Boron is a trace element that may be beneficial to the immune system. Physiological amounts of Mature woman menopause stress sweatingdietary boron decrease skinfold thickness after antigen injection in gilts and elevated circulating natural killer cells after adjuvant injection in rats. Research appearing in the Journal of Trace Element Experimental Medicine (1999;12:251-261) looked at 43 perimenopausal women experiencing discomfort associated with menopause. This was a double-blind crossover study; the subjects were given 2.5 mg of boron (in the form of sodium borate). The women were given a placebo for 90 days either before or after the treatment with boron. The effect on menopausal symptoms was mixed, with 21 women experiencing an increase in hot flashes and night sweats. Ten of the women reported a reduction in symptoms while taking the boron. The other 15 women experienced no change in symptoms while taking boron. Boron supplementation did, however, increase the white blood cell count in the subjects. Boron also increased the levels of 17 beta estradiol, alkaline phosphatase and thyroxine.