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The Ultratrace Mineral for Arthritis

by Dr. David Williams

Published 02/03/09

The ultratrace mineral boron has been receiving an increased amount of popularity lately for several reasons.

A new animal study has indicated that the amount of boron in the diet is directly related to the calcium content in the bones of the spinal column (vertebra). Researchers found that by increasing dietary boron they could increase the calcium content which resulted in stronger bones (FASEB J 90;4:A1050).

In another study postmenopausal women were first fed a low boron diet followed by a diet supplemented with 3 mg of boron daily. With the boron supplementation their urinary excretion of calcium and magnesium decreased, while increases were noted in serum concentrations of ionized calcium, testosterone and estrogen (FASEB J 87;1:394). For these reasons many researchers now feel adequate amounts of boron in the diet are absolutely necessary for both the treatment and the prevention of osteoporosis.

Additional human studies have revealed that a depletion of boron leads to decreased mental alertness and impaired performance in tasks requiring searching, counting and data evaluation (FASEB J 89;3:A760). (Maybe a boron deficiency was responsible for all of those times I had trouble staying awake in high school math class.)

Boron deprivation also affects your body's metabolism of several items including calcium, copper, nitrogen, magnesium, vitamin D, arginine, methionine, copper, superoxide dismutase and aluminum.

Increased stress (such as low calcium intake or high aluminum intake) increases the need for boron.

Some very interesting epidemiological data indicates a link between boron and arthritis. Researchers evaluated the soil content of boron in 13 different countries. They discovered that those countries with the highest boron levels also had the lowest amounts of arthritis in their native populations.

Most of our dietary boron comes from green leafy vegetables, fruits, nuts and legumes. Estimates are that adults in this country are getting about .5 mg in their diet each day. Unfortunately this is probably inadequate. Some researchers are now suggesting an intake of at least 1 mg daily. [European animal studies have shown that 3 mg daily may benefit arthritis sufferers. One report found that the boron content of arthritic femur heads (the leg bone that helps form the hip joint) contains less than half the amount of boron contained in healthy bones.]

In treating arthritis, the effectiveness of boron can be enhanced by including both magnesium and garlic to the regimen. In Australia sodium borate is combined in tablet form with magnesium. The combination has been used successfully for years in treating both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. In Europe researchers have found that when garlic oil and boron were taken together their anti-arthritic effects doubled (Fitoterapia 90;61(2):121-6).

An inexpensive boron formula which contains 3 mg of boron combined with magnesium, calcium, and vitamin C is available from Vitamin Research Products. It can be purchased at a discount from the Vitamin Shoppe.