Boron: Not So Boring After All
Greater than 75% of the US population is likely to be deficient in Boron
Boron is considered to be a trace mineral. While the FDA hasn’t set a Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for Boron, insufficient or deficient levels can lead to a myriad of both short and long term symptoms in the body.
Like most micronutrients, Boron doesn’t have just one single job in the body. It plays a role in Vitamin D and sex hormone production, adrenal gland activity, brain health and cognitive function, heart health, bone health, tumor suppression, antioxidant defense, enzyme and protein production, and keeping copper bioavailable.
What are some signs of Boron deficiency?
While many symptoms of Boron deficiency can also be attributed to other issues, if you have a myriad of symptoms that all link back to one commonality, it’s a pretty safe bet you should see if that’s the cause.
Low Vitamin D Levels- People with low levels of Vitamin D are likely to have low levels of Boron as well (1). Sufficient Boron levels increase the concentration of active Vitamin D as well as prolong the half life Vitamin D3 by inhibiting the enzyme 24-hydroxylase, which breaks down D3(1). What this boils down to is that by having enough Boron, your body can convert inactive D2 into active D3 more efficiently- Boron acts as a cofactor in this process- and once converted to D3, it hangs around longer in the body. In turn, this means your levels of D3 will last longer without having to be replenished by UVB sun exposure or supplementation.
Low Vitamin D Levels
High Levels of Inflammation
Low Testosterone and/or Estrogen
Osteoarthritis
Soft Tissue Calcification
High Levels of Inflammation- Boron supplementation has shown to decrease inflammatory biomarkers: C-reactive Protein (CRP), Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF-alpha), and Interleukin-6 (IL6) (1, 2, 3). Just one week of Boron supplementation resulted in a 20% decrease of TNF-alpha, a 50% decrease of CRP, and a 40% reduction of IL-6 (1).
Boron is integral in producing S-adenosyl-methionine (SAMe) as well. SAMe is a substrate that acts as a methylation donor. Low levels of SAMe often result in high homocysteine levels, inflammation, and depression. (1, 4)
6-phosphoglucanate is a substrate highly active in regulating inflammation, and can result in high levels of oxidative stress and inflammation when low. Boron is a key cofactor in production of 6-phosphoglucanate. (5)
Low Testosterone and Estrogen- Boron inhibits Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG), and too much SHBG can keep your testosterone and estrogen bound up and unavailable for use. Studies using 6mg/day Boron supplementation doubled bioavailable Estrogen and Testosterone in postmenopausal women (1), and showed significant increases in testosterone after just one week of use in men (1). The men in these studies had a lower rate of estrogen (E2), suggesting that the increase in Boron promoted a higher rate of conversion of total testosterone to free (unbound to SHBG) testosterone.
Osteoarthritis- In geographical regions consuming an average of <1mg of Boron per day, Osteoarthritis (OA) had a prevalence rate of 20-70%. In regions consuming 3-10mg daily, OA was prevalent at a rate of <10%. (1)
Patients with OA using 6-12mg a day of Boron as treatment experienced upwards of a 50% reduction in pain after 4 weeks.(1) By 8 weeks, these same patients had completely stopped using NSAIDS to mitigate pain associated with their OA. (1)
Boron reduces both production and activity of serine protease enzymes that are involved specifically in the inflammatory response of osteoarthritis. Human studies using a boron deprivation diet and then repletion have shown that boron significantly increases erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, another key component specific to inflammation regarding osteoarthritis. Based on epidemiological evidence, case reports, and controlled animal and human studies, boron seems to be a safe and effective treatment for osteoarthritis. (1)
Soft Tissue Calcification- Soft tissue calcification can be displayed by the body in a variety of ways. Bone spurs, kidney stones, arthritis, and atherosclerosis are common signs of soft tissue calcification. This occurs because the calcium in the body is being deposited in soft tissues rather than the bone and teeth where it belongs. Born, magnesium, and Vitamin K2 as MK7 all play major roles in directing calcium to the bone and teeth. (1) Boron also increases the rate of magnesium absorption, leading to even more benefits as Magnesium is a cofactor in over 300 reactions in the human body.
Other Boron Benefits- Boron has also been shown to improve the rate of wound healing, to protect the body from oxidative stress induced by pesticides used in conventional farming as well as heavy metal toxicity, improves electrical activity in the brain leading to improved cognitive performance and short term memory, increases NAD+ production which in turn improves energy and reduces fatigue, has been show to have both preventative and therapeutic effects on prostate, cervical, and lung cancers and both non-Hodgkins and multiple lymphoma, and may help offset side effects of traditional chemotherapy treatments. (1)
Food Sources of Boron
Boron can be found in decent quantities in a wide variety of plant-based foods. Increasing the consumption of these foods in your daily dietary rotation is not only going to improve your Boron levels, but also your intake of fiber, antioxidants, Magnesium, Vitamin K1, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, potassium, Vitamin B6, and folate. It’s a win-win!
The following Boron levels are found in mg boron/100g of each food below:
Avocado: 1.43mg/100g
Peanuts: 0.59mg/100g
Red Grapes: 0.50mg/100g
Kidney Beans: 1.4mg/100g
Prunes: 1.88mg/100g
Red Wine: 0.86mg/100g
Boron Supplementation
While food is always ideal as a way to get our micronutrients, it isn’t always do-able. This is especially true in the wake of a large deficiency. Most studies show that 3mg a day of Boron improved symptoms.
For estrogen and testosterone, 6mg daily was shown to be the dose where the most improvement was seen in both men and women.
1-2 mg a day of supplemental Boron did not show statistical improvement in any studies reviewed. The FDA has set 20mg/day as the Upper Tolerable Limit for Boron. What this means is that taking a dose as high as 20/mg day is unlikely to cause undesirable effects or side effects.
The best way to determine proper dosing is to have a professional evaluate your symptoms, Vitamin D levels, and other mineral levels particularly Calcium and Magnesium. The best way to evaluate mineral levels is through a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis. This lab test looks at the levels of minerals in your soft tissue and is the most accurate way of determining your necessary supplementation. It’s also important not to supplement with too much for too long, so getting retested every 4-5 months is important. You can click below to book a discovery call to learn more about HTMA.
Boron works synergistically with Magnesium, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin K2 as MK7. I’ve created a protocol with ideal amounts of all four micronutrients. You can check that out by clicking the Boron Protocol button below!