Recommended Nutrient Intakes for Vitamin and Minerals


Silicon

Functions

The role of silicon in humans is as yet unclear. In some animals such as rats and chickens, silicon is essential for the development of the skeleton and connective tissues, and so probably has a role in bone and cartilage biosynthesis.

Recommended Intakes

There is no recommended intake for silicon in humans.

Food Sources

Plants foods are the richest sources of silicon e.g. unrefined cereals and root vegetables.

Reported intakes of silicon range widely from 28mg/day (Finland) to 1.2g/day (UK).

Deficiency

Because the essentiality of silicon is not known, deficiency is unknown

Toxicity

The risk of toxicity of silicon from dietary sources is low.