What it is
Regulatory status: dietary supplement ingredient in the United States; no established Recommended Dietary Allowance
Mechanism evidence: hypothesis
At a glance
What it is, why people use it, the evidence, and what to know before trying it.
Why people use it
- Correct low dietary boron intake
- Bone or mineral support
- Hormone support
Evidence at a glance
Boron occurs naturally in food and supplements, but evidence that low-dose supplementation improves testosterone, bone outcomes or performance in otherwise well-nourished adults is limited and not definitive.
Confidence: weak
Safety & interactions
Known side effects, interactions and use limits from reviewed sources.
The US adult tolerable upper intake level is 20 mg/day from all sources. Excess can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache and reproductive toxicity; products intended for household or industrial use must never be ingested.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding above ordinary dietary intake without clinician guidance
- Kidney impairment without clinician review
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Headache
Forms and variants
This review does not automatically apply to:
- borax household products
- boron-containing multi-ingredient formulas with unreported amounts