No one like to walk around, let alone sit, with achy joints and be in constant pain. It's a daunting sensation to wake up every morning and feel almost broken or unable to freely move and live one's life.
From conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or regular arthritic pain, none of it is enjoyable or even easy to "manage" with medication one would get from the pharmacy. Thankfully, there has been quite a bit of research showing the benefits of supplementing boron for joint pain and the improvement of such conditions which we thought we'd highlight today!
First off, what is boron? Boron is a trace mineral that is not abundantly found in the earth's crust. It's actually predominantly found on the planet by the water-solubility of more common and naturally occurring borate mineral compounds. Boron will come in many forms but starts off as borate when mined and then evaporates, into borax, boric acid, ulexite, colemanite, boracite, tourmaline, and kernite.
It's vital for all living organisms such as plants and even animals. It's typically recognized for its anti-fungal, antiviral and antimicrobial properties, but also for how important it is for calcium and magnesium metabolism. It specifically helps retain both of those minerals inside the cell. We actually already have a great article speaking about boron and the bones connection which you can find here.
However, that's not all. Boron plays a role in minimizing the synthetization of enzymes that could cause an inflammatory response and pain, hence having the capability of reducing joint pain, stiffness and the development of arthritis. These anti inflammatory properties have been shown to be quite profound.
For instance, in a 2015 paper, which you can find here, individuals who were administered an average of 3-10mg of boron a day had a less likely chance of developing osteoarthritis by up to 60%! The paper also mentioned that for those who did have osteoarthritis were considered boron deficient. Coincidence? I think not.
In addition, there is also another paper sharing here that individuals with rheumatoid arthritis also had low levels of boron. Supplementation of up to 6mg a day, along with the medication the patients were on, showed massive improvements with the lessening of symptoms. "...supplementation with 6 mg of boron as an adjunct to the drug etanercept was found to significantly improved the clinical scores and decrease serum levels of several inflammatory markers, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)" (Clinical Education, 2018)
Conversely, as mentioned before with the calcium and magnesium metabolism, both of those minerals do play a role in joint health. It could very well be that many individuals who do struggle with joint problems and pain could be deficient in those two other minerals as well all because they can't retain them due to a lack of boron.
Calcium is required for the stability and strength of bones as well as the regulation of the nervous system. Pain levels are felt with how "sensitive" our nervous system is, and a low calcium level in our tissues could make us more susceptible to feeling discomfort.
Magnesium on the other hand is required for a multitude of functions, including the production and maintenance of cartilage in between joints. If we aren't capable of retaining it, due to a lack of boron, our joints degenerate.
If this speaks to you and you feel called to try some boron, definitely check out our Upgraded Boron here and tell us what you think!
Barbara Madimenos
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis Practitioner
Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner
Integrative Health Coach