Dr. Rex Newnham has found many examples around the world which suggest a link between low intake of the trace mineral boron and increased levels of arthritis. In parts of the world where, principally because of the soil composition, boron intake from both food and water is under one milligram (mg) per day, arthritis levels run between 20% and 70%. In other parts, like Australia, for instance, where the drinking water contains high boron levels (seven parts per million), there is no arthritis in either humans or animals. In Israel, with high soil boron levels, arthritis runs at 1% compared to 20% in the US, which has both low water and low soil boron levels. The Xhosa tribe in South Africa drinks high-boron water. Only 3% of its people suffer from arthritis until they move into cities, where boron levels in both food and water are low. Their arthritis levels quickly rise to those pertaining in that area.

Rex developed an anti-arthritis, anti-rheumatoid arthritis, anti-osteoporosis, anti-fibromyalgia supplement called Osteo-trace, which contains safe levels of boron and seventeen compounds which deliver vitamins and trace minerals essential to healthy bones.

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Boron successes
Three Green Health Watch subscribers are trying it out for themselves. Two have now reported back. In both cases the result was positive. The first, Carol, has both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. Despite taking the drug hydroxychloroquine for her arthritis, she was still in considerable pain. She ordered her first three months supply of Osteotrace in October 2004 and took three tablets a day as the instructions suggested. She noticed a little improvement in her feet and wrists. Mindful of Rex’s advice that any improvement takes at least three months (and longer, the older you are), she ordered further supplies but decided to reduce the dose to two a day. Progress was slow but steady. When Carol began the course, she was taking painkillers every day. Now she hardly ever needs them and can walk considerable distances without any ill effect. The swelling in her wrists has gone down a lot.

As for her osteoporosis, Carol has not yet had an opportunity to get her bone mass density re-measured, but has noticed that her nails are much thicker and stronger. She recommends others to try Osteotrace but insists that it is important to be patient for results and persist for at least six months.

As Rex had reassured, there was no adverse reaction with hydroxychloroquine, which she continues to take for the time being.

Our second experimenter, Betty, took Osteotrace as a preventative. She had begun to get mild pain in her knees, which went away around three months into the course and has not returned. Betty agreed with Carol that it was important to be patient and persevere, but also mentioned that it did not seem to matter if she sometimes forgot to take the regular dose. If anyone else would like to give it a go, a month’s supply of Osteotrace is available at £12 + £3 p&p from Lifeworks, Green Health Watch’s mail order service (click on 'Shop' above. As a rough guide, according to Rex, people under 60 will begin to feel benefit by the end of the first month, people aged between 60 and 70 within two months, and people 70+ within three months.

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Back to 'High vitamin A supplementation linked with osteoporosis'

Rex’s book, Beating arthritis and beating osteoporosis, costs £6 including postage and is available directly from: Rex Newnham, Cracoe Cottage, Cracoe, Skipton, BD23 6LB Tel.: 01756 730240.

Conventional medical research
1. Low boron intake (less than 2mg/day) has ben linked to a 20% increased risk of developing arthritis.
2. The maximum safe daily intake of boron is 13 milligrams.
3. Adequate levels of boron may be important for brain function, and appear to raise oestrogen and testosterone levels, possibly increasing fertility.
4. A daily intake of 1.8 milligrams of boron appeared to have reduced men’s risk of developing prostate cancer by a half.
5. 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.

Nielsen,FH.
Environmental Health Perspectives 1994;102 Suppl 7:59-63
Nielsen,FH et al.
Journal of the Federated American. Societies for Experimental Biology 1987;1(5):394-97

Statistics from Rex's field trials are available on request.