Boron Mineral Research General Articles

The following research abstracts are presented to reflect the findings of possible benefits from minerals as a dietary supplement and nutritional supplement. You will find more on the ionic boron page.

Biochemical and physiologic consequences of boron deprivation in humans.

Nielsen, F. H. (1994) Environ Health Perspect, 102 (Suppl 7), 59-63.

Boron deprivation experiments with humans have yielded some persuasive findings for the hypothesis that boron is an essential nutrient. In the first nutritional study with humans involving boron, 12 postmenopausal women first were fed a diet that provided 0.25 mg boron/2000 kcal for 119 days, and then were fed the same diet with a boron supplement of 3 mg boron/day for 48 days. The boron supplementation reduced the total plasma concentration of calcium and the urinary excretions of calcium and magnesium, and elevated the serum concentrations of 17 beta-estradiol and testosterone. This study was followed by one in which five men over the age of 45, four postmenopausal women, and five postmenopausal women on estrogen therapy were fed a boron-low diet (0.23 mg/2000 kcal) for 63 days, then fed the same diet supplemented with 3 mg boron/day for 49 days. The diet was low in magnesium (115 mg/2000 kcal) and marginally adequate in copper (1.6 mg/2000 kcal) throughout the study. This experiment found higher erythrocyte superoxide dismutase, serum enzymatic ceruloplasmin, and plasma copper during boron repletion than boron depletion. The design of the most recent experiment was the same as the second study, except this time the diet was adequate in magnesium and copper. Estrogen therapy increased plasma copper and serum 17 beta-estradiol concentrations; the increases were depressed by boron deprivation. Estrogen ingestion also increased serum immunoreactive ceruloplasmin and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase; these variables also were higher during boron repletion than depletion for all subjects, not just those ingesting estrogen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS).
Bone Density/ Physiology/ Boron/ Administration & Dosage/ *Deficiency/ Physiology/ Calcium/ *Blood/ Copper/ Blood/ Dose-Response Relationship, Drug/ Estradiol/ *Blood/ Estrogen Replacement Therapy/ Female/ Human/ Magnesium/ *Blood/ Male/ Middle Age/ Nutritional Requirements/ Testosterone/ *Blood.

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Nutritional requirements for boron, silicon, vanadium, nickel, and arsenic: current knowledge and speculation.

Nielsen, F. H. (1991) F-A-S-E-B-J-Off-Publ-Fed-Am-Soc-Exp-Biol, 5(12), 2661-2667.

Definition of specific biochemical functions in higher animals (including humans) for the ultra trace elements boron, silicon, vanadium, nickel, and arsenic still has not been achieved although all of these elements have been described as being essential nutrients. Recently, many new findings from studies using molecular biology techniques, sophisticated equipment, unusual organisms, and newly defined enzymes have revealed possible sites of essential action for these five elements. Based on these findings and the response of animals and/or humans to low intakes of these elements, the following speculations have been presented: 1)Boron has a role that affects cell membrane characteristics and transmembrane signaling. 2)Silicon is necessary for the association between cells and one or more macromolecules such as osteonectin, which affects cartilage composition and ultimately cartilage calcification. 3)Vanadium reacts with hydrogen peroxide to form a pervanadate that is required to catalyze the oxidation of halide ions and/or stimulate the phosphorylation of receptor proteins. 4)Nickel is needed for the C02-fixation to propionyl-CoA to form D-methylmalonyl-CoA. 5)Arsenic has an important role in the conversion of methionine to its metabolites taurine, labile methyl, and the polyamines. If any of these speculations are found to be true, the element involved will be firmly established as having a nutritional requirement because the body obviously cannot synthesize it. Based on animal findings, the dietary requirement is likely to be small; that is, expressed in micrograms per day.
DNAL QH301.F3.
human-nutrition-research/ arsenic-/ boron-/ nickel-/ silicon-/ vanadium-/ nutrient-requirements/ literature-reviews.

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Comparative findings on serum IMg²⁺ of normal and diseased human subjects with the NOVA and KONE ISE's for Mg²⁺

Hunt, C. D., Shuler, T. R., & Mullen, L. M. (1991) J Am Diet Assoc, 91(5), 558-568.

The element boron is ubiquitous in the environment. Comparatively low concentrations of dietary boron affect several aspects of mineral metabolism in animals and human beings. Therefore, it is appropriate to determine precisely the concentration of boron in human foodstuffs and absorbed, inhaled, or ingested nonfood substances. In this article, we report the analyzed concentrations of boron and other elements in selected foods (animal products, water, condiments, confections, fruits, tuberized roots, vegetables, cereal grains, and spices) and personal-care products (analgesics, antibiotics, decongestants, antihistamines, dental hygiene products, gastric antacids, and laxatives). We conclude tat daily intake of boron usually differs considerably between any two individuals for three main reasons. First, concentration of boron in water varies considerably according to geographic source. At some locations, boron in drinking water and water based beverages may account for most of the total dietary boron intake. Second, individual food preference greatly influences daily intake of boron. Fruits, vegetables, tubers, and legumes have relatively much higher concentrations of boron than do cereal grains or animal tissues and fluids. Third, boron was determined to be a notable contaminant or major ingredient of many personal care products.
DNAL-FNC 389.8-AM34.
foods-/ boron-/ nutrient-intake/ cosmetics-/ drugs-/ drinking-water/ food-preferences/ non-food-products/ mineral-content.

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Effect of dietary boron on mineral, estrogen, and testosterone metabolism in postmenopausal women.

Nielsen, F. H., Hunt, C. D., Mullen, L. M., & Hunt, J. R. (1987) FASEB J, 1(5), 394-7.

A study was done to examine the effects of aluminum, magnesium, and boron on major mineral metabolism in postmenopausal women. This communication describes some of the effects of dietary boron on 12 women between the ages of 48 and 82 housed in a metabolic unit. A boron supplement of 3 mg/day markedly affected several indices of mineral metabolism of seven women consuming a low-magnesium diet and five women consuming a diet adequate in magnesium; the women had consumed a conventional diet supplying about 0.25 mg boron/day for 119 days. Boron supplementation markedly reduced the urinary excretion of calcium and magnesium; the depression seemed more marked when dietary magnesium was low. Boron supplementation depressed the urinary excretion of phosphorus by the low-magnesium, but not by the adequate-magnesium, women. Boron supplementation markedly elevated the serum concentrations of 17 beta-estradiol and testosterone; the elevation seemed more marked when dietary magnesium was low. Neither high dietary aluminum (1000 mg/day) nor an interaction between boron and aluminum affected the variables presented. The findings suggest that supplementation of a low-boron diet with an amount of boron commonly found in diets high in fruits and vegetables induces changes in postmenopausal women consistent with the prevention of calcium loss and bone demineralization.
Aged/ Aged, 80 And Over/ Boron/ Administration & Dosage/ *Pharmacology/ Calcium/ Urine/ Diet/ Estradiol/ *Blood/ Female/ Human/ Magnesium/ Urine/ Menopause/ *Metabolism/ Middle Age/ Minerals/ *Metabolism/ Phosphorus/ Urine/ Testosterone/ *Blood.

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AIN-93 purified diets for laboratory rodents: final report of the American Institute of Nutrition ad hoc writing committee on the reformulation of the AIN-76A rodent diet.

Reeves, P. G., Niesen, F. H., & Fahey, G. C. Jr. (1993) J Nut, 123(11), 1939-1951.

For sixteen years, the American institute of Nutrition Rodent Diets, AIN-76 and AIN-76A, have been used extensively around the world. Because of numerous nutritional and technical problems encountered with the diet during this period, it was revised. Two new formulations were derived: AIN-93G for growth, pregnancy and lactation, and AIN-93m for adult maintenance. Some major differences in the new formulation of AIN-93G compared with AIN-76A are as follows: 7 g soybean oil (0.5 g linolenic acid)/100 g diet was substituted for 5 g corn oil/100 g diet to increase the amount of linolenic acid;cornstarch was substituted for sucrose; the amount of phosphorus was reduced to help eliminate the problem of kidney calcification in female rats; L-cysteine was substituted for DL-methionine as the amino acid supplement for casein, known to be deficient in the sulfur amino acids; manganese concentration was lowered to one-fifth the amount in the old diet; the amounts of vitamin E, vitamin K and vitamin B-12 were increased; and molybdenum, silicon, fluoride, nickel, boron, lithium and vanadium were added to the mineral mix. for the AIN-93M maintenance diet, the amount of fat was lowered to 40g/kg diet from 70 g/kg diet, and the amount of casein to 140 g/kg from 200 g/kg in the AIN-93G diet. Because of a better balance of essential nutrients, the AIN-93 diets may prove to be a better choice than AIN-76A for long-term as well as short-term studies with laboratory rodents.
DNAL 389.8-J82.
rodents-/ feed-formulation/ nutrient-content/ energy-content/ vitamin-content/ mineral-content/ feed-mixing/ storage-/ purified diet/ nutrient requirements/ rats/ mice experimental-diets.

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