Sources Of Copper
| Seafood - | oysters, crabs, bluefish, perch, lobster |
| Meats - | veal, duck, lamb, pork, beef liver and kidneys |
| Nuts/seeds - | almonds, pecans, walnuts, filberts, brazil nuts, sesame, sunflower, pistachio |
| Vegetables - | soybeans |
| Grains - | wheat germ and bran |
| Miscellaneous - | yeast, gelatin, bone meal, corn oil, margarine, mushrooms, chocolate |
| Other sources - | copper water pipes, copper sulfate added to drinking water, copper compounds used in swimming pools, mineral supplements (especially prenatal vitamins), copper cookware and tea kettles, birth control pills, copper intrauterine devices, vegetarian diets, stress, exhaustion of the adrenal glands |
Many children are born today with excessive copper levels passed to them from their mothers in utero.
Roles In The Body
- Energy production
- Female reproductive system
- Blood formation
Functions Of Copper
| Circulatory - | structure of blood vessels, aorta and heart muscle |
| Blood - | formation of hemoglobin |
| Nervous - | maintenance of the myelin sheath on nerves |
| Reproductive - | essential for fertility, menstrual cycle |
| Endocrine - | synthesis of stimulatory neurotransmitters |
| Muscular/skeletal - | bone and connective tissue structure |
| Immune system - | necessary for the immune system |
| Integumentary - | needed for skin, hair, nails and pigments |
| Energy - | energy production (the electron transport system) |
Synergetic Nutrients
| Absorption - proteins |
Antagonistic Nutrients
| Absorption - zinc, manganese, iron, calcium, molybdenum, sulfur, mercury, cadmium, vitamin C |
| Utilization - zinc, vitamin C, vitamin B6, sulfur, molybdenum, manganese, iron |
Hair Analysis Notes
- Bio-unavailable copper: Often copper status can be tricky to assess. Copper may be present, but unavailable for use in the body. This occurs any time adrenal gland activity is low.
- Copper and Oxidation Type: Fast oxidizers generally are deficient in copper, while slow oxidizers usually have either high copper or bio-unavailable copper.
- Hidden Copper Toxicity: Copper is often normal on hair tests, but may actually be locked in body tissues. Test indicators of a hidden copper imbalance are:
- Calcium level greater than 75 mg%
- Potassium level less than 3 mg%
- Sodium/potassium ratio less than 2.2:1
- Mercury toxicity often indicates a hidden copper toxicity
- Copper level less than 1.0 mg%
- Zinc/copper ratio less than 6:1
Reasons For Supplementation With Copper
- to raise a low sodium/potassium ratio
- to enhance retention of calcium in tissues
This material is for educational purposes only
The preceding statements have not been evaluated by the
Food and Drug Administration
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
The preceding statements have not been evaluated by the
Food and Drug Administration
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
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