Healthy hair, radiant skin, strong teeth, nails, and bones. One thing they have in common is that everyone wants them. Another thing they share is that they all need an important mineral: silica. Silica is so important to hair, teeth, bones, and nail health that we call it a mineral makeover. But before you grab the first bottle you see, be forewarned that not all silica is equal.

Silica and Silicon

Silica comes in different forms. Silicon is the actual mineral that silica compounds contain. Silicon dioxide is the form of silica found in glass and sand and is difficult for our bodies to absorb. On the other hand, orthosilicic acid is the water-soluble form of silica found in plants. This is the form best absorbed by our bodies to create connective tissue, healthy hair and nails, and strong bones.

Why do we need silica?

Silica is one of the main building blocks of collagen. Plentiful collagen stores give our skin that youthful glow and the elasticity to help prevent wrinkles. Collagen is also an important component of hair and nails. A number of scientific studies have shown that silica plays a crucial role in collagen synthesis and bone density. One UK study of 2847 people found a positive connection between silicon and increased bone density. Silica (or silicon) intake was correlated with a 9.6% increase in bone mineral density at hip sites in premenopausal women and a 4.3% increase for men. The average daily intake in these studies was approximately 25 mg per day.¹

Making Flora Florasil^®

There’s a reason we choose the spring horsetail plant to make Florasil^®. Spring horsetail is one of the best plant sources of orthosilicic acid, the water-soluble form. We extract this orthosilicic acid from the horsetail plant using our gentle hot water process, which removes impurities while keeping the important trace minerals that aid absorption. For example, this process ensures no thiaminase or nicotine from the raw plant remains in the finished extract. Each Florasil^® capsule is standardized and contains 10 mg of silica, providing 4.7 mg of silicon. It also contains horsetail flavonoids and trace minerals like calcium, magnesium, manganese and boron.

Citrus Superstars

Diosmin and hesperidin may sound like characters from a Greek play, but they are actually bioflavonoids found naturally in citrus fruits. Starting in the late 1980s, they’ve been studied in numerous clinical trials for their benefits in strengthening and protecting weak blood vessels. Weak, leaky blood vessels often spell pain, discomfort, swelling, and inflammation in the form of varicose veins and hemorrhoids. Varicose veins affect approximately 25% of women and 10% of men in Western countries, while hemorrhoids show up in about 4.4% of the general population at some point in life.

A Natural Solution for Varicose Veins

With varicose veins and hemorrhoids, the blood vessels in the area have become weak and leaky, and this results in reduced blood supply being returned to the heart, along with pain, swelling, inflammation and ulceration in the area. Diosmin and hesperidin act as citrus superstars to repair, strengthen and tone the blood vessels. They also provide antioxidant support against further free radical damage and reduce inflammation. The swelling, pain, heaviness, leakage, and poor blood flow are gradually reduced over a few months.

Making Flora CircuVein

Starting in the warm, sunny climates of Spain and the south of France, diosmin and hesperidin are extracted from citrus fruits, micronized into a smaller, more absorbable size, and then encapsulated with 450 mg of diosmin and 50 mg of hesperidin per capsule. These proportions are the standard amounts per capsule as they were discovered to be the optimal ratio in clinical studies. Most of the studies on diosmin and hesperidin lasted between 1 and 12 months, but the use of these ingredients to protect the vascular system dates back to 1971 in France. These capsules are then bottled in dark glass to be distributed worldwide as CircuVein.

Florasil^® and CircuVein are fantastic offerings from Flora that have been tried and tested in the marketplace for decades. Beauty starts from the inside out with how we nourish ourselves with phytonutrient extracts like these can play a key role.

Reference:
1. Jugdaohsingh R, Tucker KL, Qiao N, et al. Dietary silicon intake is positively associated with bone mineral density in men and premenopausal women of the Framingham Offspring cohort. J Bone Miner Res. 2004;19:297–307.

About the Author: Flora Health

A privately-owned nutraceutical manufacturer and distributor established in 1965, Flora is known for high quality whole food supplements, full-spectrum botanical extracts, unrefined seed oils, and liquid health tonics. In addition to its Flora brand, Flora also distributes Alaffia, Auromère, BiologicVET, Efamol, Gandalf, and Udo’s Choice.