Good News ! Reduction of aluminum in body by 40%

My wife, Laurie and I have been drinking silica water for 8 years and did our first test for aluminum 2 years ago. We recently did another 24 hour urine test for aluminum (October 2023). We reduced our body burden of aluminum by 40% in the past 2 years by drinking silica rich mineral water.

We are now below the Healthy Adult category. I am 77 and Laurie is 69 years old. See table below.

Here is a link for ordering the test in the US. You have to have a lab near you and some states do not allow you to use this service. order 24 hour urine test

These results are incredible as they prove that drinking 4 cups of OSA rich water each day and avoiding dietary aluminum can lower “aluminum accumulation”. This AD biomarker, can be reduced and maintained at levels below that of an average 22-year-old by drinking Silicade daily for 6 years and can be further reduced 40% by drinking Silicade daily for 2 more years. (Silicade is the recipe Dennis developed for making your own silica water)

Here are our results for 2021 and 2023

· Total 24-hour urinary aluminum levels in 2021:

· 0.74mmoles/24hr for Dennis

· 0.44mmoles/24hr for Laurie

· 2021 Healthy young adult category

· Total 24-hour urinary aluminum levels in 2023:

· 0.55mmoles/24hr for Dennis

· 0.33mmoles/24hr for Laurie

We also work hard at eliminating sources of aluminum we are exposed to.

Here is the table.

Here is a link with more information on doing a 24 hour urine test for aluminum and how to interpret the results. How to test for aluminum

Improvements we have seen from drinking silica water:

Laurie and I did not have any noticeable cognitive issues prior to drinking silica water but we have seen improvements in our cognition. 

At 77 I have no major medical conditions and I am in shape enough to lead a large group of new parents on a 1 ½ hour 3 mile hike in the woods every week. My skin is still very flexible and my hairdresser commented that my face does not have any wrinkles despite the fact I have a few wrinkles. I have no pain in my joints, hips, and knees. My eyesight is good with no pathology. 

My brain power remains undiminished as evidenced by the publication of my 4th book this year. Do I attribute this all to drinking silica water for 7 years, no. Silica water is responsible for my continuing to have low blood pressure (both my parents had/have heart disease). Silica water has helped maintain and improve my cognition. My word recall and my ability to retain what I have read and apply it have improved. I also attribute my good health to routine daily aerobic exercise which I have being doing my entire adult life (45 minutes every other day). In the morning I sometimes experience stiffness and for the first few minutes hiking. This has decreased somewhat since starting silica water.  

The cognitive changes Laurie has noticed from drinking silica water are a “sharper brain”. For example, less word finding problems, less “senior moments” and her thinking is clearer and faster. The biggest surprise was we lost weight. We did not consider ourselves needing to loose weight when we started drinking silica water. We lost the weight slowly over a year or so. I am now back to the weight I was in high school. Dennis is back to his weight in college.  Aluminum inhibits two key steps in metabolizing carbohydrates and fats for energy generation.   Here is more information.  Remove aluminum loose weight

Here is a link to more anecdotal information from people with MCI and Alzheimer's.  Improvements

Silicade - Measuring Spoons Alert - Change in product 2023

 

Measuring Spoons for Making Silicade 5/5/23

In 2014, when the recipe for Silicade was developed, measuring spoons listed as Norpro 3061D Mini Measuring Sets were available online at Dine Company’s Restaurant Store.

                                         

By 2023 Norpro and Dine no longer sell 3061D measuring spoons and Norpro now sells newly designed 3061 oversized measuring spoons. Beware online as some companies, such as “Lily’s TV Items”, claim to sell Norpro 3061D measuring spoons but they ship only the new 3061 oversized measuring spoons.

In 2023 there are a number of similar commercially available measuring spoons, some of which are nearly identical to the 3061D and some of which are not identical in spite of attempts at standardization (see references).  In 2023 a half dozen of these similar commercially available measuring spoons were tested by filling them to level, not heaping, with water on a balance with 1mg resolution.  The measuring spoons sold on Amazon by three companies: Yellrin, Beryler, and Dostien, were found to be nearly identical to 2014 Norpro 3061D measuring spoons (see below table).

Do not buy Norpro 3061 or 3080 or Table Craft H723 measuring spoons as they all have over-sized level smidgens and the Norpro spoons also have non-standard incorrect level dash volumes.

Water Volume in Cubic Centimeters (cc) of Level Dash and Smidgen Measuring Spoons
Vendor / Year Purchased	ASIN (Amazon Number)	Bar Code	Each Engraved with Fraction of tsp	Volume of Level Dash	Volume of Level Smidgen
Norpro 3061D (Dine) / 2014	No Longer Available	---	No	0.50cc	0.16cc
Yellrin (Amazon)   / 2023	B0958CDQS4	X0031NIPLZ	Yes	0.52cc	0.15cc
Beryler (Amazon) / 2023	B091SW8BD5	X002UZ3227	Yes	0.51cc	0.15cc
Dostien MS-5PC (Amazon) / 2023	B0BBKRJXGK	---	Yes	0.51cc	0.15cc
The Following Measuring Spoons are Not Recommended
Norpro 3080  (Amazon) / 2023	B016VDB512	28901 03080 3	No	0.42cc	0.17cc
Norpro 3061 (Amazon) / 2023	B0002IK4PQ	28901 03061 2	No	0.72cc	0.25cc
TableCraft H723 / 2023	Available from Webstaurant	27875 05972 7	No	0.52cc	0.21cc

Note: making Silicade with Norpro 3061 measuring spoons will make it 40% stronger and making Silicade with Norpro 3080 measuring spoons will make it 17% weaker than recommended.

In the Silicade recipe one dash and two smidgens of sodium silicate monohydrate and one dash of sodium bisulfate are dissolved together in a gallon of tap water.  The following table shows the amount of these chemicals per dash and smidgen:

Volume (mg) of Level Dash and Smidgens of Silicade Ingredients
Measuring Spoon Type	Volume of a Level Dash of Sodium Silicate	Volume of a Level Smidgen of Sodium Silicate	Volume of a Level Dash of Sodium Bisulfate
Yellrin	350mg	125mg	830mg
Beryler	350mg	125mg	830mg
Dostien	350mg	125mg	830mg

 

Note: All three of these recommended measuring spoon types have their fraction of a teaspoon (tsp) engraved on the handle. Spoons that do not have this fraction of a tsp engraved on their handles are not recommended.

The Silicade recipe calls for a level dash and two level smidgens totaling 600mg (6.17mM) of sodium silicate monohydrate and a level dash of 830mg (6.01mM) of sodium bisulfate monohydrate added to a gallon of tap water (pH <8.5) resulting in Silicade (pH 4-5). If your tap water’s pH is greater than or equal to 8.5, in order to get the pH to just below 5 may require an added smidgen of sodium bisulfate monohydrate. After filtration through a Brita filter, two smidgens of sodium bicarbonate (i.e., baking soda) are added in order to elevate the pH of Silicade to 6.5 or greater.

References

1)     Pinch, Dash, and Smidgen; Internet Accuracy Project; https://www.accuracyproject.org/pinchdash.html (2009)

2)     Rowlett, Russ; How Many? A Dictionary of Units of Measurement; Univ. North Carolina at Chapel Hill; http://alltootechnical.weebly.com/uploads/4/0/7/5/4075543/dict_units.pdf (December 2003) The following is quoted from this document:

“dash (ds) an informal unit of volume used in food and drink recipes. Originally the dash was usually a liquid measure, small but indefinite in amount, roughly 1/8 teaspoon or a little less. More recently it has been used as both a liquid and dry measure. Kitchen supply stores in the U.S. and other countries have begun selling sets of “minispoons” in which the dash spoon is designed to hold exactly 1/8 teaspoon, which is roughly 0.02 fluid ounce or 0.6 milliliter.” Note that this definition is of a heaping liquid 1/8 teaspoon not a level 1/8 teaspoon that is 0.51cc (0.51 milliliter).  

“smidgen a very small quantity of material. Until recently, no one thought a smidgen was an actual unit of measure, but recently kitchen supply stores in the U.S. and other countries have begun selling sets of “minispoons” in which the smallest spoon, labeled “smidgen,” is designed to hold exactly 1/2 pinch or 1/32 teaspoon, which is roughly 0.005 fluid ounce or 0.15 milliliter. The word is a diminutive of “smutch” or “smudge”; it originally meant a small spot.”

Note” milliliter is equal to cubic centimeter (cc) and 1 gram of water

Links for ordering measuring spoons:

Yellrin  https://www.amazon.com/Measuring-Spoons-Stainless-Liquid-Ingredients/dp/B09J8CDQS4/ref=sr_1_6?crid=210UDC16DVRZE&keywords=Mini%2BMeasuring%2BSpoons%2BSet%2Byellrin&qid=1683303844&s=home-garden&sprefix=mini%2Bmeasuring%2Bspoons%2Bset%2Byellrin%2Cgarden%2C85&sr=1-6&th=1

Beryler https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091SW8BD5?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

Dsotien https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BBKRJXGK?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Gouty Arthritis - drinking silica water reduces pain

 

Silicia Water for Gouty Arthritis by Dennis N. Crouse 2/20/23

Gouty arthritis (a.k.a. gout) is characterized by rapid onset of severe pain, redness of the skin, and swelling¹. The etiology of gout involves excessive production of monosodium urate monohydrate crystals (a.k.a. trophi) in the synovial fluid of joints^2,3. Approximately 10% of patients with hyperuricemia (i.e., excessive uric acid in the blood) develop gout in their lifetime⁴. Overall prevalence of gout in the U.S. doubled from 1969 to 1986 with 3 million adults having gout in 2005⁵. Exponential growth in prevalence suggests an environmental cause of gout.

           

                    Figure 1. Forms of uric acid with the sodium salt of the urate ion being the form found in trophi

The three forms of uric acid are diagrammed in figure 1. Uric acid exists in the body above pH 5.4 (pK_a1 = 5.4) as a urate ion bonded ionically to cations, such as sodium, aluminum, and iron. Uric acid crystallizes in the body as monosodium urate monohydrate and these crystals preferentially absorb small trivalent metal cations such as aluminum and iron⁶. This absorption is an ion exchange, thermodynamically favoring the complexation of small trivalent cations over monovalent cations, such, as sodium. This transfers aluminum and iron from blood to synovial fluid in people with gout, lowering blood levels of aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) by 25% (fig. 2)⁷.

 

Figure 2. Bar plot showing the average change in levels of four detected elements in blood serum of gout patients versus healthy controls. Healthy controls are indicated as 1.0-fold on the bar plot, compared with gout patients who have levels of aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), and iron (Fe) all approximately 0.75-fold equal to 25% less than healthy controls. Gout patients also have lithium (Li) 2.5-fold higher than normal. Lithium is a 19^th century treatment for gout and is likely being used by gout patients in China even though it is ineffective. Gout-SH: n=65 from Shanghai, Gout-SD: n=32 from Shandong,  Gout-BJ: n=42 from Beijing. Number of people tested is n.⁷

The biosynthesis of uric acid involves the enzyme xanthine oxidase (XO) converting hypoxanthine to uric acid in two steps diagrammed in figure 3. In both steps reactive oxygen species (ROS) as hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) are produced. For those with gout, ROS causes inflammation and pain in joints. Both aluminum and iron have been shown to activate XO in a dose dependent manner resulting in more uric acid, ROS, and pain^8,9. Iron also increases the expression of XO mRNA in the hippocampus resulting in more uric acid, ROS, and pain⁹.

                                 

         Figure 3. Biosynthesis of uric acid and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) from hypoxanthine by XO

Desferrioximine (DFO), a chelator of both aluminum and iron, can remove these ions from both synovial fluid and urate crystals lowering the activity of XO and its’ generation of ROS, such as H₂O₂, that causes inflammation and pain in joints⁶.  DFO injected into twelve patients with gouty arthritis induced remission of gouty attacks in all cases¹¹. Attacks averaged 48 and 53 per year prior to DFO treatment to 32 during the first year of treatment and 11 during the second year. Also, during DFO treatment gouty attacks were most often of milder severity¹¹. These patients had aluminum and iron reduced by DFO for 28 months. High-dose DFO injections resulting in near-iron deficiency (NID) levels carries the risk of ocular and cerebral toxicity.

Compared with DFO injections, there is a safer and easier way of removing aluminum from the synovial fluid and urate crystals in vivo and this is drinking water rich in orthosilicic acid (a.k.a. silica water). Drinking silica water only lowers aluminum levels and does not lower  iron levels in the body. Therefore, drinking silica water does not require subjecting the patient to NID levels of iron risking ocular and cerebral toxicity. Removing aluminum by drinking silica water has been reported in several cases to reduce gout symptomology likely because of the following:

·       Aluminum enhances xanthine oxidase (XO) activity causing more uric acid^8,9

·       Aluminum induces more ROS as hydrogen peroxide than does iron¹¹

·       Aluminum as a vaccine adjuvant causes both more uric acid and inflammation¹²

References

1.     Wallace, S.L., et al.; Preliminary criteria for the classification of the acute arthritis of primary gout; Arthritus Rheum.; 20(3):895-900 (1977)

2.     Onal, S., et al.; Effects of different medical treatments on serum copper, selenium and zinc levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis; Biol. Trace Elem. Res.; 142(3):447-455 (2011)

3.     Terkeltaub, R.; Update on gout: new therapeutic strategies and options; Nat. Rev. Rheumatol.; 6(1):30-8 (2010)

4.     Wortmann, R.L.; Gout and hyperuricemia; Curr. Opin. Rheumatol.; 143);28106 (2002)

5.     Lawrence, R.C., et al.; Estimates of the prevalence of arthritis and other rheumatic conditions in the United States; Part II; Arthritis Rheum.; 58(1):26-35 (2008)

6.     Ghio, A.J., et al.; Complexation of iron cation by sodium urate crystals and gouty inflammation; Arch. Biochem. Biophys.; Sep.; 313(2):215-21 (1994)

7.     Su, M., et al.; Human gouty arthritis is associated with a distinct serum trace element profile; Metallomic; 4:244-52 (2012)

8.     Moumen, R., et al.; Aluminium increases xanthine oxidase activity and disturbs antioxidant status in the rat; J. Trace Elem. Med. Biol.; 15(2-3):89-93 (2001)

9.     Ji, P., et al.; Excess iron enhances purine catabolism through activation of xanthine oxidase and impairs myelination in the hippocampus of nursing piglets; J. Nutr.;  149:1911-19 (2019)

10.  Facchini, F.S.; Near-iron deficiency-induced remission of gouty arthritis; Rheumatology; 42:1550-5 (2003)

11.  Pogue, A.I., et al.; Metal-sulfate induced generation of ROS in human brain cells: detection using an isomeric mixture of 5- and 6-carboxy-2’,7’-dichlorofluoresin diacetate (carboxy-DCFDA) as a cell permeant tracer; Int. J. Mol.; 13:9615-26 (2012)

12.  Kool, M., et al.; Alum adjuvant boosts adaptive immunity by inducing uric acid and activating inflammatory dendritic cells; JEM; Apr.; 205(4):869-82 (2008)