Last week I wrote about the amazing gut cleansing properties of Diatomaceous Earth.  This interesting powdery white substance which is found naturally in our earth’s soil and is a type of fossilised algae mineral appears to contain many benefits because it is so high in silica.  In fact, it is made up of around 85% silica. 

This makes this an extremely valuable health supplement because silica is one of the most valuable trace minerals required for good health. It is thought to assist in mineral absorption and to be especially beneficial for maintaining strong bones and joints, healthy joints, ligaments and cartilage as well as healthy hair, skin and nails. This means it may aid in preventing osteoporosis as well as restoring bone health once we have osteoporosis. It may also help prevent premature ageing and wrinkling of our skin as well as degeneration of our joints.

When we are young our tissues will absorb and retain the silica. Unfortunately, as we age our levels of silica will gradually decrease and it’s thought by the time we become adults, around 80% of our body’s silica may have been depleted.  This then means we should somehow be topping up those silica levels with foods containing silica.  Unfortunately, there are not a lot of foods which contain the amount of absorbable silica required by our body. In times gone by, the silica obtained from these foods may have been adequate, but of course we now have the problem of today’s depleted soils which means the foods contain less silica.

It is also interesting to note silica is one of the most plentiful minerals found on earth, however generally it is in a form which is not able to be absorbed by the human body.  This is where Diatomaceous Earth may be beneficial as it believed to be a highly absorbable form of silica.

Silica contained in Diatomaceous Earth is believed to be extremely beneficial in repairing and remineralising our damaged bones. Bone collagen has been found to increase with supplementation of silica. It is essential in aiding the absorption of calcium into the bones and is important to help maintain strong, flexible bones.

We know collagen is important for healthy skin.  Collagen is in fact primarily made up of silica and when our body becomes deficient in silica, it means our collagen breaks down. Our skin then begins to sag, looking dull, wrinkly and a little worn out. Increasing silica in our diet may help restore collagen, thereby helping to retain healthy, glowing skin. Once again, the silica contained in Diatomaceous Earth may be helpful in increasing collagen.

The silica contained in Diatomaceous Earth may be helpful in strengthening our nails.  It is thought to help with weak nails preventing them from breaking.  One of the first things I noticed when I started taking Diatomaceous Earth was how quickly my nails grew and how strong they became.

Our hair is made up of 90% silica.  It’s obvious therefore, supplementing with Diatomaceous Earth may be beneficial for the health of our hair.  It’s believed to also stimulate hair growth.

Collagen is also important in maintaining healthy joints, cartilage and ligaments. It aids in maintaining good elasticity and strength.  It also means our joints are more flexible and are less likely to degenerate. The silica contained in Diatomaceous Earth is therefore understood to be beneficial in helping preserve our healthy joints.