What do your bones need
It’s well documented that we all need to include calcium in our diets to build strong bone fibres. This is really important when we’re in our teens and a bit beyond as this is when our bodies are building the majority of our bone mineral density (BMD). But we can also use our diets to preserve our BMD as we get older, making good nutrition a long-term goal for our wellbeing and bone health. When too many bone cells are eroded as part of our body’s natural process then they can become so porous we may develop osteoporosis. Other minerals have also shown to be very important as they help us absorb the calcium required to build/preserve bone cells. Silica derived from horsetail extract is a natural substance that has recently been highlighted as being necessary for strong bones. It’s a substance used throughout the technological world and now clinicians say it can also be applied to our health.
What silica does
Scientists have shown that when the body needs to, it can turn silica into calcium, so making sure we have enough stores of the substance can impact on our bones. Because silica can help in the absorption of calcium some medical experts say it should be given the same importance as calcium when it comes to deciding what to include in our diets for bone wellness. They go on to explain that other roles of silica include regulating our hormones, which may have effects on our general wellbeing. Hormone regulation is another way to protect our bones, as declines in oestrogen and testosterone increase our risk of getting brittle bones. The new research shows that there are lots of nutrients we need to protect our bones and silica is perhaps another one to add to those we take, with doctors able to supply advice on the issue.