Could Boron Help PCOS?

by JG

I saw a comment about Boron. Looks like this woman has PCOS and uses Boron. I think it just balances hormones and increases estradiol, which I think PCOS are low in. I know they can be high in estrogen but this is estradiol -- right? I think I was low in estradiol when we were doing fertility treatments. But it really helps you get calcium and magnesium into the bone better, which I think I need with RA and has other health benefits. I saw some website that showed great improvement for RA, not just fish oil etc. to help it but solve it by getting to the route problem. I do have a vitamin D deficiency that I am on prescription vitamin D for so maybe Boron would help that too.

I guess I could take more Saw Palmetto to counteract the any higher testosterone to be able to still get the benefit of Boron, which sounds like there are many. Here' the comment I saw. I wonder if you can buy aromatase enzyme as a supplement that she mentions.

"Studies have shown that boron increases estradiol in menopausal women. Before I started taking boron I had incontinence and other symptoms of too low estrogens despite being too young really to enter menopause. Boron is needed to activate vitamin D. Vit D is needed for aromatase, which is an enzyme needed for the conversion of testosterone to estradiol. This conversion can be problematic for women with PCOS like me. My too low estradiol levels have gone up; my blood test proves it. Boron increases the hormones to the level your body naturally needs. Boron is better than dangerous HRT."

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Editor's comments:

I don't know whether PCOS women are low in estradiol or not.

There are several forms of estrogen:
Estrone
Estradiol
Estriol
And a number of metabolites:
2-Hydroxyestrone
16a–Hydroxyestrone
4-Hydroxyestrone
2-Methoxyestrone
2-Methoxyestradiol

It's the ratio of these estrogens and estrogen metabolites that is important. I wouldn't focus solely on estradiol.

It's my impression that women with PCOS are commonly dominant with both testosterone and estrogen. Since many have a luteal phase defect, not enough progesterone is produced. I tend to think progesterone is the hormone to be thinking about.

Of course, you also want to keep testosterone under control since it directly cause some symptoms of PCOS, and some of it can be converted into estrogen.

Secondly, I have the impression (but not really investigated) that progesterone may be a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor (like saw palmetto is) and thus sufficient progesterone would help to prevent the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestestorone (DHT). It's the DHT that cause PCOS problems.

If you are low in progesterone, you might consider transdermal bio-identical progesterone therapy. A cream can be prepared by a compounding pharmacist.

As for boron, it all sounds good to me.

I'm glad to hear you're taking vitamin D. This hormone is absolutely crucial to your health.

As for your various autoimmune issues, other things to consider are low-dose naltrexone and total avoidance of gluten.

I don't know anything about aromatase as a supplement.

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