Boron

I am sure that most of you have known something about boron.  In fact, this trace element is always mentioned in our chemistry subjects back in elementary, high school, and even college.  But did you all know that boron has a crucial role played in treating a variety of disorders?

Boron is such a trace element that was shown to be important for plants early this century.  Now, it was found out that such element has also some uses for humans.  In fact, the human body contains boron which is distributed throughout the body parts with the highest level of concentration particularly in the bones and in the dental enamel.

As such, boron has an essential contribution for healthy bone and proper joint function.  It is supported by the findings that it has a significant influence on the calcium and magnesium metabolism.  As boron is concentrated in the spleen, bone and thyroid, it seems to function in the metabolism and it seems to suggest a great role for boron in hormone metabolism.  Aside from that, this trace element seems to leave an impact on the cell membranes and the way signals are distributed across the cell membranes.

As it played a role in metabolism, numerous studies have shown that boron has the ability to transform the vitamin D to its more active form, which do enhance the calcium uptake and deposition into the bone.  For that reasons, the boron is therefore essential for increasing the muscle mass, muscle strength, maintaining the bone density, developing the calcium absorption, and reducing the body fat. 

There is a certain report from the USDA which states that boron as a trace element greatly aids the bones for developing and to grow normally.  It is present in the body and especially become significant if the presence of vitamin D in the diet is not enough to supply the other parts of the body.  For the elderly, boron is as well important for the reason that it has a potential for preventing arthritis.

Furthermore, another research study has demonstrated that low content of boron in the diet have been related with reduced testosterone levels.  Along with that, the boron supplements have been shown to enhance the serum levels of testosterone in the postmenopausal women.  With this finding, many athletes and bodybuilders are encouraged to take boron supplements to boost their testosterone levels, muscle mass, as well as strength.  However, there is still no clear evidence to support the claim that this trace element will boost testosterone levels.

In terms of its sources, it is considered that boron is mostly found in fruits, vegetables, soybeans, and nuts.  However, it is interesting to know that the level of boron present in those food sources greatly depends on the soil in which it is grown.  In addition, a significant amount of boron is also found in wine, cider, and beer.

For those who want to take a boron supplement, it is necessary to know that the daily needs for boron fall somewhere around 1 mg.  Just note that an excess intake of boron of about 100 mg will cause some toxic effects such as red rash with weeping skin, vomiting, diarrhea which is characterized by blue-green color, depressed blood circulation, coma, as well as convulsions.