Editing Silicon (section)

===Human nutrition===
There is some evidence that silicon is important to human health for their nail, hair, bone, and skin tissues,<ref>{{cite book|first1=Keith R.|last1=Martin|chapter=Silicon: The Health Benefits of a Metalloid |editor=Astrid Sigel|editor2=Helmut Sigel|editor3=Roland K.O. Sigel|title=Interrelations between Essential Metal Ions and Human Diseases|series=Metal Ions in Life Sciences|volume=13|date=2013|publisher=Springer|pages=451–473|doi=10.1007/978-94-007-7500-8_14|pmid=24470100|isbn=978-94-007-7499-5}}</ref> for example, in studies that demonstrate that premenopausal women with higher dietary silicon intake have higher [[bone density]], and that silicon supplementation can increase bone volume and density in patients with [[osteoporosis]].<ref name="jugdaohsingh2007silicon">{{cite journal |last1=Jugdaohsingh |first1=R. |title=Silicon and bone health |journal=The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging |date=Mar–Apr 2007 |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=99–110 |pmc=2658806 |pmid=17435952}}</ref> Silicon is needed for synthesis of [[elastin]] and [[collagen]], of which the [[aorta]] contains the greatest quantity in the human body,<ref name="LoeperLoeper1978">{{Cite book |last1=Loeper |first1=J. |last2=Fragny |first2=M. |title=Biochemistry of Silicon and Related Problems |chapter=The Physiological Role of the Silicon and its AntiAtheromatous Action |year=1978 |pages=281–296 |doi=10.1007/978-1-4613-4018-8_13 |isbn=978-1-4613-4020-1}}</ref> and has been considered an [[mineral (nutrient)|essential element]];<ref name="Niels">{{cite journal |doi =10.1146/annurev.nu.04.070184.000321 |pages=21–41 |journal=Annual Review of Nutrition |volume=4 |date=1984 |title=Ultratrace Elements in Nutrition |first=Forrest H. |last=Nielsen |pmid=6087860}}</ref> nevertheless, it is difficult to prove its essentiality, because silicon is very common, and hence, deficiency symptoms are difficult to reproduce.<ref name="lipp">{{Cite book |publisher=University Science Books |isbn=978-0-935702-72-9 |page=411 |last=Lippard |first=Stephen J. |author2=Jeremy M. Berg |title =Principles of Bioinorganic Chemistry |year=1994 |location=Mill Valley, CA}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Muhammad Ansar Farooq |author2=Karl-Josef Dietz |title=Silicon as Versatile Player in Plant and Human Biology: Overlooked and Poorly Understood Muhammad Ansar Farooq and Karl-J |journal=Front. Plant Sci. |date=2015 |volume=6 |issue=994 |page=994 |doi=10.3389/fpls.2015.00994 |pmid=26617630|pmc=4641902 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Silicon is currently under consideration for elevation to the status of a "plant beneficial substance by the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO)."<ref>{{cite web |title=AAPFCO Board of Directors 2006 Mid-Year Meeting |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106010519/http://www.aapfco.org/MY06BODAgenda.pdf |url=http://www.aapfco.org/MY06BODAgenda.pdf |archive-date=6 January 2012 |publisher=Association of American Plant Food Control Officials |access-date=2011-07-18 |quote=A presentation was made for Excell Minerals to recognize Silicon as a recognized plant nutrient |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="presentation">{{cite web |last1=Miranda |first1=Stephen R. |last2=Barker |first2=Bruce |title=Silicon: Summary of Extraction Methods |url=https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:SzfW40-2DDcJ:www.aapfco.org/AM09/LSC_Si_Methods_DC.ppt+aapfco+siicon&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESj4Jo-RFFj54kb6Sun3ikgJW9DMHzRAuUS045YkFErzE5NaSA084KvIyRxJp0IVX5ktDhaPPqcYLRx2hVu6K5YVWj95h2kgvkvDLQLyrxcJXXD3tQ3P5YLJ7J5F8rRYzenxznHp&sig=AHIEtbSPNk7BtSIpiRnvNI1F-2jSLN5LYA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112232117/https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache%3ASzfW40-2DDcJ%3Awww.aapfco.org%2FAM09%2FLSC_Si_Methods_DC.ppt+aapfco+siicon&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESj4Jo-RFFj54kb6Sun3ikgJW9DMHzRAuUS045YkFErzE5NaSA084KvIyRxJp0IVX5ktDhaPPqcYLRx2hVu6K5YVWj95h2kgvkvDLQLyrxcJXXD3tQ3P5YLJ7J5F8rRYzenxznHp&sig=AHIEtbSPNk7BtSIpiRnvNI1F-2jSLN5LYA |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 12, 2012 |publisher=Harsco Minerals |date=August 4, 2009 |access-date=2011-07-18 }}</ref>