Minerals Guide – BORON
Boron in Food
What food is boron in? Boron (element symbol B) is a mineral that might be good for maintaining strong bones and supporting brain function. While it is not as well-known as other minerals like calcium or iron, it is still important to ensure you are getting enough of it in your diet. Here are nine foods that are high in boron and easy to incorporate into your meals.
9 Amazing Foods Rich in Boron You Should Know About
Boron is the fifth lightest element after hydrogen, helium, lithium, and beryllium. Its ionic form is B3+. Lithium is an alkali metal used in batteries and plays no role in health. Neither does beryllium, so we won’t cover these in this series on minerals in our food. Boron, however, occurs in lots of fruit and vegetables.
Role of Boron in the Body
Unfortunately, scientists are unsure of boron’s role in the body, so this mineral isn’t considered an essential nutrient. No recommended boron RDA or RDI has been set. As far as we know, humans get boron through fruit and vegetables, water, the air, and consumer products. People regularly take in about 1 to 2 mg of boron each day without knowing it, so it’s not one of the minerals that have been depleted from farm soils. However, we know that fish and meat do not increase boron levels in consumers because the mineral does not accumulate in animal tissues. [1]
What Food is Boron in?
As mentioned above, many fruits and vegetables contain the trace mineral boron. Examples are raisins, peaches, prunes, grape juice, avocado, potato, peanuts, beans, green peas, coffee, milk, cider, wine, and real ale. The following table lists the top nine foods rich in boron:
Now you Know what Food is Boron in
In other words, to answer the question, “What food is boron in?” If it grows in the ground, it’ll contain the mineral boron. It’s in beer because barley takes it up from the soil. Boron exists in foods and beverages as inorganic borates and borate esters, such as calcium fructoborate. Most ingested boron is converted into boric acid in the gut. The body absorbs around 87 percent of ingested boron, and no one knows how or where in the gut boron absorption occurs.
Keratin
But boron doesn’t accumulate in most body tissues apart from bone, nails, and hair, linking the mineral with keratin formation and perhaps bone strength.In the blood and urine, and other body fluids, boron is in the form of boric acid, and it’s believed that the body excretes excessive amounts naturally. So, it gets excreted mainly in the urine and small quantities in stools, sweat, breath, and bile.
Health Effects of Boron
Scientists don’t know whether boron affects health. Some studies have been done to see whether the mineral reduces inflammation and osteoarthritis symptoms. Other studies have been carried out to see whether boron levels affect bone health, but nothing substantive has been unearthed. Also, studies are being done on whether boron could help lower cancer risk, but nothing is certain, and more work needs to be done. [2] Boron is not known to affect medicines or dietary supplements. However, it’s important to get advice from your doctor or pharmacist as they can explain whether medicines might interfere with how your body absorbs or uses boron.
Boron Chemistry
Much is known about boron from an inorganic chemistry viewpoint, which doesn’t concern us. The only thing worth knowing is that the most abundant boron mineral is tourmaline, a complex aluminosilicate containing 10 percent boron. The chief boron ores are borates such as borax, found in large beds in arid parts of California and elsewhere.
What Food is Boron in – Summary
In a nutshell, boron isn’t considered an essential mineral because no apparent biological function for the mineral has been found. However, it might have beneficial effects on reproduction and development, calcium metabolism, bone formation, cognitive function, insulin and energy substrate metabolism, immunity, and the function of steroid hormones (including vitamin D and estrogen). [3] Due to the abundance of boron in plant food and the fact that the body regulates boron levels, only pure meat eaters may be short of the mineral. But since humans are omnivores, that is, most of us eat plant foods, boron deficiency is highly unlikely.
References:
1. https://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/b.htm
Synonymous terms: chloride in food; why is calcium chloride in food; what food is boron in;
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