Dissolved Silica as a supplement to remove Aluminum

Working Draft for book titled "Silica Water the secret for Health and Blue Zone Longevity from Conception to Old Age"  written by Dennis N Crouse PhD

This book is now available on Amazon Link to Book

Chapter 6 – Supplemental Dissolved Silica

The primary reason for taking supplemental silica is to decrease the accumulated aluminum burden of your body’s organs. This will lower the risk of diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, atherosclerosis, stroke, and cancer leading to greater longevity. In addition supplemental silica can decrease the symptoms of autism and improve male fertility. Orthosilicic acid (OSA) acts as a pH dependent selective chelator of aluminum. Unlike classical metal chelators, such as EDTA, that bind to a wide variety of metal ions, OSA binds only to aluminum hydroxide dimers at pH greater than 5.5 (see chapter 2).  For example OSA does not bind to iron3+ that has the same size and ionic charge as aluminum. Remarkable OSA supplementation facilitates the removal of aluminum from bones that were once thought to be a stable sink for aluminum in the body.

The following conclusions were reached with rats on a supplemental silica diet that involved oral administration of dissolved silica as OSA in water at concentrations of 200 and 400ppm for 5 weeks with and without supplemental aluminum as discussed in chapter 2:

·         In every tissue and organ tested, including brain, bone, liver, spleen, and kidneys, the prior accumulated aluminum is reversed by supplemental OSA.

·         The reversal in aluminum accumulation is dose dependent averaging 58% with 200ppm of OSA and 79% with 400ppm of supplemental OSA after just 5 weeks.

·         OSA at twice its saturation level in water (e.g. 400ppm) is more effective at lowering aluminum accumulation than at its 200ppm saturation level. This implies that insoluble OSA oligomers (i.e. short polymers), formed in supersaturated OSA, may bind to some of the supplemental aluminum in the gut preventing aluminum absorption³⁰.

·         There is less supplemental aluminum in urine with 200ppm OSA supplementation than without 200ppm OSA supplementation. Therefore because OSA at 200ppm does not form oligomers, OSA monomers must also bind to some of the supplemental aluminum in the gut preventing aluminum absorption⁶⁴.  

Orally taking supplemental OSA at concentrations over its saturation level (i.e. 200ppm) without sufficient water for dilution can result in painful silica kidney stones.  Likewise taking dissolvable OSA polymers or magnesium silicate without sufficient water for dilution can also result in painful kidney stones as discussed in chapter 1.  Therefore the safest and most effective silica supplement is OSA in water at a concentration of less than 200ppm.

The Good and the Bad Silica Supplements

In order to lower the body’s burden of accumulated aluminum the orally ingested silica supplement must absorbed by the gut and travel in the blood to the organs. This is called silica bioavailability. The more bioavailable a silica supplement is the more effective it is at facilitating the elimination in urine and sweat of accumulated aluminum. Therefore a bad silica supplement has low bioavailability and remains in the gut to be excreted as feces.

Some low bioavailability supplements are called “binders” and include colloidal suspensions of silica, plant fibers containing biosilifications, diatomaceous earth, clays, activated carbon, zeolites, and silica polymers. These binders are not worth taking, because the food we eat is a very effective binder for aluminum in the gut.  99.8% of the aluminum we ingest with food is not absorbed by the body and is instead bound to the undigested food and excreted in feces.  Some of the remaining 0.2% of aluminum can be prevented from being absorbed into the blood by drinking supplemental dissolved OSA during or after a meal⁶⁴.  Some binders, such as zeolites and clays, contain complexed aluminum that in the acidity of the human gut can become labile ionic aluminum that is absorbed. Table 30 compares the good and bad silica supplements by their bioavailability of OSA.

Three to four cups a day of OSA rich silica water is recommended as a daily supplement. The half-life of absorbed OSA in the blood is approximately 3 hours. Therefore drinking a cup of OSA rich silica water every 3 to 4 hours during the day is the optimum strategy for aluminum elimination. Most people do not have side effects when drinking OSA rich silica water. However if you do have suspected side effects, cut back to 1 cup a day and slowly increase to 3 to 4 cups a day. 

Note that The European Food Safety Authority therefore recommends that liquid choline stabilized OSA be taken at a maximum dose of 10 drops equivalent to 10 mg. of silicon complexed with 200mg of choline per day^472,473.    

Table 30. Silica Supplements417,469
Supplement	Dose/Day	Silicon\Dose\Day	Bioavailable OSA Si/Day	Cost/Day
Natural WatersAK	3 - 4 cups	25.5-34mg	11 – 14.7mg	$1.00 - $1.50
SilicadeBK	3 - 4 cups	25.5-34mg	11 – 14.7mg	$0.04 - $0.05C
Choline Stab OSADK StabOSAD OOSASAD	10 drops	10mg	1.7mg	$0.42
Choline Stab OSAEK	2 veg caps	10mg	1.7mg	$0.83
Colloidal SilicaF	30 drops	175mg	0.15mg	$0.60
Colloidal SilicaG	10cc	163mg	0.40mg	$0.59
BambooH	1cap(300mg)	99mg	0.29mg	$0.10
HorsetailI	1cap(500mg)	16.5mg	0.11mg	$0.04
Diatomaceous EarthH	625mg	<2.9mg	0.07mg	$0.01

A.Fiji and Starkey – natural waters;  B. Silicade – synthetic silica water;  C. Excluding cost of tap water; D. Biosil Choline Stab. OSA;  E. Biosil Veg Caps;     F. Eidon – Ionic Minerals Silica Concentrate; G. Saguna – Silicolgel Colloidal OSA; H. Swanson; I. Swanson; J. Swanson

K. Samples acidified to pH3.2 for 4 hours all other samples for 24 hours prior to testing for OSA 

Natural OSA Rich Silica Water Supplements

Good silica supplements are high in dissolved OSA and include OSA rich silica waters and beers. The commercially available natural OSA rich silica waters that I have tested are indicated with a ”*”: 

·         Starkey Spring Water from Idaho is available from Whole Foods (94ppm OSA*)

·         Fiji water from Fiji is available in the U.S. (122ppm OSA*)

·         Volvic water from France is available in the U.S. and Europe (51 ppm OSA*)

·         Gerolsteiner from Germany is available in Europe (64ppm OSA*)

·         Spritzer Natural Mineral Water from Malaysia is available in Europe (69ppm OSA)

·         Acilis water from Malaysia is available in Europe (88ppm OSA)

OSA is present in beer, non-alcoholic beer, wine, and some sprits due to the use of silicic acid as a clarifying agent to remove colloidal hazes from these beverages.  Also the grain used for brewing may add dissolved silica to beer during preparation. The mean silicon level of 76 different beers has been found to be 19.2ppm⁴⁴⁹.  Some of these beers have high levels of OSA, such as Clausthaler Premium with 118ppm of OSA⁷⁹.

Synthetic OSA Rich Silica Water Supplement

In 2009 synthetic silica water containing 73ppm of OSA was made and tested for its bioavailability in healthy human volunteers 19-40 years of age (16 males and 16 females). (1) Urinary silicon was used as a surrogate maker of bioavailable Si (7, 14).  The percentage of silicon excreted in the urine over a 6 hour period was 43.1% + 3.6% making it one of the best sources of supplemental silica available. Serum silicon was also measured during this 6 hour period and was found to start at 120 mcg/l, peak at 670 mcg/l after 2 hours and then decline to slowly to 200 mcg/liter after 6 hours. This work proved that synthetic silica was absorbed in the gut, dissolved in the blood, collected by the kidneys and excreted in the urine in a matter of 6 hours after ingestion.   

The synthetic silica water was made from concentrated liquid alkaline sodium silicate that was purchased from the Aldrich Chemical Company (7 mol Si/liter containing 10.5% as Na₂O and 27% SiO₂ with a SiO₂ to Na₂O ratio of 3.22).  The procedure involved diluting the basic sodium silicate in water and then acidifying with hydrochloric acid to pH 7.0. (15)  The final solution contained 73ppm OSA (21.4 mg Si) as measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. 

Silicade as a Synthetic OSA Rich Silica Water Supplement

Making silicon rich water weekly at home is easy and much less expensive and more sustainable than purchasing water bottled in Fiji or Malaysia.  I call this water “Silicade”. Silicade provides dissolved silica to keep your body-burden of aluminum under control. Silicade preparation requires only two ingredients and a set of small measuring spoons that are all easy to purchase online and have shipped to your home.  Silicade can be stored indefinitely in the dark like Fiji water.  The chemicals to make Silicade store well and should be kept out of children’s reach:

·         Low Alkalinity Hydrous Sodium Silicate: a hydrous powder available from Chemical Store Online. The powder is safer and easier to measure than the liquid form and has a purity of 99.5% with a ratio of SiO₂ to Na₂O of 3.22 (Na₂O=19.2%, SiO₂=61.8%) and a water of hydration to SiO₂ ratio of 1.0 with 20.3% water. Only order “sodium silicate – low alkalinity”. Do not order “sodium silicate – alkaline” from the Chemical Store.  Note: This solid sodium silicate is manufactured by the PQ Corporation of Valley Forge, PA as Product G with 18.5% water and 89% goes through a 100 mesh filter.

·         Sodium Bisulfate: a white powder 99.5% pure of micro-prills (i.e. very small pellets) from Professor Fullwood of LoudWolf Ltd. is available from Amazon.  Note that both optional calcium chloride and magnesium sulfate are available from the same source.

·         Mini Measuring Spoon Set: Norpro 3061D from Dine Company Online. Currently priced under $4 without shipping. Three measuring spoons come attached to a single ring. Only the dash and smidgen are used for Silicade preparation. In order to avoid accidental use of the wrong measuring spoon, remove the pinch from the ring.

·         Spatula: Any small spatula with a straight-edge works to level the contents of the measuring spoons prior to addition.

By following these instructions you can easily prepare a gallon of Silicade:

1)      A level dash and two level smidgens (3/16 of a teaspoon, 600mg. with 597mg as SiO₂[NaO₂]_1/3.22 H₂O (mw 88.66) of hydrous powdered sodium silicate is placed in a Pyrex glass measuring cup, suspended in 1/8 cup of tap water, brought to boiling in the microwave or on the stove, and boiled for 30sec. The powder contains 99.5% water soluble sodium silicate and 0.5% max. of water insoluble materials as required by the American Waterworks Standard B104-98  for adding sodium silicate to drinking water.

Note: Do not use more than 1/8 cup of tap water as more water will lower the pH making the sodium silicate less soluble.

2)      The hot water with dissolved sodium silicate is immediately diluted to one gallon (3.785 liters) with cold tap water resulting in a 1.29 mM/liter (124ppm) solution of pH 9.8 OSA.

3)      One level dash (1/8 of a teaspoon, 0.83 gr, 6.9 mM) of sodium bisulfate is added to the solution of OSA and dissolved with stirring in order to acidify the solution to pH 4.0 to 5.0. Optionally, if tap water is more basic than pH 8.5, use a pH meter while slowly adding a little more sodium bisulfate in order to lower the pH to 4.0-5.0. Etekcity pH pen meter PH-2011 is a temperature compensated low cost pH meter available online. A pH 7.0 standard solution is recommended for periodic calibration of the pH meter.

4)      The clear colorless acidic solution of OSA is further purified by filtering through a Brita pitcher style filter (i.e. OB03) resulting in OSA at a pH of 4.4.

5)      Two level smidgens of sodium bicarbonate (a.k.a. baking soda) are added and dissolved with stirring in the gallon of filtered OSA, resulting in Silicade with a pH of 6.5, a TDS of 285 at 25^oC, and less than 2mcg/L labile aluminum.  Each quart of Silicade contains 34mg of dissolved silicon as 117.3mg of monomeric (OSA).

6)      Optionally make Silicade Plus Calcium, if tap water is low in calcium, add two level dashes of calcium chloride flakes or prills (840mg 36% calcium) 99% pure from Loudwolf/Amazon. This will increase the calcium level by 80mg per liter, the TDS to 450 at 25^oC, and the pH to 6.6 in a gallon of Silicade + Ca. Labile aluminum in calcium enriched Silicade is less than 2mcg/L. It has been found that calcium at concentrations greater than or equal to 75mg/L have a significant protective effect on cognition⁴⁶¹.  Optionally add a heaping dash of magnesium sulfate to increase magnesium by 20mg/L.

7)      Optionally make Sparkling Silicade - Carbonate Silicade resulting in pH 4.5 beverages.

Drink 3 to 4 cups of Silicade a day around meal times in order to provide a total of 25.5 to 34mg of silicon as monomeric OSA. This is 7.7 to 10.3 times the 3.3mg of silicon that when consumed as OSA per day was observed to lower the frequency of AD⁷⁶.  In the U.S. 160mg per liter of OSA (i.e. 100mg per liter of SiO₂) is generally recognized as safe in drinking water⁴⁶².  
Why This Recipe Works

The goal of this recipe for orthosilicic acid (OSA) in drinking water is to use an easily measured solid silica powder and an acidic microprill that are commercially available online and shipped to anyone, not just chemical laboratories. Both of these chemicals are high purity (e.g. 99.5%). 

·         Solubilize and hydrolyze sodium silicate to OSA: Boiling powdered sodium silicate for 30 seconds in an eighth of a cup of tap water keeps the pH high enough (e.g. pH = 13) to solubilize and hydrolyze 99.5% to monomeric OSA and short silica polymers^463-465.

·         Neutralize and prevent re-polymerization of OSA: In order to prevent OSA re-polymerization, immediately dilute the basic (e.g. pH=13) OSA solution to a gallon with tap water. To render the solution non-hazardous, acidify the solution to pH 4.0 to 5.0 with the solid acid sodium bisulfate. A 1.29mM OSA solution is well below OSA’s saturation level in water (e.g. 2-3mM) but requires 7 days to fully stabilize rising from 108ppm immediately after preparation to 124ppm⁴¹⁷. Polymerization of OSA has been observed at neutral pH only well above OSA’s saturation level (i.e. 42mM)^453,464,465.

·         Remove Aluminum: For optimal aluminum removal acidify the OSA solution to pH 4.0 to 5.0 and then filter through a Brita pitcher style filter (OB03)⁴¹⁷. A significant portion (e.g. 98.5%) of the labile aluminum introduced in tap water is removed^416,417.  This Brita filter is a combined activated carbon and cation exchange resin that removes cations like aluminum but does not remove OSA⁴¹⁷.  If the tap water used for Silicade is between pH 6.5 to 8.5, as per EPA’s secondary drinking water standard, then after acidification, filtration, and bicarbonate addition Silicade will be pH 6.5. 

·         Optionally add Calcium and/or Magnesium: Have your tap water checked and if it is low in calcium and/or magnesium, add supplemental calcium and/or magnesium to Silicade. The Brita filter reduces calcium and magnesium in Quabbin tap water by one half⁴¹⁶. Drinking water with calcium at levels of 80mg/L and magnesium at levels of 20mg/L has been found to be optimal for good health⁴⁶⁶.  This may be due to calcium and magnesium competing with aluminum for absorption by the gut⁴⁵¹.  Calcium catalyzes the polymerization of OSA but only at pH greater than 8^467,468.  Silicade + Ca is pH 6.6 and at this pH OSA in Silicade + Ca is primarily a non-polymeric monomer⁴¹⁷.