Research on boron by Grand Forks Human Nutritional Research Center
Hunt CD, Herbel JL, Nielsen FH. Metabolic responses of postmenopausal women to supplemental dietary boron and aluminum during usual and low magnesium intake: boron, calcium, and magnesium absorption and retention and blood mineral concentrations. Am J Clin Nutr 65:803-13, 1997.
The element boron, when fed to chicks at concentrations similar to that found in human diets containing ample amounts of fruits and vegetables, alleviates problems in mineral metabolism. The effect is greater when the animal is exposed to a nutritional stressor such as magnesium deficiency. Thus, it was important to determine whether women under the physiological stressor low circulating estrogen compounded by other typical nutritional stressors (low dietary magnesium and high dietary aluminum) are affected by the boron they typically consume. When the women were not given extra boron, they excreted more boron than they ate. When they were given extra boron, blood boron did not rise in proportion to the amount fed in the diet, suggesting internal control of boron use. Extra boron decreased the amount of oxalate in the urine, a substance that sometimes causes kidney stones. In volunteers given no extra magnesium, but in others given extra magnesium, additional boron respectively decreased slightly or increased the amount of calcium lost in the urine. This relationship between magnesium and boron could possibly be manipulated clinically to control long-term calcium utilization. Extra aluminum in the diet reduced the amount of calcium absorption by the body, suggesting that extra aluminum should be limited or at least monitored in postmenopausal women because of their tendency to lose calcium from bone.
Penland JG. The importance of boron nutrition for brain and psychological function. Biol Trace Elem Res 66:299-317, 1998.
Recent studies of bone, mineral and lipid metabolism, energy utilization, and immune function suggest that the element boron may be an essential nutrient for animals and humans. This report reviews several studies conducted in our laboratory that address the importance of boron for brain and psychological function. An initial study with mature rats found that adding small amounts of boron to a very low boron diet changed brain electrical activity in a manner consistent with increased activation. Three human studies followed that evaluated the effects of dietary boron on brain electrical activity and on performance of several mental and motor tasks. Two studies found that feeding a very low boron diet resulted in brain electrical activity changes consistent with deceased brain activation and similar to those observed in general malnutrition and lead toxicity. Very low boron intakes were also associated with poorer performance on tasks of motor speed and dexterity, attention and short-term memory; the latter two tasks showed poorer performance in all three studies. A fifth study found no support for reports that boron supplementation relieves menopausal symptoms. Possible biological mechanisms by which changes in boron intake and status might cause the observed effects in brain and psychological function are discussed. Findings indicate that boron is an important nutrient for brain and psychological function in humans.
Boron
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