Glucosamine is a natural remedy that has been found to be useful in promoting healthy joints. Glucosamine is an amino sugar that is crucial for the construction of glycosaminoglycans in articular cartilage. Reduced glycosaminoglycans content in osteoarthritic cartilage matrix has been found to correlate with the severity of osteoarthritis. Oral glucosamine appears to promote the secretion of more glycosaminoglycans by chondrocytes. Clinically, glucosamine has demonstrated benefits in patients with arthritis of the hip or knee.38

Clinical evidence suggests that glucosamine helps maintain the joint space and may help rebuild damaged cartilage. By contrast, NSAIDs have a propensity to make cartilage deteriorate.39 Glucosamine also inhibits certain enzymes that destroy cartilage, including collagenase and phospholipase. By blocking pathogenic mechanisms that lead to joint degeneration, glucosamine delays the progression of osteoarthritis and relieves symptoms even for weeks after termination of the treatment.40

Glucosamine is becoming recognized as a treatment of choice for osteoarthritis. Its ability to repair and improve joint function, in addition to providing pain relief, gives it a significant advantage over conventional treatments. Additionally, glucosamine may stimulate new tissue growth and suppress the enzymes that otherwise break down cartilage.

Multiple Benefits of Methylsulfonylmethane

Methylsulfonylmethane is another natural remedy that may benefit individuals with arthritis. A naturally occurring, organic sulfur compound found in human diets and those of virtually all other vertebrates, methylsulfonylmethane is produced by the body as a result of the foods we eat. In vertebrates, the body’s concentration of methylsulfonylmethane decreases with age. Some research suggests a minimum concentration of methylsulfonylmethane must be maintained in the body to preserve normal function and structure.

In experiments using radiolabeled sulfur, it was shown that after ingestion, methylsulfonylmethane gives up its sulfur to the essential amino acids methionine, cysteine, and other serum proteins, eventually finding its way into the collagen of skin, joints, and blood vessels. It is also incorporated in the keratin of hair and nails.

Animal studies have shown that joints affected by osteoarthritis have lower sulfur content,41 and that arthritic mice given methylsulfonylmethane experience less joint degeneration.42 In a double-blind trial in people with osteoarthritis, subjects who received methylsulfonylmeth-ane experienced significant pain relief.43 Methylsulfonylmethane is known to be safe and nontoxic.

A small, uncontrolled study of arthritic women conducted by Stanley W. Jacob, MD, indicated that methylsulfonylmethane was as effective as ibuprofen, but without the latter’s side effects.44 Much of what we know about methylsulfonylmethane comes from Dr. Jacob’s 20 years of experience in the renowned DMSO Clinic at Oregon Health Sciences University. Methylsulfonylmethane is in fact a derivative of DMSO (dimethylsulfoxide), another powerful arthritis fighter.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a small but highly effective molecule that inhibits pain impulses along nerve fibers, quells inflammation, increases blood supply, reduces muscle spasms, and softens scar tissue. Methylsulfonylmethane relieves pain and inflammation in osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, and fibromyalgia. It has also been reported to be helpful in allergies, back pain, headaches, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, tendonitis, and more. Most users take 1000-3000 mg daily, but some require more. Methylsulfonylmethane can be applied topically as well as taken orally.44

Synergistic Effects of Glucosamine, (MSM) Methylsulfonylmethane

In an exciting new study, the combination of glucosamine with methylsulfonylmethane was found to be more effective in improving the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis than the use of either agent alone.45 Glucosamine is known as a chondroprotective agent since it helps to protect and restore joint cartilage. Methylsulfonylmethane is known to be an effective natural analgesic and anti-inflammatory.

In this study, 118 patients with mild to moderate osteoarthritis were treated three times daily for 12 weeks with either 500 mg of glucosamine, 500 mg of methylsulfonylmethane, a combination of both, or an inactive placebo. The patients were evaluated for pain, inflammation, and swelling at 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks.45

Glucosamine, methylsulfonylmethane, and the combination of glucosamine and methylsulfonylmethane significantly relieved the pain and swelling of osteoarthritis compared with placebo. After 12 weeks of treatment, the average pain score in the glucosamine-only group dropped from 1.74 to 0.65. In the methylsulfonylmethane-only group, the score fell from 1.53 to 0.74. In the group taking both glucosamine and methylsulfonylmethane, however, the average pain score dropped from 1.70 to 0.36. The researchers also found that the combination therapy had a faster effect on pain and inflammation than either glucosamine or methylsulfonylmethane alone.45 The study authors concluded that the combination of glucosamine with methylsulfonylmethane provides better and more rapid improvement in patients with osteoarthritis than either agent alone.

Practical Advice on Nutrients and Drugs

The nutritional management of arthritis goes far beyond the items discussed in this article. Additional nutrients important for those suffering with arthritis include vitamin C, antioxidants, B-complex vitamins, and trace minerals, especially selenium and copper. A healthy, natural diet is fundamental to managing inflammatory conditions such as arthritis (see the sidebar, “Nutrients for Healthy Joints”).

Nutritional and herbal remedies may offer a safe, effective first line of therapy for many arthritis sufferers. Natural remedies—including fish oil, boswellia, citrus flavonoids, glucosamine, and methylsulfonylmethane—have been found to effectively reduce inflammation and protect joint health. For those experiencing more severe arthritis that requires powerful drugs such as COX-2 inhibitors, nutritional and herbal agents used concomitantly may allow lower drug doses. A physician should be consulted when combining prescription drugs with natural remedies.

Prescription and over-the-counter medications are often the doctor’s first choice for treating pain and inflammation. Given the risks inherent in these drugs, as evidenced by the recent withdrawal of Vioxx® from the market, this may not be a safe or prudent choice. When nutritional substances like fish oil, boswellia, citrus flavonoids, glucosamine, and methylsulfonylmethane are used as a first line against arthritis pain, drugs can become a last resort. Some people will need drugs, but many others will find relief from pain and inflammation without the risk of toxic side effects.

For the past 16 years, green tea polyphenols have grabbed the headlines,1 but a related family of black tea compounds called theaflavins is capturing the attention of longevity researchers.

Theaflavins possess a unique ability to favorably influence human health by regulating genes that produce inflammatory cytokines and other toxic factors implicated in degenerative disease and aging. By modulating inflammation at its earliest stages, theaflavins represent a new tool in the fight against inflammation-related pathologies such as cancer, heart disease, senility, and arthritis.

Tea Extracts and Theaflavins

The past decade has seen a veritable explosion of data on the active components of tea.3 The flavonoid epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) found in green tea is widely known for its disease-preventing capabilities,4 and now its sister molecules, the theaflavins, are beginning to share the spotlight. What has researchers particularly excited is how theaflavins exert their health-promoting benefits by favorably altering our genes. This phenomenon, known as “nutrigenomics,” will be fully explained in this article.

Theaflavin Inhibits Inflammation

Much of the misery of age-related conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic pain, and even cancer can be laid at the feet of inflammatory processes that presumably originally evolved for the preservation of our health. A lifetime of exposure to oxidation and inflammatory stimuli leaves us awash in molecules known as cytokines and chemokines, which are used by immune system cells to signal each other and react to potential threats.

Long-term effects of these cytokines include increased tissue oxidation and further inflammation, which perpetuates the cycle and increases our risk for a myriad of chronic conditions. These inflammatory signaling molecules, of course, are the protein products of specific genes, and their production is regulated by transcription factors, as is all genetic activity in the body. Many nutrients help prevent or mitigate chronic disease either “upstream” in the process by preventing oxidation or “downstream” by inhibiting the effects of cytokines once produced. The remarkable ability of theaflavins to target specific gene transcription factors may allow for exquisite control of inflammation exactly when and where it starts—when inflammation-producing genes are “switched on” to start manufacturing cytokines.

Children’s health researchers at the University of Cincinnati described theaflavin’s novel anti-inflammatory characteristics in a 2004 paper,5 in which they identified the effect of varying concentrations of theaflavin on cells in a laboratory culture dish. The researchers were specifically interested in the gene that produces the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-8 (IL-8), which is responsible for much of the acute inflammation seen in conditions such as asthma, gum disease, and inflammatory bowel disease.6,7 Remarkably, theaflavin inhibited IL-8 production, even at very low concentrations. Even more remarkably, the effect was traced to theaflavin’s ability to inhibit the transcription of the IL-8 gene—in other words; theaflavin blocked the gene from actually expressing its product, the inflammatory cytokine.5 This pinpoint accuracy opens the door to many specific applications of theaflavin as an anti-inflammatory nutrigenomic agent.

Theaflavins—Working at the Genetic Level to Control Age-Related Disease

The first studies of theaflavins as modulators of genetic transcription began to appear at the turn of the present century, with recognition that theaflavins could control the expression of genes involved in cancer production, and a possible role in cancer chemoprevention as a result8,9 (remember that cancer, like heart disease, has direct connections with inflammation, particularly in its earliest stages).

By 2006, biologists in Iowa were already able to review the multiple sites at which theaflavins exert their gene-regulating effects: they (along with other polyphenols) up- or down-regulated production of enzymes involved in cancer production, they inhibited metastasis by blocking the effects of genes that produce enzymes making tissues more permeable to malignant cells, and they reduced the formation of new blood vessel growth needed for tumors to spread by blocking production of vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF. The review article concluded that “green and black tea polyphenols act at numerous points regulating cancer cell growth, survival, and metastasis, including effects at the DNA, RNA, and protein levels.”1

Further studies have supported and expanded upon this work, progressively building the case for a specific group of theaflavin extracts from black tea.10 In 1999, biochemists in Taiwan investigated the effects of various tea components, including theaflavins, on induction of inflammatory molecules in mouse cells in culture.11 A group of four theaflavins was found to potently inhibit production of those inflammatory molecules.

In 2000, other scientists in the same group were able to demonstrate that these theaflavin extracts could reduce inflammatory cytokine production even in the face of stimulation by one of the most powerful inducers of inflammation known, a bacterial molecule called lipopolysaccharide (LPS).12 Importantly, this group also began the process of identifying the specific fractions, or groups of factors, in the theaflavin extracts that were the most powerfully active in blocking production of the inflammatory cytokines.

By 2002, these productive researchers had further extended their findings, demonstrating that the most active fractions of the theaflavin extracts could prevent inflammation on the skin and paws of mice that was induced experimentally with a toxic substance.13 Another Taiwanese researcher also published a 2002 report showing that the most active fraction of theaflavins was a potent cancer chemopreventive, chiefly through suppressing genes involved in tumor promotion and inflammation.14 In 2004, Japanese researchers were able to pin down platelet anti-aggregating effect to those same highly active fractions of theaflavins.15

Since 2005, the number of scholarly papers describing the powerful anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and longevity-enhancing qualities of these highly active theaflavin fractions has blossomed to several dozen studies, each providing more high-resolution details about just how these molecules act,16-20 and broadening their beneficial effects to prevention of ischemia-reperfusion injury following strokes,16,21 alcohol-induced pancreatitis,22 colitis,23 cigarette smoke-induced lung damage and cancers,24-26 cardiovascular disease,27 and even parasitic infection.28

Protecting Against Vascular Diseases

Evidence that tea confers health benefits is millennia-old, but the mechanisms by which it works have only recently been revealed. It is known from epidemiologic studies, for example, that drinking multiple cups of tea per day reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Cardiologists at Vanderbilt University studied the impact of a theaflavin-enriched green tea extract on lipid profiles of subjects with mild-to-moderately elevated cholesterol.29 Studying 240 men and women in China, the researchers randomly assigned patients to receive either placebo or a theaflavin-enriched green tea extract (375 mg) daily for 12 weeks. At the end of the study, the theaflavin-supplemented patients experienced decreases in their total cholesterol by 11% and LDL by 16%. Placebo recipients had no change at all. No significant adverse effects were observed, and the researchers concluded that this theaflavin-enriched extract was “an effective adjunct to a low-saturated-fat diet.”

Boston cardiologists studied the impact of black tea and its theaflavin components supplementation on endothelial dysfunction30 in a study that randomly assigned 66 patients with coronary artery disease to consume either black tea or water. The study was designed in a “cross-over” fashion so that all subjects got both the tea and the water at different times (this allows comparisons within individuals as well as between subjects). The findings were dramatic: both short- and long-term tea consumption significantly improved blood flow in arteries, as detected by ultrasound measurements. This flow is controlled by endothelial cells and is typically decreased in patients with cardiovascular diseases. The researchers concluded that, “short- and long-term black tea consumption reverses endothelial vasomotor dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease.”

In a British study of healthy men aged 18-55 years, subjects were given black tea or placebo for four weeks, and the effects on their platelet activation were measured. By the end of the study, the tea-drinking group had significantly fewer platelet “clumps,” or aggregates, than the placebo group.31

Why was this study so significant? This study represented an important first step in understanding how tea components actually influence gene transcription, and therefore in understanding the role of tea components in nutrigenomic influences on health. Here’s how: platelets, the tiny cell fragments involved in blood clotting, stick together (aggregate) when activated in an important step in the cardiovascular disease process. The triggers for platelet activation include oxidative stress and inflammation, which cause transcription factors to increase the activity of genes making proteins involved in the aggregation process, acutely increasing cardiovascular disease risk.32-34

In other words, the British researchers had found that tea components must act as nutrigenomic factors, modulating production of these potentially lethal proteins. This groundbreaking finding led the way for further research investigating which tea components were responsible for it nutrigenomic activity and how to utilize theaflavin consumption to influence health and longevity.

Breaking News: Human Study With Highly Active Theaflavin Extracts

The studies listed above only begin to tell the theaflavin story—a similarly overwhelming body of literature supports their effectiveness in switching off the genes involved in virtually every cancer type,1,35,36 for example, as well as in modifying the way liver cells handle cholesterol and other fats.37 Of course, the most exciting news always has to do with human studies, and how any given supplement might benefit human health and preventing human disease. While there are numerous studies of the impact of tea drinking on the health of large human populations (epidemiologic studies), there are still no published studies on the effects of the specially purified, highly active theaflavin extracts we have been discussing. But late-breaking news is about to change that—with data too recent to have yet been published, a private company has revealed the outlines of a compelling human trial using just one such extract. Let us review what the company was able to share with us about this exciting, still-proprietary information, in advance of publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

The study was conducted in 2007 with 12 human volunteers. Eight of the subjects were supplemented with the highly purified theaflavin extract for one week, while four received placebo. At the end of the week, the subjects received injections of a bacterial cell membrane component called LPS, one of the most powerful stimulators of inflammation known to science. LPS in modest doses can induce shock, coma, and even death, so naturally these were only minute and safe doses, but clearly the volunteers were expected to show some evidence of acute inflammatory reactions. In addition to clinical monitoring, the investigators drew blood samples to monitor for early signs of inflammation, particularly those involving the “inducible” cytokines such as TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-8, and C-reactive protein (CRP).38,39

Astonishingly, the supplemented subjects had a 56% reduction in levels of these cytokines even before they received the inflammatory challenge! Equally importantly, supplemented subjects experienced a 52% increase in levels of the protective, anti-inflammatory cytokine called IL-10,39 which is involved in prevention of viral respiratory infections, for example.40 The supplemented patients also demonstrated lower rates of production of the inflammation-generating transcription factor NF-kB (71%), the cytokine-generating enzyme COX -2 (72%), and the adhesion molecule ICAM-1.39

C-reactive protein rose dramatically as expected in the placebo recipients—this protein is a sensitive marker of acute inflammation, and chronically elevated levels of CRP are known to be a risk factor for advanced atherosclerosis. Remarkably, that elevation was 75% greater in the placebo group than in the theaflavin supplemented group.39

The ability of this highly active theaflavin extract to offset inflammatory cytokines points to a broad range of applications in human health in inflammatory conditions such as joint stiffness, muscle soreness, arthritis, osteoporosis, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, periodontal disease, and age-related immune dysfunction.

Pulling it All Together—How Theaflavins Promote Health and Longevity

There is a plethora of solid data on theaflavins’ nutrigenomic effects—modulating the activity of genes involved in the inflammatory cascade that leads to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other age-related conditions. But these are more than just numbers—reduction or control of those powerful genetic functions is likely to produce measurable results in individual humans. In fact, the term “inflammaging” has recently been coined by Professor Claudio Franceschi, a researcher in aging at the University of Bologna, to describe the inevitable accumulation of products of inflammation associated with advancing age.41 Modern risk-screening protocols aimed at identifying those at highest risk for early demise now routinely incorporate at least one measure of inflammation,42 and Professor Jose Ordovas of the Tufts University School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences has observed that “studies have established a ‘diet/genetic interaction’ that further modulates markers of inflammation, producing both positive and negative effects, depending on the net changes in gene expression.”43 Taken together, these researchers’ comments suggest that dietary interventions to reduce inflammation will enhance health, prevent disease, and ultimately promote longevity and quality of life. The highly purified theaflavins now available as supplements, with their targeted, nutrigenomics mechanisms of action, certainly deserve a place in any responsible, scientifically based program of preventive health maintenance.

Boron

Standard medical advice for people with osteoporosis is to take a calcium supplement with vitamin D, and often a bisphosphonate drug such as Fosamax® or Actonel®. Even with this advice, incidences of osteoporosis are soaring. Aging adults continue to suffer lethal fractures and diminished bone strength. Unfortunately, standard medical advice alone might not be sufficient to stem the devastating erosion of bone mass that accompanies normal aging. In treating osteoporosis, many doctors have overlooked one of the most critical components for supporting healthy bone matrix: the trace mineral boron. Without boron, the absorption of calcium can be limited and often underutilized.1

Researchers have concluded that boron is an essential factor in facilitating the bone-building effects of key nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D. Numerous studies demonstrate boron is critical to maintaining and improving one’s bone health.1 Healthy bones, however, are just the beginning of the boron story.

In this article, we examine boron’s many health-promoting effects, which also include relieving joint pain associated with arthritis, reducing the risk of prostate cancer, preserving cognitive function, and relieving oxidative stress. Further, we examine how you can ensure that you are benefiting from the most advanced, bioavailable boron formulation available today.

Boron: An Often-Deficient Mineral

Boron is a trace mineral that is essential to plant growth and in turn finds its way into the human diet. Boron is present in plant foods such as fruits (especially plums, grapes, and avocados), vegetables, nuts, and legumes.

Despite its availability in nature, ingesting adequate amounts of boron can be difficult. For one thing, boron levels in plant foods are rather low.2 Moreover, modern dietary habits almost ensure boron deficiency, as many people do not eat nearly enough fruits and vegetables.

In the United States, estimated daily boron intake ranges from 0.5 mg to 3 mg, with 1 mg being average. Although there is no recommended dietary allowance for boron, evidence places the optimal daily boron intake at 2-3 mg daily (and higher).3 Ensuring optimal boron intake becomes increasingly important as we age, especially in light of boron’s critical role in safeguarding bone health. Further compounding the dangers of insufficient boron intake is that even well-informed adults who take boron supplements may not be getting the form of boron that supports optimal health and well-being.

A Superior Form of Boron

Boron’s demonstrated ability to strengthen bones and confer other important health benefits prompted scientists to seek out the most effective, bioavailable form of this critical element.

In researching various boron compounds, scientists discovered a plant form of boron known as calcium fructoborate, which is a complex of calcium, fructose, and boron found naturally in fruits, vegetables, and other foods.2 This innovative form of boron is not only safe and well tolerated, but has been shown to be much more bioavailable than other commercial forms of boron.2

This novel form of boron—known as FruiteX B® OsteoBoron™—is clearly the most advanced boron compound available today. One of the primary benefits of FruiteX B® OsteoBoron™ is that it is readily absorbed intact from the gastrointestinal tract and transported in the body as fructoborate, where it demonstrates high biological availability.2 FruiteX B® OsteoBoron™ is also highly stable, which enables it to remain in a usable form much longer in the body.2-5

Boron Is Essential to Bone Health

Ensuring healthy bones is fundamental to any anti-aging program, since weak bones can lead to disabling and even life-threatening bone fractures. Boron plays an integral part in bone metabolism, as it supports the functions of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D, all of which are crucial to promoting dense, healthy bone tissue.6-9

In an important study of postmenopausal women who were not on estrogen replacement therapy, scientists examined boron’s effect on various measures of bone health. The subjects consumed a boron-deficient diet for 119 days, followed by 48 days of boron supplementation. On the boron-depleted diet, the women demonstrated increased urinary loss of both calcium and magnesium. On the boron-supplemented diet, however, they showed less urinary excretion of calcium and magnesium, as well as increased levels of two hormones associated with healthy bone mass.8 These findings indicate that adequate boron intake is essential to preserving the body’s stores of bone-building calcium and magnesium.

The researchers also studied the women during periods of both adequate magnesium intake and magnesium deficiency. Here, too, boron helped to preserve essential stores of calcium and magnesium in the body. While the magnesium-depleted diet was associated with increased loss of urinary calcium, boron supplementation significantly reduced urinary loss of both calcium and magnesium. The researchers observed that boron deprivation produced changes similar to those seen in osteoporosis, and that adequate boron status helped prevent calcium loss and bone demineralization in postmenopausal women.8 Boron thus has important applications in helping women preserve bone mass and prevent osteoporosis following menopause.

Boron may likewise help to alleviate the detrimental effects of vitamin D deficiency on calcium metabolism. Vitamin D is crucial to bone health because it helps to support calcium absorption. One study showed that when animals were fed a diet deficient in vitamin D, increasing dietary boron intake helped support optimal calcium absorption. This finding indicates an additional role for boron in promoting optimal mineral balance and ensuring healthy calcium utilization.9

Clinical studies demonstrate that FruiteX B® OsteoBoron™ is particularly effective in supporting healthy bones. One study confirmed the beneficial effects of FruiteX B® OsteoBoron™ on vitamin D status, a crucial contributor to bone health.2 In a pilot clinical study, 11 vitamin D-deficient patients were given 6 mg of boron from FruiteX B® OsteoBoron™ for 60 days. Ten of the 11 patients experienced an average 24% increase in serum vitamin D level, indicating that supplementation with FruiteX B® OsteoBoron™ may help optimize calcium metabolism and bone density.

Another study from the University of Wisconsin examined the effects of FruiteX B® OsteoBoron™ on vitamin D-deficient rats, which serve as a research model for studying osteoporosis treatments. After eight weeks of treatment with FruiteX B® OsteoBoron™, the rats’ bone mineral content increased by 5.8% compared to non-supplemented control animals. This finding lends additional weight to the beneficial role of FruiteX B® OsteoBoron™ in increasing bone mineral density.2

Remarkably, despite boron’s critical importance in maintaining bone health, some of the leading bone health products on the market—especially those containing calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium—do not include any form of boron! Furthermore, the few products that do include forms of boron that are not optimally absorbed. The absence of boron in bone health supplements may contribute to the epidemic of low bone mass and osteoporosis that afflicts so many aging adults, even those who use commercial supplements.

Boron Alleviates Osteoarthritis Pain

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of joint disease, a source of daily pain, stiffness, and decreased range of motion for millions of Americans. Emerging research indicates that, in addition to preserving bone health, boron may help relieve the debilitating symptoms of osteoarthritis.10

In one study involving subjects with osteoarthritis, 50% of the patients who received a daily supplement of 6 mg of boron noted less pain from movement, while only 10% of subjects given a placebo experienced similar improvement.11 As for the cause of this reduced pain, some studies indicate that boron-related biochemicals may decrease the production of pain-provoking inflammatory mediators.12-14

In another study, researchers observed that bones adjacent to joints with osteoarthritis tend to be less mineralized and have significantly lower concentrations of boron than do healthy bones. This finding suggests that low boron status may be associated with painful osteoarthritis, and again indicates an important role for boron in promoting healthy joint structure and function.15

Examining the relationship between boron intake and osteoarthritis prevalence around the world, researchers have uncovered epidemiological evidence demonstrating that in areas where boron intake is 1 mg or less per day, the estimated incidence of arthritis ranges from 20% to 70%. Conversely, in areas of the world where boron intake is usually 3-10 mg per day, the estimated incidence of arthritis is dramatically lower, ranging from zero to just 10%. This remarkable finding is compelling evidence that abundant intake of dietary boron may confer powerful protection against the development of osteoarthritis.16

Clinical studies demonstrate that FruiteX B® OsteoBoron™ is especially effective in managing the pain of osteoarthritis. An open-label pilot study conducted at the University of Novi Sad in Yugoslavia examined subjects with mild to severe osteoarthritis of the knees or hips, and utilized an osteoarthritis index that serves as a reliable tool for clinically evaluating new treatment agents. All patients completed the osteoarthritis questionnaire at the study’s onset and at four and eight weeks. The subjects were divided into two groups: those with mild or moderate osteoarthritis and those with severe osteoarthritis. The first group received 6 mg of boron from FruiteX B® OsteoBoron™ once a day for eight weeks, while the second received the same dose twice a day for eight weeks. Reductions in joint pain, stiffness, and inflexibility were reported by 79% of subjects in the first group and 59% of those in the second group.2 These important findings suggest that FruiteX B® OsteoBoron™ can help relieve mild to moderate arthritis pain, without the aid of pharmaceutical therapy.

Boron’s Role in Protecting Cognitive Function

Boron’s health benefits go beyond preserving bone and joint health while conferring protection against prostate cancer. This essential mineral may also have important applications in helping aging adults preserve one of their most treasured assets: cognitive function.20 Researchers investigated the effects of dietary boron intake on the cognitive performance of healthy older men and women.21 The participants were placed on a boron-deficient diet (containing approximately 0.25 mg of boron per 2,000 calories daily) and a diet with ample boron (containing approximately 3.25 mg of boron per 2,000 calories daily). Researchers assessed boron’s effects on various cognitive and psychomotor tests.

Boron Also Counters Oxidative Stress

In addition to boron’s beneficial effects on bone density, joint health, prostate cancer, and cognitive function, researchers have begun to explore its value as an antioxidant. The preliminary results are promising, indeed.

In a study at the University of Craiova in Romania, researchers investigated calcium fructoborate’s application in skin wounds and healing.22 Specifically, they tested whether calcium fructoborate exhibits antioxidant properties in human keratinocyte cultures, which serve as a laboratory model of human skin cells. Cells treated with calcium fructoborate were exposed to exogenous hydrogen peroxide to mimic environmentally induced oxidative stress. The researchers found that calcium fructoborate decreased the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species, leading them to conclude that calcium fructoborate has antioxidant activity that could have clinical significance in protecting skin cells from oxidation-induced injury.

Conclusion

Boron is emerging as a crucial nutrient for supporting healthy bone mass and thus avoiding the scourge of osteoporosis that plagues older Americans today. Compelling new evidence indicates that boron also promotes healthy joints, helps prevent prostate cancer, improves cognitive function, and may offer powerful antioxidant protection. This little-known mineral should be a nutritional staple for all seeking to optimize their health.

Recent research has found that not all boron formulations are equally effective. A newly available form of boron known as FruiteX B® OsteoBoron™ mimics the boron found in nature and demonstrates superior potency and bioavailability. This novel, advanced boron formulation should enable all health-conscious adults to take full advantage of boron’s broad array of health-promoting benefits.