Safety Profile
Overall safety rating: Generally Safe
Silica Side Effects & Safety
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement. Full disclaimer
Potential Side Effects
- Generally very well-tolerated
- Mild digestive discomfort (rare)
- Long-term high-dose silica from horsetail extract may contain thiaminase (destroys vitamin B1)
- Kidney stones theoretically possible with very high chronic silica intake, though not documented at supplement doses
Drug & Supplement Interactions
- Horsetail extract may have diuretic effects — caution with diuretic medications
- Thiaminase in horsetail may deplete vitamin B1 with chronic use — consider B1 supplementation
- No significant interactions reported with ch-OSA (BioSil) form
Maximum Dose
Do not exceed: No established UL; doses up to 50mg silicon daily appear safe in studies
References
- Barel A, Calomme M, Timchenko A, et al. (2005). Effect of oral intake of choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid on skin, nails and hair in women with photodamaged skin. Archives of Dermatological Research. DOI PubMed
- Jugdaohsingh R, Tucker KL, Qiao N, Cupples LA, Kiel DP, Powell JJ (2004). Dietary silicon intake is positively associated with bone mineral density in men and premenopausal women of the Framingham Offspring cohort. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. DOI PubMed
- Reffitt DM, Ogston N, Sherwood RA, et al. (2003). Orthosilicic acid stimulates collagen type 1 synthesis and osteoblastic differentiation in human osteoblast-like cells in vitro. Bone. DOI PubMed