ARS | Publication request: BORON - A PHYSIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE ELEMENT WITH BENEFICIAL OR ESSENTIAL ACTIONS IN HUMANS

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: October 30, 1996
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Since 1981 circumstantial evidence has been accumulating which suggests that boron is an element of nutritional concern. In experimental animals and humans a dietary deprivation has consistently resulted in changed biological functions that could be construed as detrimental, and were preventable or reversible by an intake of physiological amounts of boron. Recent findings with experimental animals suggest that boron enhances the utilization of vitamin D-3, and can influence immune and inflammatory processes. Findings from human studies suggest that boron enhances the utilization of calcium, and affects energy substrate, nitrogen and reactive oxygen species metabolism. Additionally, boron has been shown to enhance and mimic some effects of estrogen therapy in postmenopausal women, and to positively affect mental alertness, psychomotor skills and the cognitive processes of attention and memory. Experiments with humans show that people consuming about 0.25 mg B/day respond positively to boro supplementation, which suggests that boron intakes should be higher than this. Extrapolations from animal data have resulted in the suggestion that humans may benefit or have a boron requirement between 0.5 and 1.0 mg/day. Because many people consistently consume less than this amount, boron may be an element of clinical and nutritional importance.