Bamboo

Synonym(s): bamboo extract, silica, silica, silicon, silica containing silicon

Nutrient group: plant extracts & active ingredients

Sources and physiological effects

Dietary sources
Bamboo (Bambusoideae) is a subfamily of the grass family and can be found worldwide in tropical and subtropical areas. In food, bamboo sprouts are mainly eaten as vegetables or pickled in vinegar. In the USA, Canada and Asia, bamboo powder is used as a food supplement due to its high dietary fiber content and is also used in food production for technological reasons.
Physiological effects
Bone Metabolism	Silicon supports the deposit of calcium, phosphate and magnesium into the bones.
Skin/Hair/Nails	Silicon is the basic substance for skin, hair and nails.

Detailed information

Silicon

Silicon (also called silica) is the second most abundant element on earth after oxygen. For humans, silicon is an important trace element that is involved in many vital processes. Our body contains only 1 - 2 g total silicon, but the trace element is present in almost every cell. This makes silicon the third most common trace element in the human body after zinc and iron, although its exact physiological mechanisms of action are still not fully understood (1). Fast-growing tissues such as skin, hair and nails contain a lot of silica. Silicon is also responsible for the binding capacity of moisture in the skin, the strength of bones and the formation of new bone tissue.

Bamboo – supplier of silica

Plant foods are major sources of silica. In particular, grasses such as bamboo are rich in silica. In fact, bamboo contains 77% silica which makes the plant able to be very hard without losing its elasticity and flexibility

Oral silicon supplements improve hair and nail quality

Silicon is involved in the biosynthesis and maturation of the bone and cartilage matrix (2). High levels of silicon are found in connective tissue, where as a component of mucopolysaccharides in epithelia and connective tissue it is responsible for cross-linking and for the elastic spatial structure (2) (3). Oral silicon administration improves the thickness and turgor of the skin and the condition of nails and hair (3).

Silicon and bone health

In the last three decades, the effects of silicon on musculoskeletal tissue have been demonstrated. The mechanisms have not yet been clearly clarified, but animal studies suggest that silicon is involved in collagen synthesis (4). Positive effects of silicon on bone mineral density (BMD) have been shown in two cross-sectional epidemiological studies. In the Framingham Offspring Cohort Study, silicon intake correlated with the BMD of the proximal femur in men and premenopausal women. (5). A repeat of this study (APOSS – Aberdeen Prospective Osteoporosis Screening Study) with a purely female sample showed effects on both the proximal femur and the lumbar spine in premenopausal women.

Indications

Effect	Indication	Dosage
Physiological effects at a low intake	For brittle hair and nails and insufficient skin turgor	50 - 150 mg/d
	Complementary therapy for osteoporosis and osteopenia	50 - 150 mg/d
	Complementary and therapeutic for acne during puberty, the menstrual cycle or pregnancy	150 - 300 mg/d

Administration

General mode of administration
When	Bamboo extract should be taken between meals.
Side effects
Currently, no side effects are known.
Contraindications
No contraindications are known to date.

Interactions

Drug or nutrient interactions
None	No relevant interactions are known to date.

References

1) Holzer, G., Holzer, L. A. 2011. Silizium und seine Bedeutung für den Knochenstoffwechsel. Schweizer Zeitschrift für Ernährungsmedizin. 1.

2) Gröber, U. 2011. Mikronährstoffe. Metabolic Tuning - Prävention - Therapie ; mit 134 Tabellen. Stuttgart (Wissenschaftliche Verlagsges.).

3) Kim, M. et al. 2008. Silicon Supplementation Improves the Bone Mineral Density of Calcium-Deficient Ovariectomized Rats by Reducing Bone Resorption. Biological Trace Element Research 128, Nr. 3: 239–247. doi:10.1007/s12011-008-8273-x.

4) Biesalski, H. K. (Hrg).2002. Vitamine, Spurenelemente und Mineralstoffe.

5) Jugdaohsingh, R. et al. 2003. Dietary Silicon Intake Is Positively Associated With Bone Mineral Density in Men and Premenopausal Women of the Framingham Offspring Cohort. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 19, Nr. 2: 297–307. doi:10.1359/jbmr.0301225.

References Interactions:

Stargrove, M. B. et al. Herb, Nutrient and Drug Interactions: Clinical Implications and Therapeutic Strategies, 1. Auflage. St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Health Sciences, 2008.

Gröber, U. Mikronährstoffe: Metabolic Tuning –Prävention –Therapie, 3. Auflage. Stuttgart: WVG Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft Stuttgart, 2011.

Gröber, U. Arzneimittel und Mikronährstoffe: Medikationsorientierte Supplementierung, 3. aktualisierte und erweiterte Auflage. Stuttgart: WVG Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft Stuttgart, 2014.