the Naturopath’s Research
An unkind twist of Trade Mark law prevents us from giving you the naturopath’s name. Suffice it to say he wrote three books about his findings – Away with Arthritis, Arthritis without drugs – the natural answer and Beating Arthritis and Beating Osteoporosis, but all three of these are now out of print. Second-hand copies may still be found.
The naturopath also took part in several research studies, e.g.
- Agricultural practices affect arthritis. Nutritional Health 1991;7(2):80-100 PMID 1645463
- Essentiality of boron for healthy bones and joints. Environmental Health Perspectives Supplements 1994;102(7): 83-85 PMID 7889887
Boron and arthritis
OsteoTrace was formulated by the naturopath. His research found persuasive evidence worldwide linking low intake of boron with increased levels of arthritis. In parts of Australia, for instance, where the drinking water contains high levels of boron (seven parts per million), there is no arthritis in either humans or animals. In Israel, again, where the soil contains high levels of boron, arthritis runs at just 1%. These compare well with the UK and the US, which have both low water and low soil boron levels, and an arthritis rate of 20%
In countries with adequate levels of boron in the soil, eating good levels of fresh organic vegetables and fruit should provide 2-5 milligrams (mg) of boron a day. The food most of us now eat, and the synthetic chemical fertilisers most of our farmers use, means that the average intake in more industrially developed countries is 1-2mg a day. People living in institutions may take in as little as 0.25mg a day.
The chemical fertilisers make it more difficult for plants to take up the boron in the soil. We eat too many over-processed foods. We discard the cooking water of vegetables, rather than add it to a gravy.
Adequate boron levels in the body are important to many body functions, but OsteoTrace has been developed particularly to promote healthy bones and joints. None of the sixteen nutrients in OsteoTrace should react with any medication or drug. They should all be present in the vegetables and fruit we eat.
In their tribal lands the Xhosa people of South Africa are blessed with high-boron water. Only 3% of its people suffer from arthritis. When members of the tribe move into the city for work, their arthritis levels quickly rise to those pertaining in the city. Those that return to the tribal lands regain the low risk of arthritis they originally had. Those that developed arthritis in the city see their arthritis diminish of disappear once home.
In parts of the world where boron intake (from both food and water) is under one milligram a day, arthritis levels generally run between 20% and 70%.
Statistics
| Country andSource | Daily intake(mg boron) | IncidenceArthritis % | Remarks |
| Jamaica 1974 soil analysis | <1 | 70 | All food crops deficient |
| Mauritius sugar cane analysis | <1 | 50 | Most food crops deficient |
| Fijian Indians | 1 | 40 | Eat mostly rice |
| Native Fijians | 3-5 | 10 | Eat mostly root vegetables |
| USA, UK, Australia,South Africa (food analyses) | 1-2 | 20 | Most elderly arthritic |
|
Xhosa tribe/Transkei (Meyers 1977) |
2-5 | 3 | Eat native grown maize without fertiliser |
| Xhosa in big cities | 1-2 | 20 | Eat commercial maize grown with fertiliser |
| Carnarvon, Australia (Soil and water survey 1981) | 6-10 | 1 | high boron content |
| Israel (Volcanic Inst. 1981) | 10+ | 0.7 | Water high boron content |
Most groundwater supplies in the US and Europe have low boron levels, leaving plenty of scope for safe boron supplementation. Some bottled waters are a rich source, yielding up to 4.5mg a litre. Pears, grapes, nuts, cabbage, parsley and dandelion are also good sources, but only if they have been grown in boron-rich soils.
Conventional medical research findings on boron
- Low boron intake (less than 2mg/day) has been linked to a 20% increased risk of developing arthritis
- The maximum safe daily intake of boron is 13 milligrams
- Adequate levels of boron may be important for brain function, and appear to raise oestrogen and testosterone levels, possibly increasing fertility
- A daily intake of 1.8 milligrams of boron appeared to have reduced men’s risk of developing prostate cancer by a half
- Boron also appears to boost sex hormones in postmenopausal women (making it a possible natural and safer alternative to HRT) and in men of the same age
- There is evidence of lower boron concentrations in femur heads, bones, and synovial fluid from people with arthritis
- The bones of patients using boron supplements are much harder to cut than those of patients not using supplements
- In areas of the world where boron intakes usually are 1.0 mg or less/day the estimated incidence of arthritis ranges from 20% to 70%, whereas in areas of the world where boron intakes are usually 3-10mg, the estimated incidence of arthritis ranges from 0 to 10%
- When 20 people with osteoarthritis were given a 6mg boron/day supplement, ten reported that their symptoms had improved, compared to only two of the people in the control group (who received a placebo)
