- Can boron lower PSA?
- What are the benefits of boron?
- New ways to protect against prostate cancer
- Using boron for treatment
- Is boron good for bones?
- Your risk of being deficient in boron?
- Boron helps reduce inflammatory conditions
- Boron can kill prostate cancer cells without harming healthy prostate cells
Substantial evidence is showing that the trace mineral boron plays an essential role in protecting men against deadly prostate cancer.1-3
Prostate cancer is the single most deadly cancer for men.
As we grow older, our risk of getting prostate cancer increases and metastasis outside the prostate is “generally lethal.”1.
There are many nutrients, including minerals, that can reduce the risk of getting prostate cancer and improve prostate health. These include vitamins, minerals, and other food extract nutrients.
There is not, however, a single, silver bullet that causes you to be completely safe from getting prostate cancer. The more of these nutrients that you combine and ingest, the less likely you are to become susceptible to prostate cancer.
Of course, that also assumes that you are not eating foods, such as cow dairy products, which encourage the growth of prostate cancer.
In recent years, there have been many studies that demonstrate that boron compounds have been found to kill prostate cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed selectively .2,4 In this article we will cover the question, can boron reduce prostate cancer risk and highlight some of the main benefits of this supplement.
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Can boron lower PSA?
In addition, boron has been found to lower PSA 1. PSA was previously believed to be only a marker for benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer.
More recent research shows that elevated PSA levels are actually a causal factor in prostate cancer progression.1.
Adequate boron levels are associated with a 64% reduced risk of prostate cancer,3 but obtaining protective levels of boron from food alone is difficult.5
Very little boron is to be found in food, especially if such food is not produced organically.
This means that dietary supplements with low-cost boron could be a lifesaver for aging males at risk of prostate cancer, in addition to other health benefits provided by this vital mineral.
For more information on the PSA test click here.
What are the benefits of boron?
There was a 2001 study on the diet of prostate cancer patients that compared the diets of seventy-six prostate cancer patients with those of 7,651 men without prostate cancer.
The study found that the men who ingested the greatest amount of boron from their diets were 64% less likely to develop prostate cancer than those who consumed the least.
There have been further clinical trials that have confirmed similar results.
One such study compared the dietary intake of boron in ninety-five prostate cancer patients with that of 8,720 healthy male controls. That study was controlled for many other factors.
The results found that men with the highest boron consumption showed a 54% lower risk of prostate cancer compared to those with the lowest intake.6.
They also noted that increased dietary boron intake was associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer incidence. It was also confirmed that the decrease was in direct proportion to the amount of boron that was consumed. Scientists were encouraged by these epidemiological findings.
The connection between dietary consumption of boron and a reduced risk for prostate cancer was clear. Scientists then set out to determine if supplementing with boron could protect against prostate cancer. Initial animal studies indicate that the answer is yes.
Researchers found that oral administration of various concentrations of a boron-containing solution substantially decreased tumor size.
It also lowered levels of prostate-specific antigen or PSA–the most abundant protein synthesized in the prostate gland–suggesting a possible mechanism for these anti-cancer effects.7.
In this animal model, researchers orally administered various concentrations of a boron-containing solution to test subjects and found that this resulted in a decrease in prostate tumor size by 25% to 38%.
Remarkably, PSA levels dropped by an astounding 86% to 89% in the animals that received boron supplementation .7.
These findings suggested that supplemental boron may have both preventive and therapeutic effects, helping both to shrink prostate tumors and to decrease levels of PSA.
New ways to protect against prostate cancer
Prostate cancer and particularly metastasized prostate cancer is the greatest scourge of men’s health.
So discovering the link between supplementation of boron and the reduction of PSA levels was very exciting. It provides a simple method of preventing prostate cancer.
Previously, PSA was thought to be primarily a blood indicator of prostate cancer, infection, or inflammation. It is now understood that PSA levels play a critical role in the progression and metastasis of prostate cancer. 1,8-11. Scientists now believe that elevated PSA can break down the protein surrounding the cells.
The breakdown of these cellular barriers by excess PSA may be what enables prostate cancer cells to invade healthy tissue and metastasis beyond the prostate gland, with potentially lethal consequences.8.
This remarkable finding provides further understanding as to how we may prevent or slow down prostate cancer by reducing PSA levels.
Published results from studies suggest that a higher intake of boron-containing compounds can inhibit PSA activity (7) and lower the risk of prostate cancer (8).
This is due to a chemical reaction that generates radiation after boron interacts with other biologically active substances, leading to apoptosis as chemotherapy would do
For more information on prostate cancer click here.
Using boron for treatment
A 2014 study published in Tumour Biology, revealed that a compound containing boron induced apoptosis, or cell death, in prostate cancer cells. They concluded that the boron could be an important agent for the treatment of prostate cancer 2.
From all the studies on boron and its effects on prostate cancer and metastasis, it becomes increasingly clear that it is beneficial to supplement it. That is preferable to relying on the small and very variable amounts of boron available in plant foods.
So boron is a crucial component of any strategy to prevent prostate cancer and maintain optimal PSA levels. Indeed, newly published studies suggest that boron delivers another important layer of protection against prostate cancer metastasis.
Boron is concentrated in the bone. Emerging studies now suggest that boron delivers another layer of protection against the symptoms of this prostate cancer–in the bone.
Is boron good for bones?
The most deadly danger in prostate cancer is its ability to spread to the bone. Bone is the initial and main site for about 80% of all prostate cancer metastases.15
They occur most commonly in the spine, pelvis, ribs, skull, and proximal femur.16.
These bone metastases induce significant skeletal, fractures, anemia, and pain–and are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. 17 Prostate cancer has been described as “generally lethal once it has escaped the confines of the prostate gland.”1.
Sad to say, the median survival of patients after prostate cancer has spread to the bone is only forty months.16.
Boron’s remarkably targeted capacity to inhibit the spread of prostate cancer cells while sparing normal cells4 may have the same targeted effect against prostate cancer cells that have migrated to the bone.
With boron supplementation, this cytotoxic effect–combined with boron’s potential to help prevent prostate cancer from occurring in the first place–could reduce the current 28,000 American deaths from this disease every year.1.
Weak bones–whether the result of cancer or aging–can lead to pain, fracture, and disability.
Boron plays an integral part in bone metabolism. It supports the functions of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D, all of which are crucial to promoting dense, healthy bone tissue.5,18-20.
Another study showed that when animals were fed a diet deficient in vitamin D, increasing their dietary intake of boron helped support optimal calcium absorption- demonstrating that boron promotes optimal mineral balance and ensures healthy calcium utilization.20.
Your risk of being deficient in boron?
Most men are deficient in boron. That is partly because it is only present in variable and small amounts in plant foods. And that situation is worsening through intensive farming, which is depleting the soil of minerals.
As an example, apples are considered to be a good source. To gain a minimum of 3mg of boron daily, you would need to eat 2.4lb of apples. With the Standard American Diet (SAD), men do not typically eat enough fruits and vegetables. As a result, they are likely to be deficient in boron.
Autopsy evidence shows that prostate cancer is histologically present in up to 34% of men aged between 40 and 49. That rises to up to 70% in men aged 80 or older. So it is no exaggeration to suggest that prostate cancer is omnipresent in the aging man. 38-40.
Boron helps reduce inflammatory conditions
In addition to the benefits of reducing prostate cancer risks, boron has significant anti-inflammatory capabilities. About 52 million Americans suffer from some form of arthritis.22.
It is very fortunate that boron inhibits pro-inflammatory factors that contribute to the development of arthritis.21,23.
In a double-blind study in people with severe osteoarthritis, a study found that in those who completed the trial, 71% of those taking boron improved, while only 10% of those taking placebo improved.
No side effects were observed.25. One study even found that boron can reduce the pain associated with osteoarthritis. For the study, 50% of osteoarthritis patients who received 6mg of boron daily reported less pain from movement, while only 10% given a placebo experienced similar improvement.25
This was likely due to reduced production of pain-provoking inflammatory mediators.27-29. These study results indicate that adequate boron intake confers powerful protection against osteoarthritis. The supplementation of boron is extremely beneficial in reducing the risk of prostate cancer and metastasis.
Boron can kill prostate cancer cells without harming healthy prostate cells
Studies have shown that boron lowers PSA levels, which may help prevent or control the spread of prostate cancer. (Both within the prostate and metastasis into the bones).
It also provides support for healthy bones and joints. It is clear that there are many benefits to supplementing with boron.
However, despite all this compelling evidence, very few supplements for the prostate contain boron.
One exception to the general rule is my Total Health for the Prostate supplement. Not only does Total Health for the Prostate contain several (mainly chelated) minerals plus a full complement of vitamins, it also contains many important nutrients that protect against inflammation and cancer.
And from today, my new and improved Total Health formula will contain even more boron than before! If you would like to read more about the Total health supplement for the prostate, please click here.
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