Silicon in general and its relationship to horses

The Mineral Silicon

Silicon (chemical symbol: Si; English term: silicon) is Earth’s second most abundant element after oxygen. The Earth’s crust consists of 27.7% silicon, which is significantly more than carbon, making up only 0.0018% of the Earth’s crust. The most common silicon compound is SiO2 (silicon dioxide or silica). The salts of silica are known as silicates. Silicates hydrolyze in an aqueous environment to form oligomeric forms of silica.

Only the small molecular forms of silica are biologically absorbable and applicable to plants, humans, and animals. Particularly, monosilicic acid is highly biologically absorbable. In the continuation of this informative piece on silicon, mono-silicic acid will be referred to as silicon.

A convincing example of the importance of silicon for the plant kingdom is found in plankton. About 40% of phytoplankton depends on oligomeric silicic acid. Single-celled organisms require an active silicon metabolism to survive. Without silicon, a large part of phytoplankton would be lost, leading to the breakdown of the entire oceanic food chain.

Additionally, phytoplankton is responsible for 40% of oxygen production on Earth, leading to the conclusion that without silicon, life on Earth would be impossible.

Silicon in Humans and Animals

The initial signs of a silicon deficiency are typically observed in the skin, hair (considering the coat in horses), and nails (considering hooves in horses). The skin and hair lose their strength and elasticity, and nails become crumbly and brittle. These symptoms often occur in the elderly as the concentration of silicon in the blood decreases with advancing years. A more severe condition that may manifest with aging is osteoarthritis.

Joints

Joint wear is caused by the degeneration of joint cartilage. The balance between the build-up and breakdown of cartilage is disrupted. This is a consequence of a combination of joint damage and normal wear and tear. Sometimes, the cartilage wear is so severe that it also affects the bone. The older a person or animal gets, the greater the likelihood of joint wear.

Older individuals and animals often experience stiffness and rigidity in the joints, especially when getting up. One of the causes is the deterioration of the soft cartilage located at the end of a bone.

Cartilage is a special form of connective tissue with an elastic character due to the properties of the extracellular matrix. It is the soft, elastic layer in the joints found, for example, when eating chicken. It is a rubbery, somewhat translucent substance.

The body is constantly in motion. The musculoskeletal system and, therefore, joint function largely determine the freedom of movement. Problems with the musculoskeletal system can severely limit this functioning.

The elasticity of cartilage is crucial because it protects the bones from the slight shocks caused by your movements and facilitates the movements from one bone (end) to another.

Cartilage is a unique tissue in the body because it does not contain blood vessels and nerves. As a result, the supply of nutrients is often insufficient.

When cartilage is placed under a microscope, it resembles a sponge. When the joint is at rest, the cartilage is filled with fluid. If the joint experiences a shock or is loaded with pressure, the fluid disappears from the cartilage, as if squeezing a sponge filled with water.

In a healthy process, the fluid returns to the cartilage when the pressure decreases. However, chronic overloading can lead to a strong production of free radicals. These free radicals oxidize the large cartilage molecules in the joint fluid, reducing the sponge effect; the fluid gradually disappears.

The spongy tissue becomes dry and brittle, losing its elasticity. The recurring shocks and frictions increasingly damage the dry cartilage, and over time, it disappears. The bone ends are no longer protected, and the bone itself is affected and starts to deform.

The result is pain, which may cause a decrease in physical activity. However, physical activity is necessary to keep the joints flexible. Thus, a downward spiral of degeneration (aging and wear) occurs. Other symptoms or manifestations, such as inflammation, deformities, etc., may also occur.

The conventional medical approach involves prescribing various painkillers and/or anti-inflammatory drugs. As a result of the side effects of these medications, a kind of “roller coaster” of drugs emerges. Beneficial for the pharmaceutical industry but not ideal for humans and/or animals.

The common medical belief is that cartilage breakdown is irreversible (thus not curable), and all one can do is slow down its development.

However, this is a misconception!

The main component of cartilage is water. The rest consists of the connective tissue fiber collagen (adhesive substance) and glycoproteins (sugar proteins) mainly composed of polysaccharides (complex sugars). These are large molecules composed of sugars and proteins, forming the tissue through which the fluid circulates. Cartilage is formed by chondrocytes (cartilage cells) that ensure there is enough cartilage and purify the cartilage from collagen and glycoproteins that have become too old.

Silicon promotes the renewal of cartilage.

As humans and/or animals age, it becomes increasingly challenging to absorb silicon into the body. Additionally, modern diets often lack readily absorbable silicon. This is due to the decrease in the production of the necessary acid for silicon absorption as individuals and/or animals age. Consequently, a silicon deficiency arises.

Silicon stimulates the production of collagen fibers (connective tissue) that contribute to the formation of cartilage. A deficiency in silicon also implies a shortage of collagen, which serves as the adhesive substance holding the molecules of our cartilage together. Connective tissue is found not only in bones but also in tendons, tissue, nails or hooves, skin, and hair. Silicon promotes proper bone formation and enhances calcium and vitamin D metabolism. This, in turn, accelerates the healing of fractures.

The increased formation of connective tissue (more collagen) results in stronger ligaments, capsules, and tendons, as well as increased bone strength (greater bone density). Moreover, the connective tissue protein is crucial for the flexibility of the bone.

Hooves

Healthy connective tissue is a prerequisite for healthy hooves. More collagen means more connective tissue. Minerals, such as silicon, are essential nutrients. Calcium provides strength to bones, ligaments, and tendons. A deficiency can result in reduced hoof quality, weak connective tissue, and sensitive tendons. Silicon is a crucial building block for connective tissue. Of course, adequate hoof management is also crucial.

Skin, Hair, and Nails

The action of silicon has a positive effect on nails. It goes without saying that what nails are to humans, hooves are to horses. Grooves in the nails and issues with the hooves may indicate a silicon deficiency.

Bones

The maximum bone mass in humans is reached between the twentieth and thirtieth years, and in horses within the first 7 years. Besides genetic (inherited) factors, bone mass is determined by physical activity and nutrition. In addition to calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, boron, manganese, zinc, copper, and silicon also play a crucial role. Adequate calcium in the diet is highly important.

Silicon enhances the absorption of calcium. Silicon acts as a sort of transport medium in the body, facilitating better absorption of calcium throughout the body. A similar effect is observed when applying a silicon-containing foliar fertilizer, for instance, in apple cultivation. The outcome is an increased calcium content in the apple, with all the positive consequences.

Contrary to commonly believed notions, there are numerous advantages associated with training horses whose bone structure is not yet fully developed.

While the young horse is still growing, bone tissue has the greatest capacity to become as strong as possible. Though not explicitly recognized, bone is a highly dynamic tissue that continuously adapts to the forces exerted upon it.

If the forces on the bone structure increase, the bone responds by strengthening itself, particularly when given enough time to adapt without leading to overload.

If the forces on the bone decrease, the bone structure will also weaken. These factors emphasize the issues arising from stalling horses without providing sufficient movement and exercise.

The question arises of how to determine the right intensity and amount of training without causing damage to the horse’s bones. Scientific studies are increasingly providing answers to this question, ultimately determining the amount of training required to optimize bone structure. Continuous research into the physical condition of the horse’s skeleton will lead to a better understanding.

As many questions still linger regarding effective training methods that result in fewer injuries, owners and trainers have accepted additional ways to deal with lameness in horses or, respectively, prevent lameness.

The combination of the horse’s skeletal physical condition and diets scientifically formulated not only to provide necessary support but also composed based on properties that preventively manipulate the health of the bone structure, represents a comprehensive approach

The Relationship between Silicic Acid and Other Minerals

Silicon interacts with various other minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, boron, phosphate, zinc, and copper. Almost all data is derived from animal studies.

Emmerick et al (1990) demonstrated that the administration of additional silicon led to an increase in copper and copper-related effects.
Najda et al (1992) observed similar results regarding copper. They also noted a higher iron concentration with the administration of extra silicon, while zinc levels decreased. A year later, they found that the administration of additional metasilicate led to a decrease in magnesium levels and an increase in calcium levels in the serum.
In an article by Calcomme et al (1997), it is evident that the administration of biologically absorbable (stabilized) silicic acid results in a moderate increase in phosphorus (P) and magnesium (Mg). More importantly, the calcium increase corresponded proportionally to the increased silicon concentration in the serum.
Seaborn and Nielsen demonstrated in rats that a silicon-deficient diet led to a decrease in minerals in bone tissue, such as calcium, copper, zinc, potassium, and phosphorus.
McCrady (2003) showed in rats that silicon supplementation increases the concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium in the vertebrae and skull.
High silicon supplementation can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition). Although silicon is not known to have a direct effect on brain function, it is found that silicon binds to aluminum and facilitates the excretion of aluminum through urine. Aluminum is a highly toxic metal implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Silicon counteracts the accumulation of aluminum.
Of interest is the participation of over 7,500 French women aged 75 and older in a study, where an estimate of the amount of silicon dioxide consumed daily through drinking water was made at the beginning of the study. Women who consumed less silicon-containing water performed poorly in terms of cognitive function compared to those who ingested a higher dose of drinking water.
A subgroup of the population was followed for 7 years, revealing that the intake of silicon was determinant in the degree of risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Safety Aspects

From 2005 to 2009, the European Food & Safety Authority (EFSA) conducted an examination of the safety, toxicity, and permissible amounts of silicon in human applications. The results of this study clearly indicated that silicon in the form of silicates and silicic acid can be considered entirely safe. Additionally, an assessment was made regarding whether silicon appeared on any doping lists, and it was found that this was not the case for humans. It can be assumed that the same holds for horses.