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minerals (nutrition)
boron (B)
Nutrition
definition
Boron:
» overview:
Not previously known to be essential, Boron is now being studied as a mineral needed for numerous bodily functions
» metabolism:
Boron is very readily absorbed yet its concentration remains quite low in the serum.
It appears to be concentrated in the thyroid gland.
» function:
For a long time boron has been a known essential for plants and various diseases have been shown to result from boron deficiency.
In humans boron is responsible for the hydroxylation of various substances in the body.
It may enhance the production of various hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, DHEA, and 1,25 dihydroxycholecalciferol.
» requirements:
No requirements have been set as of 1996. Estimates are that between 1-2 mg per day may be required.
Average intake in the U.S. has been estimated at between 1.7-4.3 mg per day, although 3 U.S. reference diet composites estimated an intake of about 1mg per day (Marz, p. 146, 1997)
» food sources:
Boron is found in legumes, fruits, and nuts. Food levels vary widely depending upon the soil in which the food was grown.
Generally, vegetables contain much higher quantities of boron than animal sources.
Best Food Sources of Boron:
Food Amount mg
Tomato 1 oz 3.5*
Pear 1 oz 2.9*
Apple 1 oz 2.0*
Wine 4 oz 1.0*
Soymeal 1 oz 0.8*
Prunes 1 oz 0.7*
Raisins 1 oz 0.7*
Peanuts 1 oz 0.5
Almonds 1 oz 0.5
Dates 1 oz 0.3
Honey 1 oz 0.2
Filberts 1 oz 0.3
Seafood 3 oz 0.4
Thyroid, sheep 60 mg 0.45 mcg
*Values are from a single report and may be falsely elevated.
(USDA: Composition of Foods. USDA Handbook # 8. Washington DC, ARS, USDA, 1976-1986)
» deficiency:
There has been very little research to date on the effects of boron deficiency in humans. Studies done with rats in the 1940s showed no signs of deficiency. Recently, however, there is evidence that boron deficiency is involved with bone metabolism problems and arthritis.
» therapeutics:
Osteoporosis: 1-3 mg per day Recently it has been shown that osteoporotic people have lowered levels of boron and that supplementary boron can increase endogenous estrogen levels and markedly reduce calcium excretion levels.
(Nielsen FH, et al. FASEBJ 1:394-397, 1987)
Osteoarthritis (OA): Recent studies have shown that 3mg/day of boron may reduce OA pain. The synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis joints have been found to have lower levels of boron.
» toxicity:
Very little toxicity has been associated with high intakes of boron, which may be as high as 40 mg per day in some parts of the world.
footnotes
Kirschmann and Dunne, pp. 80-81
Marz, Russell. Medical Nutrition From Marz. Second Edition. Portland, OR. 1997.
Nielsen, FH, Hunt, CD, Mullen, LM, Hunt, JR. Effect of dietary boron mineral, estrogen, and testosterone metabolism in postmenopausal women. FASEBJ 1:394-397, 1987. Abstract: Postmenopausal women were fed a standard diet for 119 days consisting of 0.25mg boron. Supplementation of this diet with 3mg boron reduced urinary calcium excretion by 44% and markedly increased serum concentration of the estrogenic hormone, 17ß-estradiol. The increased levels of 17ß-estradiol were the same as in women receiving estrogen therapy.
USDA: Composition of Foods. USDA Handbook #8. Washington DC, ARS, USDA, 1976-1986.