Thoughts on Boron supplementation?

joegor, I used 3mg in Life Extension Only Trace Minerals for years. I can't tell if it's beneficial; it may be a waste of money. I read the research and trust it even whether it's on rats or rabbits.

My sister mentioned taking it so I looked into it. Boron is actually in prunes....which I started eating a couple of months ago. To get enough though, you need like 10 prunes which is bit much for many people either because of the gut effect or from the sugar in them. I'm compromising by eating 4-5 prunes and taking a 3mg Boron from Life Extension. You can take too much Boron so I'm paying attention to keeping the intake at about 5-6mg...from the supplement and from food.

Interesting topic. This website says: "In one trial, supplementing with 3 mg/day of boron reduced calcium loss by 44% in women with adequate magnesium — in less than one month! In women with low magnesium, calcium loss was reduced by half as much — but it would’ve been interesting to see how that changed over a longer time frame than the 28 days of the study.
So, what about that other critical bone-building nutrient, vitamin D? If you guessed that boron also helps maintain vitamin D levels, you guessed right! Boron helps the body make more effective use of vitamin D by acting as a stabilizer for this otherwise ephemeral nutrient. The same dose used in the studies on calcium and magnesium produced a 39% increase in vitamin D within about 2 months in boron deficient individuals.
For those of us who struggle with conditions that limit their access to boron-rich foods — a nut allergy, for instance — supplementing with 3 mg/day of boron has been shown to be both safe and effective."
https://betterbones.com/bone-nutrition/boron-for-bone-health/
I also read: "Research shows that eating 4-6 prunes (about 1.18mg of boron) daily can help preserve and even reverse bone loss, particularly in postmenopausal women. A half-cup serving of raw avocado contains as much as 1.07 milligrams of boron. For more foods containing boron: https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-boron

The “maximum tolerable intake” is between one to 20 milligrams per day for adults, which means you should not exceed this amount
It’s unlikely that boron supplements are necessary. Most experts recommend increasing intake through dietary sources like fruits and vegetables before considering supplements.
If you don’t want to take additional boron supplements, eating foods that contain boron, like prunes, raisins, dried apricots, or avocados, can help increase boron levels."
Another helpful site says: "There’s currently no RDATrusted Source for boron. However, the 2020 research review notes that an intake of 3 mg per day may be sufficient to prevent bone loss and maintain bone density."
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/osteoporosis-supplements

My PCP told me to absolutely stay away from Boron (and she saved my life); I'm still not sure if her statement relates to Osteoporosis or Hashimoto's (I have both). I can't ask her because she left the practice and am waiting to see my new PCP. Jeez ................... So I take MK7 instead.

@dunksmom1207 Did she give you a reason for avoiding boron? I'm still researching whether or not to take a supplement, but am leaning towards trying to get more boron from my diet.

@daisy17 She did not but I found this article from the NIMH website: (Short version overuse can cause nodule growth).
Investigation of the effect of boron on thyroid functions and biochemical parameters in hypothyroid induced-rats
Fahriye Kan 1, Ismail Kucukkurt 1
Affiliations Expand PMID: 35924451 DOI: 10.1002/jbt.23186
Abstract
In the study investigating the effects of boron on thyroid hormones and some biochemical parameters in hypothyroid rats, 49 Wistar Albino male rats were divided into seven groups; (Control (C), Hypothyroidism (H), boron groups (B10, and B20), hypothyroid + boron groups (HB10 and HB20), and Treatment (T). Four groups (H, HB10, HB20, and T) were administered 10 mg/kg (B10 and HB10), 20 mg/kg (B20 and HB20) boron for 3 weeks, respectively after hypothyroidism was induced using Propycil® containing propylthiouracil (PTU). Thyroid hormone analyses and biochemical measurements were made from the serum and thyroid gland tissue was examined histopathologically. According to the findings, the fT3 level increased in the B10 group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). While AST, ALT, and ALP activities were found to be higher in the hypothyroid group than in the control group, AST and ALP activities in the HB10 and HB20 groups decreased to values close to the control group. Total cholesterol levels were found to be lower in boron-given groups compared to control and hypothyroid groups (p < 0.05). Sodium iodide symporter (NIS) immunoreactivity was found to be high in hypothyroid rat groups. As a result, it was observed that the increased AST and ALP activities in rats decreased with boron administration. The serum hormone levels measured in the study are not sufficient to understand the effect of boron on the thyroid gland, and it was concluded that further studies at the molecular level are needed to understand the effects of boron on the thyroid gland.