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1, 3 Boron also beneficially impacts vitamin-D utilization. Boron supplementation has repeatedly been shown to markedly reduce urinary excretion of both calcium and magnesium and to increase serum levels of estradiol and calcium absorption in peri- and postmenopausal women. 2 Boron influences the production and activity of steroid hormones, actions via which this trace mineral is involved in the prevention of calcium loss and bone demineralization. 1īoron plays an important role in osteogenesis, and its deficiency has been shown to adversely impact bone development and regeneration. The reduction in calcium loss resulting from boron supplementation was 52 mg/d when the women were low in magnesium and 22 mg/d when magnesium levels were adequate. With boron supplementation, the women’s daily urinary excretion of calcium was reduced by 44%. In one trial, magnesium intake was low in the other, magnesium intake was adequate. In 1985, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducted an experiment in which postmenopausal women (n = 12) who had been put on a low-boron diet (0.25 mg/d for 119 d) were supplemented with 3 mg/d of boron during two 28-day trials. Scientists have known for many years that boron is essential for healthy bones. The absence of studies showing harm in conjunction with the substantial number of articles showing benefits support the consideration of boron supplementation of 3 mg/d for any individual who is consuming a diet lacking in fruits and vegetables or who is at risk for or has osteopenia osteoporosis osteoarthritis (OA) or breast, prostate, or lung cancer. No estimated average requirements (EARs) or dietary reference intakes (DRIs) have been set for boron-only an upper intake level (UL) of 20 mg/d for individuals aged ≥ 18 y. In none of the numerous studies conducted to date, however, do boron’s beneficial effects appear at intakes > 3 mg/d. As the current article shows, boron has been proven to be an important trace mineral because it (1) is essential for the growth and maintenance of bone (2) greatly improves wound healing (3) beneficially impacts the body’s use of estrogen, testosterone, and vitamin D (4) boosts magnesium absorption (5) reduces levels of inflammatory biomarkers, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) (6) raises levels of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (7) protects against pesticide-induced oxidative stress and heavy-metal toxicity (8) improves the brains electrical activity, cognitive performance, and short-term memory for elders (9) influences the formation and activity of key biomolecules, such as S-adenosyl methionine (SAM-e) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD +) (10) has demonstrated preventive and therapeutic effects in a number of cancers, such as prostate, cervical, and lung cancers, and multiple and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and (11) may help ameliorate the adverse effects of traditional chemotherapeutic agents. The trace mineral boron is a micronutrient with diverse and vitally important roles in metabolism that render it necessary for plant, animal, and human health, and as recent research suggests, possibly for the evolution of life on Earth.