Boron

General Info

Active Forms
Sodium borate and boron chelates, which include boron citrate, aspartate, and glycinate.

Absorption
Although boron is apparently well absorbed, very little is known about the actual mechanism of its absorption.

Dietary Sources
Several studies evaluating dietary boron intake have listed various foods that have higher boron content than other foods. The list includes: apples, avocados, chocolate, coffee, dried beans, grape juice, milk, peanut butter, peanuts, pecans, potatoes, prune juice, raisin granola/bran cereals and wine.(1)

Dosage Info

Dosage Range Dosages that have been used in clinical studies range from <1mg to 10mg daily.(2) Most Common Dosage 3mg daily. Dosage Forms Tablets and capsules.		Adult RDI None established Adult ODA None established		RDA None established:

Overview

Boron is a trace mineral that has been recognized as an essential nutrient for plants for more than fifty years, but its essentiality in humans was not discovered until the mid-1980s. Since boron is a newly discovered essential nutrient for humans, some of the information about its metabolic activity and function is somewhat speculative. Research in the past decade, however, strongly implicates that boron plays roles in metabolism and bone health. The highest concentration of boron in humans is found in bones and dental enamel.

Toxicities & Precautions

Although boron is apparently well absorbed, very little is known about the actual mechanism of its absorption.

General
No serious health or medical problems associated with its use have been reported in areas of the world where the daily diet supplies have been estimated up to 41mg/day of boron.(3)

Side Effects
Numerous case studies of poisonings and accidental ingestion seem to indicate a low toxicity for both boric acid and borax even at very high doses. The potential lethal dose for adults is estimated to be between 15 and 20 grams/day.(4) In a reported case of suicide, lethal ingestion of boric acid has occurred with the initial signs of toxicity being nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.(5)

Functions in the Body

Uses

Clinical Applications
	Osteoarthritis
	Rheumatoid Arthritis

Calcium Absorption
Helps convert vitamin D to its more active form, which means it indirectly facilitates in the absorption of calcium and the prevention of bone loss.

Hormone Production
Has a regulatory effect on the production of estrogens and testosterone. Biochemically, facilitates hydroxylation reactions, the addition of OH groups in chemical processes. The synthesis of estrogens and testosterone both require hydroxylation steps, so there is strong indication that boron influences production of these hormones.

Magnesium Metabolism
Plays an important role in the metabolism of magnesium.

Osteoporosis
Boron is one of the minerals that is necessary for the development of healthy bone tissue, and it apparently plays a role in the prevention of osteoporosis.

Clinical Applications

Osteoarthritis
A significant number of patients improve with boron supplementation(6) and studies show that there is an inverse relationship between intake of boron and the incidence of arthritis.(7) In areas of the world where soil levels are low and boron intake is 1.0 mg or less/day, the estimated incidence of arthritis ranges from 20 to 70%. However, in areas of the world where boron intakes are usually 3 to 10 mg/day, the estimated incidence of arthritis ranges from 0 to 10%.(8)

Rheumatoid Arthritis
Many patients, especially those with juvenile arthritis, respond with 6-9mg daily.(9)

Symptoms & Causes of Deficiency

Boron deficiency is rare. However, recent research indicates that boron deficiency may cause problems associated with arthritis and osteoporosis.

Footnotes

¹ Panel on Micronutrients, Subcommittees on Upper Reference Levels of Nutrients and of Interpretation and Use of Dietary Reference Intakes, and the Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes, Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc; Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 2001:404-12.
² Samman S, Naghii MR, Lyons Wall PM, Verus AP. The nutritional and metabolic effects of boron in humans and animals. Biol Trace Elem Res. 1998;66(1-3):227-35.
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³ Naghii MR, Samman S. The role of boron in nutrition and metabolism. Prog Food Nutr Sci. Oct1993;17(4):331-49.
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⁴ Panel on Micronutrients, Subcommittees on Upper Reference Levels of Nutrients and of Interpretation and Use of Dietary Reference Intakes, and the Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes, Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc; Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 2001:404-12.
⁵ Restuccio A, Mortensen ME, Kelley MT. Fatal ingestion of boric acid in an adult. Am J Emerg Med. Nov1992;10(6):545-7.
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⁶ Travers RL, et al. Boron and Arthritis: The Results of a Double-blind Study. J Nutr Med. 1990;1:127-32.
⁷ Newnham RE. Essentiality of boron for healthy bones and joints. Environ Health Perspect. Nov1994;102(Suppl 7):83-5.
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⁸ Newnham RE. Essentiality of Boron for Healthy Bones and Joints. Environ Health Perspect. Nov1994; 102(Suppl 7):83-85.
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⁹ Newnham RE. Arthritis or Skeletal Fluorosis and Boron. Int Clin Nutr Rev. 1991;11(2):68-70.