What happens if you don't have enough boron in your body?

Answer 1

Boron can:

• Build strong bones: One of the first recognized roles of boron in human nutrition was its contribution to promoting and maintaining good bone mineralization. The combination of boron, vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium in adequate amounts act synergistically to maintain good bone mineralization. Dietary boron has a similar effect as supplementation with estrogen in humans, because boron is necessary for the formation of specific steroid hormones. Postmenopausal women consuming 3 milligrams per day of boron for 7 weeks increased their estrogen (estradiol) and testosterone levels, and significantly increased calcium retention. Boron helps convert estrogen and vitamin D to their most active forms (17-beta-estradiol and 1,25-(OH)2D3 respectively). Estrogen levels drop after menopause causing osteoclasts to become more sensitive to parathyroid hormone, which signals them to break down bone. Boron provides protection against osteoporosis and reproduces many of the positive effects of estrogen therapy in postmenopausal women.
• Prevent osteoarthritis: In areas around the world where boron intake is low, the incidence of Arthritis is much higher than in areas where boron intake is high. Osteoarthritis patients on boron supplements reported less pain from movement. Bones adjacent to joints with osteoarthritis tend to be less mineralized and have significantly lower concentrations of boron than do healthy bones. Again, it is boron's ability to help form steroid hormones that explains its effect on arthritis. Boron can combine with hydroxyl groups and form corticosteroids, which alleviate symptoms of arthritis. In addition, boron plays a role in regulating serum antibody levels and inhibiting T-cell activity associated with arthritis.
• Prevent prostate cancer: Men who consume the greatest amount of boron are 64% less likely to develop prostate cancer than men who consumed the least boron. Boron compounds inhibit the activity of many serine protease enzymes, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Elevated PSA may promote prostate cancer, and, by breaking down cellular barriers, PSA may enable prostate cancer cells to more readily invade healthy tissue. Men given boron experienced a significant increase in testosterone and a decrease in inflammatory markers.
• Improve cognitive performance: People on a low-boron diet performed poorly in tests of manual dexterity, hand-to-eye coordination, attention, perception, and short- and long-term memory when compared to those on a high-boron diet. Inadequate boron intake can contribute to a lack of energy, ability to stay focused on tasks, and mental alertness. In another experiment, 92 percent of medical students taking boron demonstrated noticeably greater mental alertness and higher participation in class discussions. Electroencephalogram (EEG) tests have demonstrated that subjects taking boron supplements show increased activity in the areas of the brain associated with alertness when compared to subjects with inadequate boron intake.

Answer 2

Boron is involved in building strong bones, preventing osteoarthritis, helping to build muscles and raising testosterone levels, and for improving thinking skills and muscle coordination. Therefore, a deficiency might cause the opposite of any of the above.