Boron Mineral
Boron is a mineral which is only recognized as essential for plants.
Only recently has boron been recognized as playing a part in human nutrition. Its exact function have yet to be discovered.
Benefits
It is believed that boron is important to maintain bone density, and it is thought may have particular relevance to women.
Boron administered to menopausal women slowed the rate of calcium and magnesium losses and doubled levels of a compound, estrogen metabolite, which is responsible for retaining calcium in the bone.
Broken bones heal faster with boron supplementation.
Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms diminish with boron supplementation.
Deficiency Symptoms
No specific symptoms have been recognized with regard to boron deficiency as yet, although a shortfall of boron in animals has been documented (stunted growth).
Since boron has yet to be defined as essential for life, there is no RDA to date.
Boron Best Food Sources
| Food | (mg/100g) |
| Soya | 2.8 |
| Prunes | 2.7 |
| Raisins | 2.5 |
| Almonds | 2.3 |
| Rose hips | 1.9 |
| Peanuts | 1.8 |
| Hazelnuts | 1.6 |
| Dates | 0.92 |
| Wine | up to 0.85 |
Safety
Boron can be fatal when applied as boric acid externally: the body absorbs the boron in too large a quantity in this way. The situation is exacerbated if applied to broken skin or membranes.
Vomiting and diarrhea typically demonstrate boron toxicity.
Fatal doses are 15-20g or 3-6g in children, but only 100 mg may produce toxic effects. Short term megadoses up to 9 mg are usually safe but should be supervised by your doctor.
Interactions and Contraindications
If boron is lost as a result of osteoporosis, extra calcium seems to make up for the lost boron.
Animal studies have shown that a deficiency of vitamin D increases the need for boron.
Abstracts
Athletes
Boron supplementation may be a safe method of increasing plasma steroid hormones in athletes, according to this study conducted through a single blind cross-over trial. Boron is a trace element nutrient, and recently its supplements have been shown to increase the concentration of plasma steroid hormones. Supplementation resulted in a significant increase in plasma 17-B estradiol (E2) concentration and there was a trend for plasma testosterone (T) levels to be increased. The ratio of E2/T increased significantly. However, there was no perturbation in plasma lipids. Furthermore, the effect of boron on steroidogenesis and its mechanism was also investigated in two more studies conducted on adult male rats. These results suggest that an athletic use for boron supplementation should be further investigated.
Naghii MR: The significance of dietary boron, with particular reference to athletes, Nutr Health 1999;13(1):31-7
Daily Intake
Americans receive the majority of boron from coffee and milk, according to this study by the US Department of Agriculture 1989-1991 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (1989-1991 CSFII). A boron nutrient database of 1,944 individual foods was developed. This database was then linked to the 3-day food records of 11,009 respondents to the 1989-1991 CSFII to generate the average daily boron intake for each person. The study found that men consume more boron than women, and pregnant women have a higher boron intake than non-pregnant women. The top 2 boron contributors, coffee and milk, are low in boron, yet they make up 12% of the total boron intake by virtue of the volume consumed. Among the top 50 boron contributors, peanut butter, wine, raisins, peanuts, and other nuts are high in boron.
Rainey CJ Nyquist LA Christensen RE Strong PL Culver BD Coughlin JR: Daily boron intake from the American diet, J-Am-Diet-Assoc. 1999 Mar; 99(3): 335-40
References
Lehninger, A.L. Principles of Biochemistry. Worth Publishing, Inc. N Y. 1011.
Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Stedman's Medical Dictionary. 24th edition. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, 1982.
Thomas, C.L. 1985. Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary. F.A. Davis Co. Pub., Philadelphia. 2170.
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