The Health Benefits of Boron
(FruiteX B® Calcium Fructoborate)

Over the last decade, research on boron and its nutrition related health benefits has intensified substantially. Documented scientific data has been collected proving boron's essential role in maintaining bones and joints in an optimal physiological state. Indeed, bone adjacent to joints with osteoarthritis tends to be less mineralized (per unit trabecular bone volume) than other control bone or bone from fracture patients, and exhibits significantly lower concentrations of boron, lead and, zinc. (Hellivell TR et al 1996.)

Other researchers have documented that boron may ameliorate the symptoms of Osteoarthritis (Gaby ARJ 1999).

Boron can affect the strength of bones and joints (most likely by cross-linking the inorganic and organic bone/joint matrix and/or through different biochemical mechanisms that modulate activity of bone cells such as chondriocytes, osteoclasts and osteoblasts).

Boron and Osteoarthritis

An open label preliminary pilot study was conducted at the Department of Orthopedic Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Yugoslavia on 20 subjects with mild to severe osteoarthritis. The study was performed using the well-established "WOMAC" (Western Ontario and MacMaster Universities' Osteoarthritis Index). The WOMAC-OA-Index is a reliable index for clinical evaluation of new agents used for OA treatment.

All patients were asked to answer the standard WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index questionnaire at the beginning of the study; the questions were answered again after 4 and 8 weeks of the study. Patients with radiographically proven osteoarthritis (OA) of the knees or hips were divided into two groups:

1. Mild and Moderate OA-patients received 6 mg of boron from 216 mg of Boron (FruiteX B® Calcium Fructoborate) a day.

2. Severe OA patients received 6 mg of boron twice a day from Boron (FruiteX B® Calcium Fructoborate).

The summary of the study results is presented below:

LEGEND

FIGURE 1 - Boron Effectively Decreases Resting and Walking Pain

FIGURE 2 - Boron improves physical function by increasing ease of joint movement

FIGURE 3 - Boron decreases pain, stiffness and improves movement of joints

FIGURE 4 - Boron is effective in decreasing pain at rest and nocturnal pain plus increase ease of movement

Boron and Vitamin D Deficientcy

A pilot clinical study was performed with 11 Vitamin D-deficient patients (having less than 15 μg/mL of 25-Hydroxy-Vitamin D3 in their serum.) The group consisted of 7 women and 4 men, between the ages of 45 and 65.

The results are summarized below:

FIGURE 5 - 25-OH-Vitamin D-3 serum level was raised an average of 24% in a group of 11 patients during 60-day consumption of 6 mg portion of boron from Boron (FruiteX B® Calcium Fructoborate) per day

In 10 out of 11 patients, the average increase in the Vitamin D level in serum was 24% after consuming boron for 60 days.

Boron in Treatment of Vitamin D Deficient Rats

In a study conducted by Dr. Hector De Luca, Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin - Madison, bone ash measurements reflect a significant trend toward elevations when boron is administered to Vitamin D deficient rats.

FIGURE 6 - Bone Ash Increased 5.8% after 8 weeks of feeding boron to Vitamin D Deficient Rats

Vitamin D deficient animals are used in research for the investigation and discovery of novel anti-osteoporotic treatment. Using this model, an 8-week treatment with boron increased bone mineral content by 5.8% as measured by bone mass. This result suggests that boron may increase bone strength. More information on boron and bone health

Additional Information on Boron Benefits

Boron (FruiteX B® Calcium Fructoborate)

Boron and bone health

Food sources of boron

AlgaeCal Plus

AlgaeCal Plus naturally contains boron derived from a South American marine algae. Now AlgaeCal Plus also contains an additional 3 mg of Boron (FruiteX B® Calcium Fructoborate) in a daily serving. Learn more about AlgaeCal Plus