[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-nutrition\/silica\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-nutrition\/silica\/","headline":"Best Silica for Osteoporosis: Dr. Brown’s Complete Guide to the Connective Tissue Mineral","name":"Best Silica for Osteoporosis: Dr. Brown’s Complete Guide to the Connective Tissue Mineral","description":"Print PDF eBook Facebook Twitter Gmail LinkedIn Pinterest [ Video Short Placeholder ] Dr. Susan Brown: The Best Silica for Osteoporosis in 60 Seconds If you’re hunting for the best silica for osteoporosis, you’ve found one of the most overlooked trace minerals in bone health \u2014 a nutrient concentrated in the strongest tissues of the […]","datePublished":"2014-07-11","dateModified":"2026-04-28","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/author\/brownbetterbonesgmail-com\/#Person","name":"Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/author\/brownbetterbonesgmail-com\/","identifier":72,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e08d87bd45250c6616e1752933a6576aba077f335d97ee337a0cde5e435cbd3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e08d87bd45250c6616e1752933a6576aba077f335d97ee337a0cde5e435cbd3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Center for Better Bones","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Better-Bones-AMP.png","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Better-Bones-AMP.png","width":150,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/Silicon-for-osteoporosis.png","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/Silicon-for-osteoporosis.png","height":1109,"width":2120},"url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-nutrition\/silica\/","about":["Bone Nutrition"],"wordCount":1533,"keywords":["silica"],"articleBody":" Print PDF eBook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFacebook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTwitter\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGmail\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLinkedIn\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPinterest\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t[ Video Short Placeholder ]Dr. Susan Brown: The Best Silica for Osteoporosis in 60 SecondsIf you’re hunting for the best silica for osteoporosis, you’ve found one of the most overlooked trace minerals in bone health \u2014 a nutrient concentrated in the strongest tissues of the body, including your bones, arteries, tendons, ligaments, skin, nails, hair, and teeth.The research is striking: silica increases bone collagen, strengthens the connective tissue matrix by cross-linking collagen strands, and speeds mineralization \u2014 especially when calcium intake is low. Populations whose diets are rich in plant foods take in more silica, and not coincidentally, they also have lower rates of hip fracture.In this guide, Dr. Susan Brown \u2014 author of Better Bones, Better Body and developer of the Better Bones Solution \u2014 explains exactly what silica does for your bones, which form to take, how much, and how to get it from food.Table of ContentsToggle     7 Minutes ReadSilica Is a Collagen Matrix Builder \u2014 The “Connective Tissue Mineral”What Silica Actually Does for BoneBest Silica for Osteoporosis: Which Form Should You Take?1. Choline-Stabilized Orthosilicic Acid (ch-OSA)2. Silicon from Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) Extract3. Bamboo Extract4. Colloidal Silica \/ Silica Gel5. Silicon Dioxide \u2014 Avoid (as a supplement)How Much Silica Do You Need for Healthy Bones?Get Silica in the Right Form \u2014 and the Right RatioBest Food Sources of SilicaSilica Works Best With Its Partner NutrientsPutting It All TogetherReady to Build Stronger Bones \u2014 for Life?Related Reading From Better BonesScientific ReferencesSilica Is a Collagen Matrix Builder \u2014 The “Connective Tissue Mineral”In Dr. Brown’s 20 Key Bone-Building Nutrients framework, nutrients work together across four cooperating systems. Silica sits squarely in the Collagen Matrix Builders \u2014 the crew that constructs the flexible protein scaffolding onto which minerals like calcium and phosphorus are laid down.Silica’s signature job is strengthening that scaffolding. It helps cross-link collagen strands, initiates the calcification process, and combines with calcium inside the bone-building cell. In short: no silica, no strong collagen weave \u2014 and without a strong collagen weave, minerals have nothing sturdy to bind to.What Silica Actually Does for BoneAlthough no RDA has been established yet for silica, this mineral clearly makes a direct contribution to bone health:Builds bone collagen. Bone collagen is reported to increase with silica supplementation.Cross-links the collagen matrix. Silica strengthens connective tissue by knitting collagen strands together.Speeds mineralization. Dietary silicon appears to increase the rate of bone mineralization, particularly when calcium intake is low.Concentrates at active bone-forming sites. Silica is found in highest concentration at areas of active bone mineralization.Initiates calcification. Silica combines with calcium in the bone-building cell to help start the calcification process itself.Modern diets dramatically shortchange us. Up to 80% of the food the average American eats today is processed \u2014 compared with only about 10% a century ago \u2014 and the fibrous parts of plants (where silica lives) are the first thing processing strips out. The result: silica intake has plummeted in just a few generations.Best Silica for Osteoporosis: Which Form Should You Take?Silica supplements are generally well tolerated, but absorption varies dramatically by form. Here is how Dr. Brown ranks the common options.1. Choline-Stabilized Orthosilicic Acid (ch-OSA)The most bioavailable supplemental form, and the one used in the clinical trials showing increased bone mineral density and improved collagen markers. Orthosilicic acid is the exact molecular form plants and the human body actually use \u2014 stabilizing it with choline keeps it absorbable in capsule or liquid form. Dr. Brown’s preferred option for osteoporosis support.2. Silicon from Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) ExtractHorsetail is the most silica-rich plant on earth and has been used for bone and connective-tissue support for centuries. Look for extracts standardized to silicic acid content \u2014 the bioavailability is lower than ch-OSA but still meaningful, and it’s a good whole-plant option.3. Bamboo ExtractBamboo shoots contain up to 70% silica by dry weight, making standardized bamboo extract one of the most concentrated plant sources in supplement form. Absorption is moderate. A reasonable option when combined with other Collagen Matrix Builders.4. Colloidal Silica \/ Silica GelPopular in hair-skin-nails formulas. Absorption is variable and generally lower than ch-OSA. Acceptable for general connective-tissue support, but not Dr. Brown’s first choice for serious bone building.5. Silicon Dioxide \u2014 Avoid (as a supplement)Found in many bargain multivitamins and used as an anti-caking agent. It is essentially inert sand \u2014 the body absorbs very little of it. If a label only lists “silicon dioxide,” treat the silica as decorative, not functional.Look for silica inside a complete bone formula \u2014 most quality bone-support products combine silica with the other Collagen Matrix Builders (zinc, copper, manganese) at sensible ratios.How Much Silica Do You Need for Healthy Bones?There is no official RDA for silica, but Dr. Brown’s working targets \u2014 consistent with the research literature \u2014 are:Daily goal from diet + supplement: 25\u201350 mg of elemental silicon per day for general bone support.Clinical-study range: Trials showing improved bone collagen markers and BMD have used 6\u201310 mg of ch-OSA daily, on top of a baseline diet.Upper ranges: Silica has an extremely wide safety margin \u2014 excess is excreted in the urine \u2014 but there is no reason to push beyond 50 mg\/day for bone purposes.Timing: Take silica with a meal and with adequate water. Unlike some minerals, silica does not compete aggressively with calcium or phosphorus for absorption, so it can sit comfortably alongside your full bone formula.Important safety note: Supplemental silica in the forms above has an excellent safety record. The health concerns you may have read about (lung disease) come from inhaled crystalline silica dust in industrial settings \u2014 an entirely different exposure route \u2014 not from oral supplements or silica-rich foods.Get Silica in the Right Form \u2014 and the Right RatioDr. Brown’s Complete Bone Supplement Guide walks you through the exact silica form, dose, and partner minerals she recommends so the whole Collagen Matrix Builders crew works together.Shop the Complete Bone Supplement Guide \u2192Best Food Sources of SilicaSilica is plentiful in many fibrous plant foods \u2014 but, as nutrition educator Betty Kamen has pointed out, the fiber in foods (and the silica that rides with it) is the first thing stripped out when foods are processed. Dr. Brown’s favorite whole-food silica sources:Oats, barley, and whole-grain rice \u2014 high-silica staples of traditional diets.Bananas \u2014 surprisingly, one of the top silica contributors in American diets.Green beans, leafy greens, and root vegetables \u2014 particularly with the skin on.Beets, cucumbers, asparagus, and bell peppers.Horsetail tea \u2014 the most silica-dense botanical available.Mineral water \u2014 several natural mineral waters are rich in bioavailable orthosilicic acid.A fun piece of nutrition trivia from the research: the top two dietary sources of silica in American men’s diets are beer and bananas, and in women’s diets, bananas and string beans \u2014 a vivid illustration of how dependent modern silica intake has become on a few chance foods.Silica Works Best With Its Partner NutrientsSilica is a team player. It cannot build strong bones on its own \u2014 it needs its Collagen Matrix Builder teammates and the minerals they bind to:Vitamin C \u2014 required to build the collagen strands silica cross-links.Zinc and copper \u2014 partner trace minerals in the collagen-maturation crew.Protein and collagen peptides \u2014 supply the amino-acid raw material for the matrix itself.Calcium and phosphorus \u2014 the minerals that eventually harden the silica-strengthened matrix.Putting It All TogetherSilica may not have an RDA, but the science is clear: adequate silica intake is a cornerstone of a strong, flexible collagen matrix \u2014 and a strong collagen matrix is what keeps bones resilient rather than brittle. Eat silica-rich whole foods daily, consider a ch-OSA or horsetail supplement if you are actively rebuilding bone, and pair silica with its full team of Collagen Matrix Builders. For a full breakdown of the most effective options, see our guide to the best supplements for bone health.Ready to Build Stronger Bones \u2014 for Life?Dr. Brown’s Better Bones Solution teaches her complete 6-step protocol for lifelong strong bones \u2014 the same program she has used with thousands of women to stop bone loss and build new bone naturally.Learn the Better Bones Solution \u2192Related Reading From Better BonesThe 20 Key Bone-Building Nutrients: Complete OverviewBest Manganese for OsteoporosisBest Zinc for OsteoporosisCopper for Bone HealthBest Vitamin C for OsteoporosisBest Collagen for OsteoporosisBest Protein for OsteoporosisBest Calcium for OsteoporosisHow to Speed Bone Healing After a FractureScience-Backed Supplements for Stronger BonesScientific ReferencesJugdaohsingh R. Silicon and bone health. J Nutr Health Aging. 2007;11(2):99-110. PubMedSpector TD, Calomme MR, Anderson SH, et al. Choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid supplementation as an adjunct to calcium\/vitamin D3 stimulates markers of bone formation in osteopenic females. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2008;9:85. PubMedJugdaohsingh R, Tucker KL, Qiao N, et al. Dietary silicon intake is positively associated with bone mineral density in men and premenopausal women of the Framingham Offspring cohort. J Bone Miner Res. 2004;19(2):297-307. PubMedMacdonald HM, Hardcastle AC, Jugdaohsingh R, et al. Dietary silicon interacts with oestrogen to influence bone health. Bone. 2012;50(3):681-687. PubMedNational Institutes of Health. Silicon \u2014 Dietary Reference Intakes. nap.nationalacademies.org\u2190 Back to the 20 Key Bone-Building Nutrients"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Bone Nutrition","item":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-nutrition\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Best Silica for Osteoporosis: Dr. Brown’s Complete Guide to the Connective Tissue Mineral","item":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/bone-nutrition\/silica\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]