Boron – part 2

In this chapter of the blog I am trying to demonstrate the importance Boron and also stimulate research.

After at least 2 years of using and researching Boron I have come to the conclusion that this is a magical mineral that we are prone to deficiency in. For the last century farming has concentrated on obtaining the most yield per acre and very rarely are the fields rested or fertilized with micro-nutrients like Boron. Thus great areas of the world are deficient in Boron in the soil, thus in the crops, thus in what we consume. The only exception seems to be in Olive orchards and avocado farms where if you don’t replace Boron the crops fail or become deformed.

In recent years Boron has become slowly accepted as an essential nutrient to animal life, nearly a century after it was known that it was essential to plant life.

1. Osteoarthritis – this is a world-wide epidemic which ruins the later years of many people’s lives. In a few countries which have high Boron content in the soil and food, Osteoarthritis is rare. The present treatment consists of drugs, surgeries, and ultimately replacements. With an ever increasing number of joint replacements, mainly hip and knee, this puts a considerable economic strain on health resources and does not produce in many cases resolution. The literature is extensive on the effect of Boron in the management of Osteoarthritis. What is interesting is that the Boron actually reduces CRP – C-reactive protein – which is a marker of disease. Perhaps this is the time to mention that CRP reflects inflammation, whatever the site or cause, and Boron supplementation reduces this. This is the key cog in the cycle of inflammation, wear and tear, and most likely points to one of the sites of action for Boron.
2. Memory and Cognitive Function – one of the great problems of our time is living longer with deterioration of our higher brain functions. Research in the literature has discovered double blind studies that Boron improves memory and cognitive function. This should be explored as again the cost to the health care system is astronomical.
3. Bone health- Anecdotal observations in areas where there is high Boron intake is that the bones are harder, also Boron reduces the loss of calcium which many people take to improve bone health. This needs further study however one is looking for 1-2 years to see its effect.
4. Heart Disease – I feel inhibited to continue as this seems to eradicate nearly all human maladies but a small double-blind study with patients of stable angina, “chest pain”, demonstrated that Boron reduced the CRP (C – reactive protein) by 40%, cholesterol & the frequency of angina.
5. Rheumatoid Arthritis – this extensive inflammatory arthritis, especially in children, is still treated along primitive lines of using suppressant drugs of an empirical nature. The only impressive work on this subject related to Boron has been produced by the University of Baghdad that showed patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis have 50% less Boron in their blood. This paper produced in the middle of a war zone has been reviewed by experts. It does not prove that Boron is the answer to Rheumatoid Arthritis but certainly warrants further investigation. They are at present treating cases of Rheumatoid Arthritis with Boron. Their results at present are not available for publication. The whole point of this statement is that at the least it should be studied by other research centres.

The simple fact that Boron suppressed C-reactive protein, the marker of disease activity and inflammation in many illnesses, is crying out for studies to use Boron in a multitude of illnesses. I still have difficulty getting my mind around its action on angina but that is because over the years I have been indoctrinated not to think of vitamins and minerals.

The above comments should be enough to stimulate even the most apathetic to research Boron. It is one of the great puzzles that none of the charitable societies, especially those dealing with Arthritis, have instigated studies or at least have Boron on their radar. One society I contacted in Europe had not even heard of the mineral let alone having an article in their extensive computer bank.

As we talk, the soil is becoming more and more depleted, intake of Boron is decreasing, and the illness mentioned above with an aging population will collapse our health care system.

With the use of the Internet, the days of dogmatic comments are gone, the comments above can easily be checked (I will provide references in another entry). What is not so easy is to persuade those in charge of research to carry out large double-blind studies which will make Boron a definite part of vitamin therapy and medical care.

A good blog to read is Just Me inT’s health stuff which has perhaps the most extensive feedback by patients on Boron under the section “Boron – a magical mineral, part 1”. Some of the comments are from patients that I know. From the above it seems that plants, particularly Olive trees and Avocado trees receive better nutrient care than humans.