In a world of 24-hour gyms, prescription ads on TV, and the self-care movement at its peak, you may feel bombarded with options on how to improve your health. Should you overhaul your diet and cut out carbs? Join that new gym that opened down the street? Maybe that gross green smoothie your sister drinks will be the answer to all your prayers?
Take a deep breath, friend. Improving your health doesn’t have to be so difficult or dramatic. Sometimes adding a simple supplement can be the boost we need to see results. Bamboo extract has a variety of benefits that almost anyone would wish for.
Bamboo has been shown to benefit the environment and improve our mental health. But you may not have realized bamboo can improve your physical health too. Bamboo extract is a common supplement used to treat or prevent common ailments and might be what you need to improve your well-being.
We aren’t doctors and this is not medical advice, but we do think it’s worth talking to your healthcare provider about adding bamboo extract to your routine.
What Is Bamboo Extract?
Bamboo extract is a natural source of silica derived from the leaves and stems of the bamboo plant. Silica is a mineral that builds strength in our joint tissue and improves hair, nail, and skin health by promoting the production of collagen.
You may be familiar with different types of silica that occur naturally in the environment. It’s often used in building materials like bricks or as anti-caking agents or food additives. Bamboo extract contains high levels of organic silica which is essential for bone and tissue health.
While there’s no recommended amount of silica for the body, it’s not easy to get silica from food alone. So if you’re not adding a bamboo extract supplement to your diet, chances are you’re missing the full benefits.
How Do You Use Bamboo Extract?
Bamboo extract is made from the processed leaves of the bamboo plant. Eating the leaves isn’t an option because they may contain high levels of cyanide unless they’re correctly processed for bamboo extract. You’ll want to avoid eating the bamboo leaves and look for bamboo extract instead.
Once the bamboo extract is taken from the leaves, it is made into an oral supplement, liquid extract, or powdered extract. The oral supplements are taken like any other pill – just swallow them with a large glass of water. Liquid extracts can be taken alone as a liquid and powdered bamboo extract can be mixed into food or drinks.
How Bamboo Extract Can Improve Your Health
1. Support Bone and Joint Health
Silica deficiency can create deformed bone structure and ineffective cartilage growth. Since bamboo extract has a high level of organic silica, it can help regenerate cartilage and improve the absorption of calcium and vitamin D. Healthy cartilage is needed to keep bones from rubbing against each other so we can move pain-free.
2. Reduce Chronic Inflammation
Chronic inflammation can appear in many areas of the body including your joints, digestive system, or skin. It’s caused by stressors like overexercising, a poor diet, external stress, or autoimmune diseases.
Establishing healthy habits is key to reducing inflammation and adding bamboo extract may help. Bamboo is anti-inflammatory and can help restore your body’s healthy tissues. It can soothe and repair inflamed tissue and support the growth of healthy cells.
3. Stimulate Hair and Nail Growth
A common reason to add bamboo extract supplements to your diet is to improve hair and nail growth. Bamboo extract helps create a healthy scalp, improves hair growth, and reduces the amount of hair that falls out. Some extracts also reduce grey hair or heal hair damage.
Bamboo extract also helps strengthen weak and brittle nails. Strong nails are essential in protecting our fingers and hands. If you have weak or brittle nails it may be a sign of weak or brittle bone health too. If you have too little collagen in your nails it likely means you have too little collagen in your bones. Fortunately, bamboo extract is great for strengthening bones and nails at the same time.
4. Improve Brain and Cellular Function
Silica makes up a large portion of our connective tissue that keeps our neurons connected. Strengthening connections means stronger brain activity and cognitive function. Studies done on animals show that the silica from bamboo extract helped rats