular consumption of silicon-rich water over time, which is a slightly different question than blocking new absorption.

The most cited human study on this has been carried out by Christopher Exley's research group at Keele University (Davenward et al., Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2013): 15 people with Alzheimer's disease drank up to one liter of silicon-rich mineral water daily for 12 weeks. Aluminum excretion in urine increased measurably, and eight out of fifteen showed no cognitive deterioration during the period - three of these eight showed what the authors themselves call clinically relevant improvement. It was an open pilot study without blinding or placebo control, and the authors themselves refer to the findings as preliminary and a first step towards a larger follow-up study.

The "aluminium hypothesis" that chronic exposure contributes to Alzheimer's disease is still an active research trail rather than an established conclusion. A meta-analysis of 54 studies (search until June 2024) found mixed results – 26 out of 54 showed a positive connection – and the broad professional community in dementia research, today mainly oriented around amyloid-beta and tau protein, remains unconvinced. Exley's group represents a persistent, active minority trail, including a similar study on multiple sclerosis (Jones et al., EBioMedicine, 2017).

The underlying chemistry – that bioavailable silicon can help reduce aluminum uptake and promote excretion of what has already been absorbed – is reasonably well documented. However, the link that this prevents or treats any diagnosed neurological disease has not been established, and silicon supplements never replace medical follow-up. Given how widespread aluminum is in modern everyday life, and that bioavailable silicon in any case has an independent, documented role in collagen and bone health, a steady intake of silicon-rich water or a stabilized supplement is nevertheless a sensible, low-risk habit for those who want to keep the body's aluminum load down over time.

Cardiovascular, immune system and other tracks

Research on silicon and the cardiovascular system is in an early phase. Spanish researchers led by Alba Garcimartín have shown in several rat studies that silicon supplements reduce total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-like lipoproteins in case of artificially elevated cholesterol, and cell studies have suggested a dampening effect on certain inflammatory markers linked to atherosclerosis. Promising and mechanistically interesting, but not yet confirmed in large human trials.

Inhalation of crystalline silica dust is a known cause of lung damage (silicosis) in certain occupations – a completely different form of exposure than oral intake of dissolved silicon, and not something that applies to dietary supplements. Animal studies have suggested that silicon may moderate autoimmune and inflammatory responses in certain models, but solid human data are currently lacking.

Silicon through a bioelectrical perspective: Uno Vita's philosophy

At Uno Vita, we see the body as an information-carrying, electromagnetic system, where structure, charge and frequency are connected - and silicon is one of the minerals where that understanding actually has a concrete foothold in established biophysics.

Collagen, the protein silicon is a documented cofactor for forming and stabilizing, is itself a piezoelectric material. This was first described in 1957 by Eiichi Fukada and Iwao Yasuda, who showed that bone generates electrical voltage under mechanical stress; later research has confirmed that piezoelectricity is a pervasive property of connective tissue – bones, tendons, skin, cartilage – with collagen's ordered fiber structure as the explanation. It is the same physical phenomenon that causes a quartz crystal to generate current when squeezed. Recent research on fascia also indicates that hydrated collagen can support proton conduction - an electrical "signal path" through the tissue.

Silicon thus contributes to building and maintaining a tissue that is in itself electrically active and structurally dependent on water and mineral balance. It provides a natural gateway to understanding the body as a structured, charge-carrying system – in line with the physics-informed, holistic approach that underlies Uno Vita's work with frequency-based and electromagnetic health technologies.

How to choose a good silicon supplement

• Look for chemical form, not just "silicon" on the label. Orthosilicic acid, choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid (ch-OSA) or organosilicon/monomethylsilanetriol (MMST) - not just "silica" or "silicon dioxide".
• Liquid formulations usually have an advantage rather than solid tablets to avoid polymerization before ingestion, provided that the product is indeed stabilized.
• Look for documentation on the specific formulation, not just generic research on "silicon". Studies on ch-OSA do not automatically apply to a colloidal silica product.
• Realistic doses: the clinical literature typically operates with 5–30 mg of bioavailable silicon daily. Higher numbers on the label are worthless if the form is not recorded.
• Realistic time horizon: skin shows change after 4–8 weeks; hair and nails typically require 3–9 months; effects on bones and joints are best monitored with objective markers over time.
• Talk about support, not cure. A serious product refers to contribution and maintenance, not treatment or prevention of diagnosed disease.

Safety, dosage and regulations

Orthosilicic acid and stabilized organic forms of silicon are considered safe in the dosages that have been studied. EFSA's toxicological assessment of MMST found no genotoxic effect and set a safety level (NOAEL) of 232 mg/kg bw daily in a 90-day rat study – a wide margin of safety above the proposed human doses of 7–10 mg/day. Usual use for the best documented products is in the range of 10-30 ml of liquid daily, divided into one to three doses, taken on an empty stomach or shortly before a meal.

People with reduced kidney function should contact a doctor before use, since silicon is primarily excreted via the kidneys. Since silicon binds aluminum, intake of silicon supplements and aluminum-containing drugs (some antacids) should be taken a couple of hours apart, for purely pharmacokinetic reasons. As with all nutritional supplements, it is recommended to consult a healthcare professional in case of pregnancy, breastfeeding, chronic illness or regular medication use.

Silicon at Uno Vita – and the way forward

Silicon is already part of Uno Vita's range, for example through Silica Plus, formulated with silicon as orthosilicic acid and ionic minerals to support absorption, and Ionic Liquid Boron Silica Drops, which combines silicon with boron – a trace element that interacts with silicon in mineral metabolism and bone health. Read more about dietary sources, dosage recommendations and the interaction between silicon, calcium and magnesium in our previous article "The health benefits of silica (silicon)".

The story of Loïc Le Ribault, and the formal regulatory recognition his ingredient eventually received, illustrates something we believe in working with new health technologies: that physics-based, non-pharmaceutical approaches to health often face more resistance than they scientifically deserve, and that recognition can take decades.

There is also a natural link between bioavailable silicon and water: orthosilicic acid occurs naturally and is freely soluble in water, and silicon-rich mineral water is one of the best documented sources of this form. It is an interesting meeting point with the ongoing work on Luci Phi- product family, where we explore water treatment technology that combines filtration, vortex structuring and hydrogen infusion.

Frequently asked questions about silicon

Are "silica" and "silicon" the same?
In everyday speech, yes. Chemically speaking, silicon (Si) is the element itself, while silica usually refers to silicon dioxide (SiO₂) or other silicon compounds. The decisive factor for a dietary supplement is which chemical form the product actually contains, since it is the form that determines whether the body can absorb it.

What is the difference between "organic silicon" and ordinary silica?
Strictly chemically, "organic" means that a molecule contains carbon, and silicon alone is not carbon-based. In the dietary supplement industry, "organic silicon" refers to silicon compounds stabilized with carbon-containing molecules (such as monomethylsilanetriol), to keep the silicon soluble and absorbable - in contrast to inorganic silicon dioxide, which is not soluble.

How long does it take before you notice something?
It varies with tissue type. The skin's moisture and texture may change within 4-8 weeks. Hair and nails, which grow slowly, typically require 3 months as a realistic minimum, and the full effect is often visible after 6-9 months of consistent intake. Bones and joints are best monitored with laboratory tests and bone density measurement over time.

Can silicon be taken together with other dietary supplements?
Yes, and preferably with advantage: silicon interacts documented with vitamin C (cofactor in collagen synthesis), magnesium and zinc. The only thing to be aware of is aluminium-containing medicines, which should be taken a couple of hours apart from silicon supplements.

Are silicon supplements safe?
Orthosilicic acid and stabilized organic silicon forms have a well-documented safety profile, with wide safety margins in toxicological studies. People with kidney disease, pregnant women, breast-feeding women and people on regular medication should consult a healthcare professional before use.

Can silicon replace medical treatment of osteoporosis, joint disease or dementia?
No. Silicon can have a supportive, complementary role linked to collagen and mineral metabolism, but diagnosed conditions require separate medical assessment and treatment.

Summary

Silicon has gone from being a geological curiosity to a trace element with documented biological significance. The story of how we got there is about two independent research communities that in 1972 proved that the element is necessary for normal skeletal development, and about a French forensic scientist who, in the same decade, through a completely different track, discovered how to stabilize the substance for oral intake – a discovery that cost him his freedom several times, but which was finally formally assessed as safe by the European regulatory system he was persecuted by at the time.

The documentation that has built up in the meantime is, as in most nutritional research, uneven in strength: solid on bones (Framingham), well documented with several randomized trials on skin, hair and nails, mechanistically promising on the cardiovascular system and immune system, and genuinely interesting, but still a minority track, on aluminum and the nervous system. What remains clear in any case: if a silicon supplement is to have any chance of doing anything at all, it must be in a form that the body can actually use. That is what the story of Loïc Le Ribault and the research literature that followed is really about.

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33. Historical and biographical material about Loïc Le Ribault and Norbert Duffaut: the companies' own historical presentations (silicium.com, livingsilica.com), independent French source material (Alternative Santé) and public biographical material (Wikipedia).

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