Biochemical and physiologic consequences of boron deprivation in humans.

Abstract

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 1 7f,-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 17p-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. Dietary boron had no effect on those variables in the men and women not ingesting estrogen. These findings suggest that boron can both enhance and mimic some effects of estrogen ingestion. The findings from all three studies are consistent with the hypothesis that boron has an essential function that affects macromineral and cellular metabolism at the membrane level. - (701) 795-8395. menopause associated with an increased loss of calcium from bone or the body.Twelve postmenopausal women first were fed a diet that provided 0.25 mg B/2000 kcal for 119 days and then were fed the same diet with a boron supplement of 3 mg/day for 48 days. During the experiment, seven of the women were fed a diet low in magnesium (116 mg/2000 kcal); the other five had their diet supplemented with 200 mg Mg/day. The boron supplementation of the boron-deprived women decreased the urinary excretion and plasma concentration of calcium and magnesium, decreased the urinary excretion and plasma concentration of phosphorus in the women fed the magnesium-low diets, and increased plasma testosterone and 17p-estradiol concentrations. Generally, the effects of boron deprivation, or supplementation, seemed more marked in the women fed the magnesium-low diet.Another study was performed with five men over the age of 45, nine postmenopausal women (five postmenopausal women on estrogen therapy) and one premenopausal woman (originally t...

Effects of Some Boron Compounds on Peripheral Human Blood

“…Boron is a trace mineral for plants, animals and humans (Nielsen, 1994). It also plays an important role in improving arthritis, plasma lipid profiles and brain function (Penland, 1994).…”

Boric acid increases the expression levels of human anion exchanger genes SLC4A2 and SLC4A3

“…Boron supports key enzymes involved in antioxidant processes and exhibits immunomodulatory functions that enhance the resistance of animals to mycotoxin. Boron is also implicated in calcium metabolism (Nielsen, 1994). Dietary deprivation of boron also causes suboptimal biological functioning, which can be reversed by boron supplementation.…”

Boron Content in Shallow Ground Water of Andhra Pradesh And Telangana States, India

“…Other common findings included liver enlargement, vascular congestion, fatty changes, swelling, and granular degeneration. Although the function of boron remains undefined, boron is becoming recognized as an element of potential nutritional importance because of the findings from human and animal studies (Nielsen, 1989(Nielsen, , 1994Nielsen et al,1990,;Penland, 1994). Bureau of Indian standards (BIS) specified 0.5mg/l boron as desirable limit and 1.0S mg/l as maximum permissible for boron in drinking water.…”