Bamboo is a plant with one of the highest concentrations of silica on the planet. There’s a reason why this excellent ingredient is growing in popularity in the beauty space. But the benefits of bamboo silica don’t stop at beauty, it also includes wonderful benefits for your body and even brain health.
Bamboo Silica Beauty Benefits:
To kick off this extensive list of silica benefits, let’s start with the skin since it’s our body’s largest organ. Why is silica-rich bamboo amazing for your skin?
Increases collagen production.
Without adequate silica, our bodies can not produce collagen. As you know collagen levels in our bodies decline after we reach our 20s…..so do our silica stores. Coincidence? We think not. If you’re taking powdered collagen for younger skin, be sure to include bamboo silica so you experience the maximum benefits. Increased collagen production causes a domino effect of benefits, many of them listed below.
Glowing skin.
Increased collagen makes your skin glow. Silica is an essential mineral that helps strengthen blood vessels. The by-product of this is enhanced circulation and blood flow to the skin and scalp.
Enhanced skin elasticity.
Not only does silica have an essential role in the formation of collagen, but it’s also responsible for hydroxylation enzymes needed for collagen synthesis which improves your skin’s strength and elasticity. Healthy collagen production can make your skin tighter and firmer.
Strengthens the skin’s protective barrier.
Your skin’s barrier protects it from bacteria and environmental pollutants. Because bamboo silica strengthens your skin’s barrier, your skin will be more protected from external factors that contribute to irritated skin.
Bamboo Silica Helps Fight Acne.
Acne is often caused by damage to your skin’s protective moisture barrier bamboo silica can help strengthen the skin’s barrier making it less susceptible to breakouts and inflammation. Bamboo leaves also have anti-inflammatory properties which help keep the skin calm. By protecting skin cells against irritation and inflammation, silica can help manage breakouts caused by toxins and excess sebum.
Locks in moisture.
Another benefit of a strong protective barrier is enhanced moisture. Silica supports the synthesis of Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), which prevents moisture loss. This means healthy skin that’s both supple and radiant. bamboo silica helps to naturally stimulate the formation of hyaluronic acid, which is a powerful ingredient that promotes our skin’s natural moisture levels.
Bamboo is rich in amino acids and flavonoids.
These amino acids and flavonoids are packed with antioxidants that provide a multitude of benefits including:
Protects skin from oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress is an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body. Oxidation in the skin is a major cause of premature aging and wrinkles….no one wants that. This is why consuming antioxidants are a must to combat the oxidative process!
Treats psoriasis.
Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes skin cells to multiply, causing red bumps that are often itchy.
Silica shields skin from damaging UV rays.
Silica has also been shown to protect the skin from harmful UV rays. In one study, it was determined that women who consumed silica reversed some signs of premature aging due to photodamage (from excessive sun exposure). This may have something to do with the fact that silica can enhance your skin’s elasticity.
Silica Can Help Fight Wrinkles.
Increased collagen production, improved protective barrier, and enhanced moisture all work together to promote younger-looking skin. We recently wrote an article where we shared a testimony shared on Reddit from a woman who noticed that her wrinkles diminished after incorporating silica into her routine. She shared her experience with a friend who also tried silica and experienced similar results. You can read about the experience here.
How Bamboo Silica Benefits Our Hair:
If the skin benefits of bamboo silica weren’t enough, you should also know that it’s an amazing hair supplement as well. It’s no surprise that by consuming silica from the fastest-growing plant in the world, your hair will reap the benefits. Let’s break all the benefits down one by one:
Silica can help slow or stop shedding.
One of the most common benefits we receive from customers who enjoy our bamboo products is the slowing down of excessive shedding. Why is that? According to naturopath, Dr. Isabel Sharkar, silica is a carrier of oxygen that helps red blood cells carry up to 20% more oxygen. You can imagine how beneficial this can be for the scalp and hair follicles. Healthy hair starts at the scalp. With increased blood flow comes more nutrients and oxygen. This is an absolute must if you are looking to improve the strength of your hair.
Increased shine and brightness.
Studies suggest that hair follicles with greater silica levels have a lower falling (shedding) rate while also exhibiting higher brightness and shine. Some have also experienced an improvement in hair texture after incorporating silica into their diet.
Promotes hair growth.
Not only does silica support healthier strands, but it can also help you make major gains in your hair journey. By helping to carry oxygen and nutrients to the strand, silica can help promote some serious growth. Best of all, the reduction in shedding means that you can retain your newfound length. What’s better than that?
Makes hair thicker.
One of the most wonderful benefits of consistent bamboo silica consumption is thicker hair. This is likely related to the slowdown in shedding. The less hair you lose, the thicker and fuller your hair appears. Thinning hair isn’t an attractive feature. Thick, shiny hair is a sign of youth, health, and vitality. Silica will strengthen your hair, making it thicker, and more resilient. This study confirms that supplementing with silica makes a measurable difference in our hair’s strength and cross-sectional area (thickness).
Makes nails stronger.
Your nails are predominately made of silica. Increasing your silica intake makes them grow stronger and makes them less prone to breakage. Bamboo silica gives your nails the nutrition it needs to look and feel their best. Beautifully Bamboo customers often share that the first difference they notice after incorporating our products is the change to their nails.
Body Benefits of Bamboo Silica:
Although the beauty benefits of Bamboo are awesome! Let’s discuss some of the health and wellness benefits that you can experience as well.
Strengthens bones.
Bamboo silica is as essential for bone health as calcium. It improves bone density and flexibility. Silica naturally increases the body’s presence of iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and boron. All of these are essential for developing healthy bones. It’s been said that silica has the power to help remineralize calcium into bone. A study conducted at the University of California showed that bones with adequate silica contained twice the collagen as bones with low levels of silica. This makes bamboo silica an amazing wellness supplement to keep us strong and healthy as we age.
Increases connective tissue.
Our connective tissue plays an important part in our flexibility. It is the framework for our bodies. Silica also helps overall joint flexibility by helping to lubricate our joints.
Are you feeling a little stiffer these days? Perhaps bamboo silica can offer some help. Both collagen and elastin are rich in silica. The lower your silica stores, the less flexible you could become.
Alleviates arthritis.
Silica’s Heart Health Benefits:
Another reason why it’s important to have adequate silica in the body is that it promotes a healthy heart. How so? Silica can help keep blood vessels and muscle tissue strong. Bamboo extract contains compounds that can help promote healthy cholesterol levels. Another little-known benefit of silica is that it helps the body from reabsorbing too much calcium from the bloodstream. Too much calcium reabsorption can lead to the calcification of our arteries which can lead to more potentially concerning health issues in the future.
Brain Health Benefits of Bamboo Silica
One little-known, but very interesting benefit of silica is its possible brain-protective qualities. Not only does silica strengthen the connective tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord, but it can also help protect our cognitive health.
Silica from bamboo extract has been shown to improve memory performance in animal studies.
The onset of age-related cognitive decline is devastating. Some experts speculate that the accumulation of aluminum in the brain tissue could be linked to the onset of these diseases. When aluminum accumulates in the brain, it decreases cognitive function. When we consume silica, it converts aluminum in the bloodstream to a soluble compound that is thus excreted out through our urine. Because silica helps to remove aluminum, it might be an excellent supplement to incorporate into your wellness routine for long-term health. Animal studies involving rats have shown that supplementation with bamboo silica extract for 7 weeks helped rats, that showed signs of mental decline, experience an improvement in memory and performance.
In case you aren’t already convinced that bamboo is amazing, hopefully, this article has convinced you that bamboo is a silica superfood! Silica isn’t the only nutrient found in bamboo. It’s also rich in antioxidants, amino acids, and fiber and includes minerals like calcium, manganese, iron, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, selenium, and zinc.
Although silica is naturally occurring in our body, it decreases drastically the older we become. Thankfully, we can turn to bamboo to help us rebuild our much-needed silica stores.
Well, there you have it — all of these benefits are available in one extraordinary ingredient.
Ready to implement bamboo silica into your routine and experience the beauty and health benefits for yourself? HairBeyond is the easiest way to fit bamboo silica into your daily ritual.
References: https://www.beautifullybamboo.com/blogs/news/20-beauty-health-benefits-of-bamboo-silica-that-you-need-to-know-about