Published August 01, 2024
Summary
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What is boron?
Boron is a mineral that we consume in very small amounts primarily from plant-based foods in our diets, which is why vegans and vegetarians consume more of it than other people (see What It Is).
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What does boron do?
Boron has not been established as being essential to our health. Some preliminary studies have suggested that supplementing with boron can improve bone health and osteoarthritis, but these benefits are not well established. Boron has also been marketed as a testosterone-booster, but a placebo-controlled study found no benefit (see What It Does ).
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How much Boron should I take?
Again, there is no convincing evidence that supplementing with boron is necessary. However, if you are going to take boron, doses used in clinical trials have typically ranged from 1 mg to 6 mg daily.
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What did CL's tests of boron find?
Among the five boron-containing supplements ConsumerLab.com selected for testing, including "bone health" formulas that contained other ingredients, four were Approved. One combination formula was Not Approved, as it contained only 81% of the vitamin K listed on its label (see What CL Found).
Which boron product is best?
Among the products that passed testing and were "Approved", for their quality, CL selected a Top Pick for boron that provides a significant amount of boron for just pennies. CL would have also selected a Top Pick combination formula (that includes boron along with calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and vitamin K) but neither product met CL's requirements for both quality and value to be a Top Pick. (In addition to the products tested in this Review, other products discussed include Jarrow BoneUp, Naturelo Bone Strength, Nature's Way Calcium & Vitamin D3, Solgar Calcium Magnesium Plus Boron, and TwinLab Tri-Boron Plus 12.) -
How to get more boron?
Many plant-based foods, such as raisins and almonds, are good sources of boron. As a supplement, boron comes in many forms, such as boron citrate, sodium borate, and calcium fructoborate, but there is insufficient information to determine if one form is better than another regarding absorption or side-effects. (For a description of the various forms see What to Consider When Buying).
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Boron safety and side effects:
Even at moderate levels of intake, boron may increase estrogen levels. There is some concern that it can also lower blood levels of phosphorus. Very high intakes may cause side effects and potentially affect reproduction and development. For more details, see Concerns and Cautions.
See our separate Reviews of Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Vitamin K Supplements.
+— 15 sources
In addition the results of its expert testing, ConsumerLab uses only high-quality, evidence based, information sources. These sources include peer-reviewed studies and information from agencies such as the FDA and USDA, and the National Academy of Medicine. On evolving topics, studies from pre-print journals may be sourced. All of our content is reviewed by medical doctors and doctoral-level experts in pharmacology, toxicology, and chemistry. We continually update and medically review our information to keep our content trustworthy, accurate, and reliable. The following sources are referenced in this article:
- Rainey, J Am Diet Assoc 1999
- Institute of Medicine 2001
- Neilson, FASEB J 1987
- Nielsen, J Trace Elem Exp Med 1990
- Miljkovic, Med Hypoth 2004
- Biquet, Osteoporos Int 1996
- Travers, J Nutr Med 1990
- Reyes-Izquierdo, Am J Biomed Sci 2011
- Penland, Magnes Res 1995
- Green, Environ Health Perspect 1994
- Thorley, Sex Transm Infec 2018
- Orlando, Molecules 2019
- Miljkovic, J Diet Suppl 2009
- Hunter, Biol Trace Elem Res 2019
- Meacham, Am J Clin Nutr 1995
You must
be a member to get the full test results along with ConsumerLab.com recommendations and quality ratings. You will get results for 5 boron and boron-combination supplements selected by ConsumerLab.com and two others that passed testing in its voluntary Quality Certification Program.
In this comprehensive review, you'll discover:
Which boron supplements failed our tests and which ones passed- CL's Top Picks among boron-only and boron combination supplements (those containing calcium, magnesium, and/or vitamins D and K) based on form, quality and dose
- The different forms of boron sold in supplements, including boron citrate, boron glycinate, boron aspartate, calcium fructoborate, borax and boric acid
- Which foods are a good source of boron
- What boron is and if you need to take a boron supplement
- The evidence for and against using boron supplements for bone health, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and joint pain and more
- Safety and side-effects of boron supplements
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