Boron, a very obscure but essential mineral in the body, has been found to have a multitude of health benefits.
It is known to help the body absorb calcium and magnesium, which are essential for strong bones. It also helps improve brain electrical function, memory and cognitive performance, boosts testosterone levels in men AND women, and provides anti-inflammatory properties that may help reduce inflammation and pain in the body. Let’s take a closer look at some of the many properties of Boron.
Bone Support
Boron has a positive effect on bone remodeling and regeneration, and deficiency of boron has negative effects on bone regrowth and regeneration. Boron helps to mineralize the osteoblast (bone-growth) cells by regulating gene expression and the actions of key hormones like estradiol (E2), testosterone and vitamin D, all of which help with bone growth and healthy cell turnover.
Wound Healing
These tissue mineralizing functions of boron also help to support wound healing significantly. It also works by activating enzymes like elastase, trypsin-like enzymes, collagenase, and alkaline phosphatase found in fibroblasts (connective tissue cells that produce collagen and other protein fiber needed for healthy structure). Even a 3% solution of boric acid applied to deep wounds has been shown to reduce time required in an ICU by 67%.
Sex Hormone Support
Supplementing with Boron has been shown to increase testosterone and estradiol (E2) levels in postmenopausal women, nearly doubling E2 levels (from 21.1 pg.mL to 41.4 pg/mL) when there was a history of low dietary magnesium intake. Supplementation also has benefited male testosterone by increasing more than doubling levels (from 0.31 ng/mL to 0.83 ng/mL) and decreasing inflammatory cytokines. Since about 98% of testosterone is bound to blood proteins like sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), they tend to get caught in the capillaries and are not bioavailable to the body. Boron helps ease this situation by increasing the free and unbound testosterone levels. For aging men, boron is particularly beneficial, since free testosterone naturally decreases and SHBG increases with age.
Anti-Inflammation
Multiple studies have shown boron to be a powerful anti-inflammation agent. It acts to reduce pro-inflammatory biomarkers like TNF-⍺, fibrinogen, and hs-CRP (increasingly common in highly sensitive children with chronic health issues). One study demonstrated reduced inflammatory biomarkers after just 15 days of supplementation!
Anti-Cancer
In global health studies, regions where boron is naturally rich in the diet, soil and water correlated to lower levels of various cancers in the population, particularly prostate, breast, cervical, and lung cancers. Boron supplementation in particular has been inversely correlated with incidence of prostate cancer. Supplementing with boron has likewise shown to decrease risk levels for these cancers significantly. A primary reason for this is that boron disrupts the reproductive and physiological functions of cancerous cells through a variety of inhibitory actions that slow genetic and cellular replication, receptor binding mimicry of healthy cells, production of harmful enzymes, and inducing apoptosis (cell death).
There are many more benefits that boron brings to the table when if comes to our bodily health, including supporting vitamin-D metabolism and function, reducing oxidative stress from exposure to toxic elements, treating osteoarthritis (OA), and more. It is a powerful mineral, which we only need in microdoses (3-6mg/day) to receive outsized benefits*.
Supplementing with Boron
Our favorite go-to product is Boron 3mg from Zorex International, which contains 3mg of calcium borogluconate, a highly absorbable food-based form, in each capsule.
Learn more about how to order boron from Zorex International to supplement your dietary intake.
*There are no known toxic levels of boron supplementation up to 20 mg/day
References
Pizzorno L. Nothing Boring About Boron. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2015 Aug;14(4):35-48. PMID: 26770156; PMCID: PMC4712861.