Copper Health Article

Description

Copper is an essential mineral that plays an important role in iron absorption and transport. It is considered a trace mineral because it is needed in very small amounts. Only 70–80 mg of copper are found in the body of a normal healthy person. Even though the body needs very little, copper is an important nutrient that holds many vital functions in the body.

Copper is essential for normal development of the body because it:

• Participates in a wide variety of important enzymatic reactions in the body.
• Is a component of or a cofactor for approximately 50 different enzymes. These enzymes need copper to function properly.
• Is essential for iron absorption and transport. Iron is needed to make hemoglobin, a main component of red blood cells. Therefore, copper deficiency is often linked to iron-deficiency anemia.
• Is required to build elastin and collagen, which are an important components of bones and connective tissues. Therefore, copper is believed to protect the bones and joints against degeneration and osteoporosis.
• Is required for melanin production. People with copper deficiency may have pale skin and hair.
• Is a key mineral for the immune system. Copper promotes wound healing. Studies show that premature infants or children with genetic copper defects are at high risk of getting infections and would significantly improve with copper supplementation.
• Attacks free radicals. Copper is a strong antioxidant. It works by attaching itself to the enzyme Superoxide dismutase (SOD). Copper also binds to a protein to form ceruloplasmin, which is an antioxidant.
• Helps the body produce energy. Copper participates in many oxidative reactions that break down fats in fat tissue to produce much needed energy. Copper deficiency has been associated with high cholesterol levels.
• Is necessary for normal functioning of insulin. Copper deficiency is also associated with poor blood glucose control.
• Is needed for normal functioning of the cardiovascular system.
• Protects the structure and function of the nervous system, including the brain. Copper protects nerve fiber by maintaining myelin, the insulating sheath that surrounds nerve cells. It also aids the transmission of nerve signals in the brains.

General use

Copper supplements may be beneficial in treating or preventing copper deficiency. Copper deficiency used to be relatively rare because the body requires so little of it, only about 2 mg per day. In addition, it is available naturally in a variety of foods such as whole grains, shellfish, nuts, beans, and leafy vegetables. Additional sources of copper are the copper water pipes that run through homes or the copper cookware in the kitchen. These sources leach copper into the water we drink and the food we eat. The level of copper in drinking water is sometimes so high that it becomes a public concern. However, scientists now realize that copper deficiency, especially borderline cases, is more common than once thought. Copper deficiency is currently on the rise due to a decrease of whole foods in the diet and high consumption of fatty and processed foods.

It was discovered in 2001 that vegetarian diets generally contain more copper, but that the absorption efficiency was lower for lactoovo vegetarians than for nonvegetarians. The study also showed that the increased amounts of copper in the vegetarian diets allow for greater copper content.

Besides dietary causes, certain diseases or conditions may reduce copper absorption, transport or increase its requirements, resulting in abnormally low copper blood levels. Increased copper intake through diet or supplementation may be necessary in the following conditions:

• premature infants fed only cow's milk
• pregnant women
• malnutrition
• celiac disease, sprue, cystic fibrosis, or short-bowel syndrome (these diseases cause poor absorption of dietary copper)

• kidney disease
• high consumption of zinc or iron (these minerals interfere with copper absorption)
• highly processed foods (copper is stripped away during food processing)
• Menkes syndrome (copper deficiency is caused by genetic defects of copper transport; Menkes syndrome patients cannot use copper supplied by the diet efficiently)

Symptoms of copper deficiency include:

• anemia
• malnourished infants
• prominently dilated veins
• pale hair or skin
• poorly formed bones
• nervous system disorders
• high cholesterol levels
• heart disease
• loss of taste
• increased susceptibility to infections
• infertility
• birth defects

Exceeding the daily requirement is dangerous, however, because copper toxicity commonly occurs. Copper toxicity is a very serious medical problem. Acute toxicity due to ingestion of too much supplement, for example, may cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, and a metallic taste in the mouth. Chronic toxicity is often caused by genetic defects of copper metabolism, such as Wilson's disease. In this disease, copper is not eliminated properly and is allowed to accumulate to toxic levels. Copper is therefore present at high concentration where it should not be, such as in the liver, the lens of the eye, kidneys, or brain.