Does Boron Citrate Increase Testosterone?
With the surging cases of lifestyle health issues, more and more people are looking for ways to lead a healthier lifestyle.
Many are taking up exercise and athletic activities to ensure a healthy body. In doing so, there is a higher intake of booster supplements to aid in the workout sessions for more incredible stamina, performance, and results.
One such product is the Testosterone booster supplement (T-Booster). And primary ingredients in T-Boosters are Boron Citrate. Today, we will explore all the fantastic benefits of Boron Citrate in the body, mainly focussing on its role in increasing Testosterone levels.
What is Boron Citrate?
For as long as we remember, we have studied Boron as a trace element found in the human body. In addition, it is also considered a micronutrient requirement for the body.
It can be supplemented to the body by ingestion of food with boron content. Some rich sources of Boron include – avocados, raisins, apricots, peach, currants, dried prunes, lentils, almonds, cashew nuts, and hazelnuts.
For its inclusion and consumption in the diet other than from boron-rich food sources, there are commercial Boron supplements available in the market. For supplementation, it is synthetically available in the form of Boron Citrate.
Current status of Boron Citrate
Over the years, the status of Boron has taken a slight shift. Scientists and researchers have been exploring and studying the biological benefits of Boron Citrate.
It has evolved from being a simple nutrient to being a vital nutrient that its supplementation aids in several health conditions. When included in the diet as a supplement, Boron Citrate is known to be an active and effective biological nutrient.
Hence, multiple studies are going on to understand its specific role, effect, and mechanism in each bodily function and improvement.
One popular belief is the positive impact of Boron Citrate in increasing the levels of testosterone on its intake.
Let’s explore the relation and mechanism of Boron Citrate and Testosterone levels in the body.
The Link Between Boron Citrate and Testosterone
Multiple international and independent research and studies have shown positive results of Boron Citrate in increasing testosterone levels.
These studies have shown that Boron Citrate is more or less like a powerhouse, especially for men’s health issues.
Boron Citrate is known to increase testosterone levels, which creates an overall benefit to men’s health.
Here are some critical and intense research studies that support this theory –
- Study 1 – Boron supplements (Boron Citrate) improves plasma testosterone levels, increases lean body mass and muscle strength amongst bodybuilders.
- Study 2 – Comparative studies on effects of testosterone level (daily and weekly) showed an increase in free testosterone levels.
- Study 3 – Boron helps increase Testosterone levels in bodybuilders.
- Study 4 – Studies on healthy males given boron supplementation showed an increase in better Boron absorption, higher plasma testosterone levels, and improvement over selected cardiovascular risks.
Does Boron Citrate increase Testosterone levels?
The multiple studies conducted show positive hints and results of Boron playing a role in increasing testosterone levels. Although, a proper understanding backed with scientific evidence explaining the specific mechanism is still lacking.
Although, most studies have shown variations in the testosterone levels owing to different dosage levels of boron supplements. So we know that the effective dosage of boron supplements plays a significant role in showing effective results.
According to the studies conducted, as given above, boron dosage where the body started showing increased testosterone levels stood at 10mg/day.
Boron dosage starting from 3mg/day is where it starts showing some positive results. Most of the commercially available Testosterone boosters formulate a boron content of 5mg/day.
How Does Boron Citrate Increase Testosterone Levels?
Boron citrate is synthetically prepared using sources of boron-rich food items. Most T-boosters formulate boron citrate as one of the key ingredients. Most commercially available boron citrates are usually in the form of capsules or powder form.
So, you have consumed your boron citrate; what happens next? You may wonder how its ingestion helps in increasing Testosterone levels.
For that, we will have to take a look into the mechanism by which it works.
Mechanism –
Binding of SHBG On ingestion of boron citrate, it is absorbed in the body. One of the critical roles of Boron citrate is to bind itself to the Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG).
The results of reduced SHBG, due to boron binding, show up as early as within 6 hours of consumption of boron citrate. You can refer to the study references linked above.
The binding of boron citrate to SHBG and inactivation of SHBG
SHBG’s active role is to bind itself to sex hormones and inactivate the sex hormone. When an SHBG binds to a male sex hormone, testosterone, it inactivates the testosterone. Now what this does is that there is reduced availability of free testosterone in the body.
With reduced levels of testosterone, the after-effects of fatigue, lower sexual libido, muscle soreness, and lesser stamina after workouts and so on occur.
However, binding most or all of the SHBGs to boron citrate decreases the chances of SHBG binding to testosterone. Thus, it results in higher levels of free testosterone in the body.
Boron Citrate keeps the Testosterone levels in check.
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) is a regulator, which, as mentioned earlier, inactivates the sex hormone as soon as they bind together. The strategy here is to regulate the regulator (SHBG) to keep up the body’s circulation levels of free testosterone. It ensures that the body reaps maximum benefits with higher levels of free testosterone.
Does That Mean That Boron Citrate Replicates The Mechanism Of Anabolic Steroids?
The answer is “No.”
There is a significant difference in the mechanism of anabolic steroids keeping higher levels of testosterone and the availability of free testosterone in the body by using boron supplements.
Anabolic Steroids work to boost Testosterone levels only. Pumping up testosterone levels alone results in poor results, as 95-98% of the released testosterone is bound to SHBG. It means higher levels of testosterone, higher levels of SHBG bound Testosterone (inactive testosterone).
However, in Boron Citrate supplementation, the Boron binds to the SHBG. That way, Boron regulates the inactivation of SHBG, resulting in more availability of free testosterone in the body.
