A porous silica material for use as a pharmaceutical or dietary active ingredient having pores in the mesoscale range (0 2-50 nm), wherein the average pore size of the pores in the mesoscale range is in the range of 2 to 25 nm, and the pore size distribution (PSD) in the mesoscale range is such that at least 80% of the pores fall within the range of 2 to 25 nm.
