Silicon Promotes Bone Health

Silicon Promotes Bone Health

NASHVILLE--Silicon as choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid (ch-OSA)boosts the bone health benefits of calcium and vitamin D, and increases bonemineral density (BMD) in women taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT),according to two new studies presented at the American Society for Bone andMineral Research (ASBMR) Conference here.

In a 12-month clinical trial on 114 women with a mean age of 61 years,researchers administered 1,000 mg/d calcium and 800 IU cholecalciferol (VitaminD3), with or without three different doses of ch-OSA that would typicallyincrease dietary silicon intakes by 12.5, 25 and 50 percent in this population.Markers of bone formation were monitored. Overall, there was a trend for ch-OSAto confer some additional benefit to calcium and vitamin D3 in bone formation.

In a clinical trial on women taking HRT, scientists subjected 3,199perimenopausal women (aged 48.5 ± 2.4 years) from the Aberdeen ProspectiveOsteoporosis Screening Study (APOSS) to bone densitometry and food intakemonitoring using a food frequency questionnaire, for three years, and foundsignificant associations between energy-adjusted silicon intake and BMD at thehip and lumbar spine. After adjusting for menopausal status, HRT use, age,weight, height, smoking and physical activity level, dietary silicon accountedfor 0.1 percent of the improvement in hip BMD, although the association at thespine was no longer significant. When menopausal groups were analyzedseparately, the association between energy-adjusted silicon intake and hip BMDwas significant for premenopausal women (n = 333) and current HRT users (n =1,170). The researchers concluded these data indicate dietary silicon intake ispositively associated with BMD in postmenopausal women taking HRT, in support ofearlier findings of the Framingham study, and contributing further evidence to apossible interaction between estrogen status and effects of silicon on bone.

 Heidi-Mai Warren, spokeswoman for the United Kingdom's NationalOsteoporosis Society, said, "It is always pleasing to see the results ofstudies which we have helped fund. We're especially interested in this work asit demonstrates potential benefits to people with osteoporosis. We are alwayssupportive of advances in new therapeutic options."