We’d like to introduce you to Mother Nature’s secret weapon – bamboo leaf extract! For hundreds of years, Indian Ayurvedic medicine and Chinese herbal medicine practitioners have used it as an effective remedy to heal skin ailments, relieve congestion, promote bone health, and more. That’s because the beautiful bamboo plant is packed with skin-boosting nutrients including silica.* Bamboo, much like coconuts, has many different parts of its plant body that each have different uses and benefits. Bamboo leaf extract, which you can find in all 3 of our plant-based collagen drink powders, is extracted from the root and leaves where silica is plentiful.* The silica from bamboo leaf extract is rich in vitamins and antioxidants that help to promote our skin, hair, and nail health as well as overall well-being.*
Below is everything you need to know about bamboo leaf extract, silica, and their powerful collagen-boosting properties.*
WHAT ARE SILICA AND BAMBOO EXTRACT?
Silica is a naturally-occurring mineral found in water, plant, and animal sources. It is made up of silicon and oxygen, two of the richest elements on our planet. What is not commonly known is that plant sources contain much higher levels of silica than do animal sources and that bamboo contains the richest amount of silica of any plant! Bamboo is composed of nearly 70% silica (nearly 10x the amount of silica in horsetail herb or stinging nettle) making it one of the richest and most sustainable sources on our planet.* Bamboo leaf extract its high levels of silica can be found in many skin products as well as in our delicious collagen powder blends.*
A study completed by the Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil suggests that silica is necessary for optimal collagen synthesis and activation of hydroxylating enzymes, improving skin strength and elasticity. Regarding hair benefits, reports noted a higher silicon content in the hair fiber results in a lower rate of hair loss and increased brightness. Nails are also affected by the presence of silicon since this is the predominant mineral in their composition. The study explains, the first silica available was from the herb horsetail, which offers a lower percentage of silica 5-8%, whereas Bamboo silica provides an astounding potency of 70% of silica. Silica has a restorative effect on many of the body’s tissues. A key influence on the absorption of minerals necessary for our body’s overall health, silica naturally boosts the body’s own presence of iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and boron, essential for healthy bone development.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BAMBOO EXTRACT?
Bamboo leaf extract contains tons of minerals and antioxidants that have been shown to help boost our hair, skin, and nail health as well as promote joint health and increased collagen levels.* Silica is produced naturally by our bodies but just as with collagen, our bodies lose the ability to produce it as we age.* Bamboo leaf extract can be a powerful supplemental source of silica in our diets.*
Read below for some of the amazing benefits of silica and bamboo leaf extract.
IMPROVES SKIN-HEALTH
Silica is required for the production of collagen, yet as you age, both your collagen and silica levels begin to decline. Decreased collagen and silica make it harder to prevent wrinkles, dehydration, and loss of elasticity and vibrancy. Silica has been shown to help our bodies replenish lost collagen and improve skin health* Studies have also linked silica to decreases in inflammation because of its ability to cleanse us of toxins.*
PROMOTES HEALTHY HAIR
Silica has been shown to fight against hair loss and thinning by supporting hormone balance and providing essential nutrients.* Supplementing silica into your diet takes these essential nutrients and helps to bolster your hair follicles with the necessary minerals and vitamins to promote strong, shiny hair.
SUPPORTS NAIL STRENGTH
Silica from bamboo extract helps promote strong nails by supporting increased collagen production and supplementing our bodies with extra nutrients.*
WHERE YOU CAN FIND BAMBOO EXTRACT
All three of our collagen drink powder blends contain bamboo extract which is high in silica and helps to promote healthy hair, skin, and nails. All of our blends are herbalist-approved and made with other skin-boosting ingredients like hyaluronic acid, tremella mushroom extract, amla berry, and grape seed extract. We encourage you to read more about our vegan collagen boost blends and the amazing benefits they have on our skin.
Here are 3 easy and tasty ways to increase your collagen production:
Original Beauty – an unsweetened blend of coconut milk powder and collagen-boosting botanicals that tastes a bit like white chocolate.
Matcha Beauty – a nourishing, slightly sweetened, and energizing blend of matcha, coconut milk powder, and collagen-boosting botanicals.
Cacao Calm Beauty - a calming and cozy blend of cacao, ashwagandha, coconut milk powder, and collagen-boosting botanicals that’s lightly sweetened.
Here are some of our favorite recipes to use them in:
