boron and Osteoporosis

For prevention against the development of osteoporosis and related fractures, the importance of sufficient intake of calcium and vitamin D has been increasingly recognized. However, due to increasing intake of calcium, the relative intake of magnesium and trace elements, such as zinc and copper has been relatively decreasing and thus been focused in recent years. On this article, we will give an outline of the importance of magnesium and trace elements in the regulation of bone metabolism.

Topics: Bone and Bones; Bone Density; Boron; Calcification, Physiologic; Copper; Fluorine; Humans; Magnesium; Osteogenesis; Osteoporosis; Zinc

For early prevention or inhibition of postmenopausal and age-related bone loss, nutritional interventions might be a first choice. For some vitamins and minerals an important role in bone metabolism is known or suggested. Calcium and vitamin D support bone mineral density and are basic components in most preventive strategies. Magnesium is involved in a number of activities supporting bone strength, preservation, and remodeling. Fluorine and strontium have bone-forming effects. However, high amounts of both elements may reduce bone strength. Boron is especially effective in case of vitamin D, magnesium, and potassium deficiency. Vitamin K is essential for the activation of osteocalcin. Vitamin C is an important stimulus for osteoblast-derived proteins. Increasing the recommended amounts (US RDA 1989), adequate intakes (US DRI 1997), or assumed normal intakes of mentioned food components may lead to a considerable reduction or even prevention of bone loss, especially in late postmenopausal women and the elderly.

Topics: Ascorbic Acid; Bone Density; Boron; Calcium; Female; Humans; Magnesium; Middle Aged; Minerals; Osteoporosis; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal; Strontium; Vitamin D; Vitamin K; Vitamins

Prunes are dried plums, fruits of Prunus domestica L., cultivated and propagated since ancient times. Most dried prunes are produced from cultivar d'Agen, especially in California and France, where the cultivar originated. After harvest, prune-making plums are dehydrated in hot air at 85 to 90 degrees C for 18 h, then further processed into prune juice, puree, or other prune products. This extensive literature review summarizes the current knowledge of chemical composition of prunes and their biological effects on human health. Because of their sweet flavor and well-known mild laxative effect, prunes are considered to be an epitome of functional foods, but the understanding of their mode of action is still unclear. Dried prunes contain approximately 6.1 g of dietary fiber per 100 g, while prune juice is devoid of fiber due to filtration before bottling. The laxative action of both prune and prune juice could be explained by their high sorbitol content (14.7 and 6.1 g/100 g, respectively). Prunes are good source of energy in the form of simple sugars, but do not mediate a rapid rise in blood sugar concentration, possibly because of high fiber, fructose, and sorbitol content. Prunes contain large amounts of phenolic compounds (184 mg/100 g), mainly as neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acids, which may aid in the laxative action and delay glucose absorption. Phenolic compounds in prunes had been found to inhibit human LDL oxidation in vitro, and thus might serve as preventive agents against chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. Additionally, high potassium content of prunes (745 mg/100 g) might be beneficial for cardiovascular health. Dried prunes are an important source of boron, which is postulated to play a role in prevention of osteoporosis. A serving of prunes (100 g) fulfills the daily requirement for boron (2 to 3 mg). More research is needed to assess the levels of carotenoids and other phytochemicals present in prunes to ensure correct labeling and accuracy of food composition tables in order to support dietary recommendations or health claims.

Topics: Boron; Cathartics; Cholesterol, LDL; Dietary Fiber; Food Handling; Food, Organic; Fruit; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia; Osteoporosis; Phenol; Phytotherapy; Sorbitol

Osteoporosis is a disease that characteristically afflicts postmenopausal women. It is estimated that millions of people are plagued yearly with this debilitating disease. Associated health care costs are in the billions of dollars, annually. Much research has been conducted in the area of osteoporosis and mineral supplementation, mainly focusing on calcium and vitamin D. Nonetheless, more recent studies have reported possible improvements in bone mineral density in women who were supplemented with the ultratrace mineral, boron. Boron may play a role in bone metabolism, but its role is most likely to be associated with its interactions with other minerals and vitamins such as calcium, magnesium and vitamin D. Although the focus of this review will be to discuss the interactive role of boron with magnesium and bone metabolism, some discussion of its interactive role with vitamin D is also necessary.

Topics: Bone Density; Boron; Cholecalciferol; Female; Humans; Magnesium; Male; Osteoporosis; Risk Factors

Osteoporosis is a systemic metabolic disease defined by a decreased bone mineral density, microarchitectural deterioration, and an increased incidence of fragility fractures that may lead to morbidity and mortality. Boron may stimulate new bone formation and regeneration, when combined with nano-hydroxyapatite. We questioned whether injecting boron-containing nano-hydroxyapatite composites with hyaluronan increased the bone mineral density and new bone formation in osteoporotic rabbit femurs. The regenerative effects of injectable boron-containing nano-hydroxyapatite composites from 6 to 12 weeks, which may prevent osteoporotic femoral fractures, were assessed. Boron-containing (10 μg/ml) nano-hydroxyapatite composites were injected into the intramedullary femoral cavity with hyaluronan. These significantly increased the histomorphometric new bone surface to the total bone surface ratio at 6 and 9 weeks. The micro-tomographic bone volume to the total volume ratio and bone mineral density in osteoporotic rabbit femurs increased when compared to the hyaluronan (p = 0.004, p = 0.004, p = 0.004, p = 0.01, respectively) and the sham-control (p = 0.01, p = 0.004, p = 0.01, p = 0.037, respectively) groups. The boron-containing group had a higher bone mineralization and new bone formation compared to the nano-hydroxyapatite group, although the difference was not statistically significant. These findings reveal that intramedullary injection of boron-containing nano-hydroxyapatite with hyaluronan increases new bone formation and mineralization in ovariectomized rabbit femurs. Boron-containing nano-hydroxyapatite composites are promising tissue engineering biomaterials that may have regenerative potential in preventing primary and/or secondary femoral fractures in osteoporosis patients.

Topics: Animals; Bone Regeneration; Boron; Durapatite; Femur; Humans; Osteoporosis; Rabbits

Boron is increasingly added to food supplements due to multiple effects that have been reported in mammals after boric acid administration. Among these effects are inflammatory process control, bone and muscle strength enhancement, protein expression regulation, and a decreased risk of developing some pathologies in which these processes are key, such as osteoporosis, dermatological inflammatory non-infectious maladies and diseases affecting the central nervous system. Experimental data have suggested that steroid hormone levels in plasma change after boric acid administration, but a clear mechanism behind these variations has not been established. We analyzed possibilities for these changes and hypothesized that boric acid disrupts the interactions between steroid hormones and several carriers in plasma. In particular, we proposed that there is an uncoupling of the interactions between sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and estrogens and testosterone and that there are alterations in the binding of hydrophobic ligands by other carrier proteins in plasma. Further experimental and computational studies are required to support the hypothesis that boric acid and probably other boron-containing compounds can displace steroid hormones from their plasma carriers. If such phenomena are confirmed, boron administration with a clear mechanism could be employed as a therapeutic agent in several diseases or physiological events that require modulation of steroid hormone levels in plasma.

Topics: Boric Acids; Boron; Carrier Proteins; Estrogens; Glycoproteins; Humans; Inflammation; Ligands; Models, Theoretical; Osteoporosis; Protein Multimerization; Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; Steroids; Testosterone

To observe the therapeutic efficacy of dietary boron supplement on retinoic acid-induced osteoporosis in rats, so as to provide experimental evidence for clinical management of osteoporosis with boron.. Thirty-two SD rats were randomized into normal control group (8 rats) and osteoporotic group (24 rats), and osteoporosis was induced in rats of the latter group by intragastric retinoic acid administration at the daily dose of 80 mg/kg for 15 consecutive days. The osteoporotic rats were subdivided into control group (8 rats) without treatment, boron treatment group (8 rats) and estradiol treatment group (8 rats). After 30 days of treatment, the serum contents of Ca, P, boron and the activities of alkaline phosphatase (AKP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) in the rats were assayed, the bone mineral density (BMD) of the whole body, lumbar vertebrae and tibia were determined, and the morphological changes of the femurs were observed.. The serum contents of Ca and P in the rats of the 4 groups differed scarcely, but the content of boron in boron treatment group was markedly higher than that in the other three groups. In the osteoporotic control group, the activities of serum AKP and TRAP, the masses of spongy bone and cortical bone of the femurs, and the quantity of the osteoclasts were increased, with the BMD of the lumbar vertebrae and tibia decreased, suggesting osteoporotic conditions. The mean trabecular plate density and thickness, trabecular bone volume and cortical bone volume of the femurs in the osteoporotic rats treated with boron or estradiol were significantly increased, but the active osteoclast quantity in the spongy bone and serum TRAP activities were obviously decreased, and the bone quality was comparable with that of the normal group. In addition, the serum AKP activity and the active osteoblast quantity in the spongy bone were obviously increased in boron treatment group.. The dietary boron supplement can increase the serum content of boron of osteoporotic rats to stimulate bone formation and inhibit bone resorption, producing therefore obvious therapeutical effect against osteoporosis.

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Alkaline Phosphatase; Animals; Bone Density; Boron; Dietary Supplements; Female; Femur; Isoenzymes; Osteoporosis; Random Allocation; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase; Time Factors; Tretinoin