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18.02.2023

If you have someone else's kidney, you may live longer on boron

Fruit flies live longer with boron supplementation, we wrote earlier this week. Does this also apply to humans? The author of the study we based our post on didn't think so. But according to a Dutch study, boron supplementation may extend the lifespan of at least one category of human being - individuals who have undergone a kidney transplant.

Study
Nephrologists from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands followed 693 study participants who had undergone a kidney transplant at least one year earlier.

The researchers measured the concentration of boron in the urine of the study participants. The concentration gives a good indication of the intake of boron. Based on the boron concentration, the researchers divided the study participants into 3 equally sized groups [tertiles]. Boron is mainly found in plant products, especially in the parts of the plant that house the next generation, such as seeds and fruit.

The nephrologists followed the study participants for 2 to 12 years and kept track of which of them died.

Results
The more boron was present in the urine of the study participants, the greater their chances of survival. Or, to put it another way, the lower their chance of dying.

The protective effect of boron remained intact after the Dutch corrected their data for age, gender, eGFR (a marker of kidney function), cardiovascular disease, smoking, diabetes, height, weight, LDL, HDL, triglycerides and diet. After all the effect of these factors had been brushed away with statistics, a relatively high boron concentration reduced the risk of death by 39 percent compared to a relatively low intake.

Conclusion
"These results suggest that increased boron intake may potentially decrease the risk of premature mortality in these patients", the Dutch write. "Randomized trials with dietary interventions are needed to assess the potential of increased boron intake in kidney transplant recipients."

Source:
Eur J Nutr. 2022 Mar;61(2):973-84.

More:
Is boron a life extender? 15.02.2023

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