Organic silicon is a mineral widely used in beauty products as it helps keep skin firm and hair and nails beautiful and healthy. The main foods that are rich in organic silicon are:
- Fruits: apple, orange, mango, banana;
- Vegetables: raw cabbage, carrot, onion, cucumber, pumpkin,
- Oil seeds: peanuts, almonds;
- Cereals: rice, corn, oats, barley, soybeans;
- Others: fish, wheat bran, sparkling water.
In addition to dietary sources, silicon can be found in anti-aging creams and in the form of capsules, which can be purchased at pharmacies, health food stores or on internet sites, with prices ranging from about 40 to 80 real.
Benefits of Silicon
Silicon brings health benefits related mainly to beauty, bones and joints, such as:
- Strengthen bones and joints as it increases the production of collagen;
- Helping in the healing of bone fractures;
- Prevent hair loss, and increase shine and softness;
- Prevent and aid in the recovery of respiratory diseases, such as tuberculosis;
- Strengthen the nails and prevent infections in the hands;
- Protect the brain from the toxicity of aluminum, a mineral linked to diseases such as Alzheimer's;
- Prevent atherosclerosis;
- Prevent wrinkles and premature aging.
Deficiency of silicon in the body causes symptoms such as weakening of bones, hair, nails, increased wrinkles and general aging of the skin.
Recommended quantity
There is still no consensus on the recommended amount of silicon, but generally 30-30 mg daily for athletes and 20-30 mg for non-athletes.
It is important to remember that the elderly and menopausal women have greater difficulty absorbing silicon in the intestine, needing medical evaluation before beginning any supplementation of this mineral.
How to use
In addition to consuming foods rich in silicon, this mineral can be used in creams and moisturizers daily or as directed by the dermatologist.
Silicon in capsules should preferably be taken according to doctor's or dietitian's prescription, but generally recommends the ingestion of 2 mg of pure silicon per day, it being necessary to read the label of the supplement to see how much silicon is available.
For wrinkle-free skin, see How to Use Organic Silicon to Rejuvenate.
