A Mineral Marvel: Health benefits of Boron in Humans

Discover the most direct health benefits of boron when present in proper proportions in the diet of an individual of any age.

Introduction:

Boron belongs to a special group of elements that exhibit both the properties of a metal and a nonmetal. It is a naturally occurring element found in greeny plant foods (fruit, tubers, legumes, etc) but you can also get it in supplements (as sodium tetraborate, boron amino acid chelate, boron ascorbate, sodium borate, and many more forms).

This element is found as a building block in plant cell walls and has a significant role during plant growth, in the pollination phase, and in seed formation. In terms of its role in human health, this element is considered a nonessential nutrient for humans.

When eaten in diet, this element is converted to boric acid in our digestive tract and is commonly found as inorganic borates, mono- di-sugar-borate esters, and di-sugar-borate esters (e.g calcium fructoborate) in foods. Our bodies can absorb about 85% to 90% of this ingested boron. It is not found in normal body tissues but tissues of bones, nails, and hair have significant levels of boron.

Below are the most significant health benefits of boron to our health:

1. Counters Certain Cancer Types:

Initial research has shown that regular intake of boron in the human diet helps reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, especially prostate cancer. It is also found to help women lower the chance of getting lung and cervical cancer. How boron helps do it is still being investigated at the time of writing but early trials show a positive impact on immune function, anti-inflammatory Properties, and Hormonal Regulation.  

2. Helps reduce Vaginal Infections:

One of the most significant health benefits of boron is its ability to effectively kill yeast that causes vaginal infections in women. It does that by disrupting the cell membranes of atypical yeast species cells (e.g.: Candida glabrata or Candida tropicalis.) which are involved in vaginal infections. This creates an acidic environment for these cells which is inhospitable to yeast growth, hence curing this condition. To treat this condition, it is introduced in the vaginal cavity in powdered form. It should be noticed that boric acid (after conversion of boron) is extremely toxic in pure form and should not be taken orally but It is not toxic in the vaginal cavity.

3. Effect on Bone health:

A rather limited research (and more is still ongoing) with human clinical trials concluded that it helps lower osteoarthritis symptoms by potentially lowering inflammation in our bodies. It enhances the body's ability to absorb calcium and magnesium, two elements crucial for the development and upkeep of bones.

It also influences the hormonal activity which is responsible for avoiding calcium loss and bone demineralization leading to osteoarthritis conditions in women. It also beneficially impacts vitamin D utilization in our bodies which is again extremely important for bone health. To be more sure whether boron directly improves bone health or not, more deep study with human trials is needed.

4. Radioprotective effects

When boron is applied on the skin in a gel tropical form, it helps recover and alleviate skin damage. As confirmed by early research, this element helps people recover from radiation dermatitis, a condition in which skin cells are damaged due to radiation exposure.

It is also found that it can promote the wound-healing process by effectively stimulating collagen synthesis in the skin to replace the damaged cells with new ones. Its gel formulations also have moisture retention characteristics which also help to restore skin cells in the damaged area of skin tissues.

5. Booster for Athletic Performance

Recent studies at a very small scope have indicated its impact on athletic performance however there is not enough research evidence from other sources to support this claim. In some results, it had no impact on the performance at all. More research is awaited to confirm its role.

Wrapping Up:

Most of the health benefits of boron are still awaiting to be verified with more research data but early results show its role in the bone health of women, avoiding certain cancer types, and fighting against yeast infections in the vagina.