Boron as a test booster.

[Simon1972]

First of all, boron is a trace mineral that your body needs and, like magnesium, is used by and positively influences many of your tissues and processes. There is no RDA for boron, but a significant percentage of the population is well below the 3 mg/day threshold that many experts would recommend. In fact, the average is considered to be about 1.5 mg/day. [2] Here is just a partial list of what boron is known to affect: hormones, inflammation, blood plasma, vitamin D, bone maintenance and cognition/learning. [3] (NOTE: Tell your woman that there is evidence that boron can help with osteoporosis. [4])

Boron can also be fickle to get in the diet. Only certain plants contain boron and, unfortunately, things like soil and weather can affect boron content significantly. However, if you are eating one of the healthy, research-backed diets (such as Mediterranean, Low Fat, vegetarian or DASH), then it is possible to get upwards of 10 mg/day. [2] Plant foods, such as lentils, nuts, peanuts, avocado and certain fruits and vegetables, all generally have significant boron content.


Researchers, in the above-mentioned study [1], decided to give participants boron levels near the upper end of what one can get through diet. They gave 8 healthy volunteers right around middle-age 10 mg of sodium tetraborate - Borax for you old-timers - on a daily basis. The results were remarkable.

Looks at the sex life-boosting properties that Borax exhibited:

1. Free Testosterone. Increased 28%. [5]

2. Estradiol. Decreased 39%.[5] (NOTE: You do not want your estrogen to go too low..)

3. DHT. Increased (not statistically significantly however).

4. Vitamin D. (not statistically significantly, but boron is a known increaser of Vitamin D)

5. C-Reactive Protein. Statisically significant decrease.

6. TNF-alpha. Statisically significant decrease.

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These six changes are a dream-come-true for us men. Notice the nice boost in free testosterone-to-estrogen ratio - this is going to do nothing but help the sex life of most men. And that's just the beginning of the good news. Other studies have shown that Boron is a huge inflammation fighter. (Some people even take it for arthritis.)

So who cares? Well, anything that fights inflammation, particular TNF-alpha and C-Reactive protein is very likely to improve your artery health, which will in turn improve blood flow, slow arteriosclerosis and do many other things to help you pump out more nitric oxide. Remember that C-Reactive protein is a broad measure of systemic inflammation that is strongly predictive of cardiovascular disease. And TNF-alpha is strongly predictive not only of heart disease, but also erectile dysfunction, diabetes, arthritis and many other nasty conditions. See my link on TNF Inhibitors for more information.


REFERENCES:

1) J Trace Elem Med Biol, 2011 Jan, 25(1):54-8. Epub 2010 Dec 3, "Comparative effects of daily and weekly boron supplementation on plasma steroid hormones and proinflammatory cytokines"

2) Reprod Toxicol, 1997 Jan-Feb, 11(1):123-60, "An assessment of boric acid and borax using the IEHR Evaluative Process for Assessing Human Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity of Agents. Expert Scientific Committee"

3) http://www.vrp.com/bone-and-joint/bo...d-joint-health

4) http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2006/aug2006_aas_01.htm

5) http://robthoburn.wordpress.com/2011...sterone-again/

[oscarjones]

How long was the borax supplemented for?

[Times Roman]

1. Free Testosterone . Increased 28%. [5]

hmmm.... let's slice and dice this thing to see what this really means?

increased? was this a one time spike or did it stay elevated?

I suspect, just like all other test boosters, that it was a one time spike, then quickly dropped back down to levels of status quo.

so let's think about this. since what we need is a prolonged and elevated test level, not a one time spike, if this were a legit claim, we'd ALL be increasing our boron intake... right?

that's the problem with these friggin studies. they make splashy headlines, get everyone's attention, and then we come to realize that this one time spike is of absolutely of no importance in the realms of weight lifting.


The panel is now ready for the next claim of test boosters.........................

[Vettester]

So, essentially what this is trying to tell me is that it will lower my SHBG, and possibly lower my albumin levels? There's only one road to increased free testosterone levels, and that would be the one. My free is already at/around 3.5% with SHBG hanging around 10 or so ...

A little nettle root with vitamin would achieve the same results, but maybe there's other variables that would entice someone to choose over the other two mentioned, i.e., the inflammation reduction features, etc.

[Simon1972]

hey hey dont shoot the messenger , i only post what i find.

i leave the disecting of the evidence to you guys.

click on the link (5) interesting reading- but yes havent heard much about boron being discussed of late.

[Times Roman]

hey hey dont shoot the messenger , i only post what i find.

i leave the disecting of the evidence to you guys.

click on the link (5) interesting reading- but yes havent heard much about boron being discussed of late.

=)

it's all good mate. it exposes us to what is out there.

it would have been better to have the clinic run a series of tests, in even increments over time over say days and weeks, and mesaure how well the boron not only supports an increase in test, but whether or not those subjects were able to hang on to these increases.

but if day one is a one time spike, and day two test levels return to pre-boron state (as i suspect they wouuld), then how is that of any benefit?

just saying...

[Simon1972]

=)

it's all good mate. it exposes us to what is out there.

it would have been better to have the clinic run a series of tests, in even increments over time over say days and weeks, and mesaure how well the boron not only supports an increase in test, but whether or not those subjects were able to hang on to these increases.

but if day one is a one time spike, and day two test levels return to pre-boron state (as i suspect they wouuld), then how is that of any benefit?

just saying...

i know, i kinda feel like maybe i should have considered that before posting this thread- but wanted to bring it to the forums attention- just in case i unearthed the fountain of youth!

[Isochroma]

The effect of boron on plasma testosterone and plasma lipids in rats

"Recent studies have indicated that dietary boron can affect the concentration of steroid hormones in vivo. It has been suggested that the interaction between boron and steroid hormone metabolism is mediated by the hydroxylation process that steroids need to become biologically active. The increase in the concentration of some steroid hormones may impact favourably on cardiovascular and bone diseases. The following experiment was performed to determine the specificity of the effect of boron on steroid hormones and to determine the subsequent impact on plasma lipids in rats over a 4 week study period. Upon addition of boron (as boric acid) to the drinking water to provide 2 mg boron/rat/day, there was no change in body or testicular weight between the control and treatment groups. The addition of boric acid to the drinking water resulted in significant elevations in the plasma 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (ed. note: activated D3) concentration at week 2 (P<0.01) and the plasma testosterone concentration at week 4 (P<0.05) relative to the control group. After 2 weeks, there was a significant decrease in the plasma triacylglycerol (P<0.05) and total HDL-cholesterol concentrations (P<0.05) in rats fed boric acid relative to their counterparts in the control group. However, at week 4 only HDL3-cholesterol was significantly lower (P<0.002). The potentially favourable effects of increasing the concentrations of vitamin D, testosterone and oestrogen (as shown in other studies) on chronic diseases need to be balanced against the reduction in HDL3-cholesterol."

"significant elevations in the plasma testosterone concentration at week 4"

Week 4!

Do you realize what that means?

Significantly elevated Testosterone after a month of Boron supplementation!

That means the HPTA Axis [Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Testicular Axis] does not downregulate Testosterone production to compensate for the increase caused by Boron supplementation! The HPTA fully compensates after 4 weeks (one month) to virtually any method used to increase Testosterone. It's called a 'negative-feedback loop'.