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Interrelations between Essential Metal Ions and Human Diseases

Overview of attention for book
Attention for Chapter 14: Silicon: The Health Benefits of a Metalloid
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About this Attention Score

  • In the top 5% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric
  • One of the highest-scoring outputs from this source (#3 of 136)
  • High Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age (98th percentile)
  • High Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age and source (94th percentile)

Mentioned by

news
7 news outlets
blogs
2 blogs
twitter
1 X user
patent
4 patents
wikipedia
5 Wikipedia pages

Citations

dimensions_citation
191 Dimensions

Readers on

mendeley
137 Mendeley
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Chapter title
Silicon: The Health Benefits of a Metalloid
Chapter number 14
Book title
Interrelations between Essential Metal Ions and Human Diseases
Published in
Metal ions in life sciences, November 2013
DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-7500-8_14
Pubmed ID
Book ISBNs
978-9-40-077499-5, 978-9-40-077500-8
Authors

Keith R Martin, Martin KR, Keith R. Martin, Martin, Keith R.

Editors

Astrid Sigel, Helmut Sigel, Roland K.O. Sigel

Abstract

Silicon is the second most abundant element in nature behind oxygen. As a metalloid, silicon has been used in many industrial applications including use as an additive in the food and beverage industry. As a result, humans come into contact with silicon through both environmental exposures but also as a dietary component. Moreover, many forms of silicon, that is, Si bound to oxygen, are water-soluble, absorbable, and potentially bioavailable to humans presumably with biological activity. However, the specific biochemical or physiological functions of silicon, if any, are largely unknown although generally thought to exist. As a result, there is growing interest in the potential therapeutic effects of water-soluble silica on human health. For example, silicon has been suggested to exhibit roles in the structural integrity of nails, hair, and skin, overall collagen synthesis, bone mineralization, and bone health and reduced metal accumulation in Alzheimer's disease, immune system health, and reduction of the risk for atherosclerosis. Although emerging research is promising, much additional, corroborative research is needed particularly regarding speciation of health-promoting forms of silicon and its relative bioavailability. Orthosilicic acid is the major form of bioavailable silicon whereas thin fibrous crystalline asbestos is a health hazard promoting asbestosis and significant impairment of lung function and increased cancer risk. It has been proposed that relatively insoluble forms of silica can also release small but meaningful quantities of silicon into biological compartments. For example, colloidal silicic acid, silica gel, and zeolites, although relatively insoluble in water, can increase concentrations of water-soluble silica and are thought to rely on specific structural physicochemical characteristics. Collectively, the food supply contributes enough silicon in the forms aforementioned that could be absorbed and significantly improve overall human health despite the negative perception of silica as a health hazard. This review discusses the possible biological potential of the metalloid silicon as bioavailable orthosilicic acid and the potential beneficial effects on human health.

X Demographics

X Demographics

The data shown below were collected from the profile of 1 X user who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 137 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 137 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Bachelor 21 15%
Researcher 18 13%
Student > Master 16 12%
Student > Ph. D. Student 15 11%
Student > Postgraduate 6 4%
Other 20 15%
Unknown 41 30%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Medicine and Dentistry 18 13%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 16 12%
Nursing and Health Professions 10 7%
Chemistry 9 7%
Engineering 8 6%
Other 26 19%
Unknown 50 36%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 84. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 21 April 2023.
All research outputs
#481,677
of 24,506,807 outputs
Outputs from Metal ions in life sciences
#3
of 136 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#4,644
of 313,071 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Metal ions in life sciences
#2
of 19 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 24,506,807 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 98th percentile: it's in the top 5% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 136 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 7.4. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 98% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 313,071 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 98% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 19 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 94% of its contemporaries.