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"Silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is a common ingredient in processed foods.\nWhat is it?\nAccording to Healthline, it is formed from silicon and oxygen, which are common chemical elements. Silicon dioxide is found in water, plants, animals and the earth, including quartz and other rocks, sand, and even human tissue. In food and supplements, it is used as an anti-caking agent to avoid clumping and keep them consistent.\nCan it affect your health?\nWhile silicon dioxide as a food additive in prescribed quantities has so far been found to be primarily safe, inhaling fine particles and silica dust can have health complications, including lung and breathing issues, according to Medical News Today. According to research from the European Food Safety Authority in 2018, nanoparticles from the substance could be problematic, research suggested lowering limits for toxic elements present in silicon dioxide and changing the specifications to include particle size. \nWhat is an alternative? \nBamboo has been known to be the most extensively used plant resource among tribes in northeast India for many years.\nAfter his travels in the region, Zenfuel’s co-founder and formulator, looked into the possibility of using organic silica from the inner back of bamboo as a potential replacement for silicon dioxide. From his research, he found a process to produce 70% organic silica from bamboo, with a final product that contained 30% plant fibers in the form of lignans.\nAfter completing a long-term stability study, the Zenfuel team is now ready to use this bamboo replacement in Zenfuel products.\nWhat is the health difference? \nOrganic silica from bamboo has a thicker texture than the very fine synthetic silica that can pass through to the lungs, and it digests much more quickly.  "
<https://www.zenfuel.com/blogs/zenfuel-science/the-natural-silicon-dioxide-alternative>