What is food mineral?

Minerals are inorganic elements that originate in the earth and cannot be made in the body. They play important roles in various bodily functions and are necessary to sustain life and maintain optimal health, and thus are essential nutrients.

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Silica in oats

Silicon plays an important role in human physiology. Besides its important role in bone mineralization and soft tissue development, silicon is nowadays claimed to have beneficial effects on several human disorders. Examples are its role in prevention of osteoporosis, ageing of skin, hair and nails and atherosclerosis.

Silicon is the second most plentiful element in the soil. In agricultural production, Silicon is a supplementary element in both the plant physiological system and soil.

Silicon levels tend to be higher in foods derived from plants than in foods from animal sources. Foods highest in silicon include grains, especially oats, barley and some rice fractions.

Raw oats are one of the best grain sources of silica. 100 gm of oats can give around 20 mg of silica. Two tablespoons of oat bran has 3.27 milligrams of silica. Silica is a common oxide form of silicon. This means silica is silicon with an oxygen molecule attached to it via covalent bonding. Therefore, silica is often called silicon dioxide and then shortened to silicon.

Plants take up Si primarily in the form of monosilicic acid Si(OH)4 and its content in soil solution varies between 0.1 and 0.6 mM.

Silicon does not form a constituent of any cellular components but primarily deposited on the walls of epidermis and vascular tissues conferring strength, rigidity and resistance to pests and diseases. Silicon nutrition also manages many abiotic stresses including physical stresses like lodging, drought, radiation, high temperature, freezing and chemical stresses like salt, metal toxicity and nutrient imbalance.
Silica in oats

The Most Popular Articles

Selected articles