FUNCTIONS
What can copper-rich foods do for you?
- Reduce tissue damage caused by free radicals
- Maintain the health of your bones and connective tissues
- Keep your thyroid gland functioning normally
- Help your body utilize iron
- Preserve your nerves’ myelin sheath
What events can indicate a need for more copper-rich foods? - Blood vessels that rupture easily
- Bone and joint problems
- Elevated LDL and reduced HDL levels
- Frequent infections
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Loss of hair or skin color
IMPACT OF COOKING, STORAGE & PROCESSING
Foods that require long-term cooking can have their copper content substantially reduced; for example, cooking beans may result in them losing one-half of their copper content. The processing of whole grains can also dramatically reduce copper content. In wheat, for example, the refining of the whole grain into 66% extraction wheat flour results in a drop of about 70% in the original copper that was present. Cooking with copper cookware increases the copper content of foods.
- My remark:: during my medical studies we were thaught to give an iron drink incase of iron defieciensy anaemia. This also contained copper. Later on only Iron was given mostly as tablets I don’t know what caused this change.
WHY WE NEED COPPER-RICH FOODS
Copper is an essential trace mineral that is vitally important to health since it is involved in several important enzymatic reactions in the body. It plays such varied roles as promoting collagen maintenance, proper iron absorption and antioxidant activity. Copper is the third most abundant trace mineral in the body. Since many whole, natural foods contain ample amounts of copper, eating a diet rich in the World’s Healthiest Foods can help you to fulfill your daily needs for this important nutrient.
Eating foods rich in copper enhances your body’s usage of this important mineral since these foods naturally contain other nutrients that act in synergy with copper, supporting its physiological function in your body and therefore contributing to your vibrant health.
HOW DOES COPPER PROMOTE HEALTH?
Eliminates Free Radicals
Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is a copper-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the removal of superoxide radicals from the body. If not eliminated quickly, superoxide radicals cause damage to cell membranes. When copper is not present in sufficient quantities, the activity of SOD is diminished, and the damage to cell membranes caused by superoxide radicals is increased. When functioning in this enzyme, copper works together with the mineral zinc, and it is actually the ratio of copper to zinc, rather than the absolute amount of either mineral alone, that helps this enzyme to function.
Other Health-Promoting Functions
Copper also plays a role in many other physiological activities including iron utilization, bone and connective tissue development, energy production, blood clotting, thyroid hormone production, and neurotransmitter synthesis. It also plays a role in maintaining the integrity of the myelin sheath, a covering that protects nerves.
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS OF COPPER DEFICIENCY?
Certain medical conditions including chronic diarrhea, celiac sprue, and Crohn’s disease result in decreased absorption of copper and may increase the risk of developing a copper deficiency. In addition, copper requires sufficient stomach acid for absorption, so if you consume antacids regularly, you may increase your risk of developing a copper deficiency. Inadequate copper status is also observed in children with low protein status and infants fed only cow’s milk without supplemental copper.
Because copper is involved in many functions of the body, copper deficiency produces an extensive range of symptoms. These symptoms include iron deficiency anemia, ruptured blood vessels, osteoporosis, joint problems, brain disturbances, elevated LDL cholesterol, reduced HDL cholesterol, increased susceptibility to infection due to poor immune function, loss of pigment in the hair and skin, weakness, fatigue, breathing difficulties, skin sores, poor thyroid function, and irregular heart beat.
CAN YOU CONSUME TOO MUCH COPPER?
In recent years, nutritionists have been more concerned about copper toxicity than copper deficiency. One partial explanation for this involves the increase in the amount of copper found in drinking water due to the switch in most areas of the country from galvanized (steel) water pipes to copper water pipes. Excessive intake of copper can cause abdominal pain and cramps, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and liver damage.
Postpartum depression has also been linked to high levels of copper. This is because copper concentrations increase throughout pregnancy to approximately twice the normal values, and it may take up to three months after delivery for copper concentrations to normalize.
The toxic effects of high tissue levels of copper are seen in patients with Wilson’s disease, a genetic disorder characterized by copper accumulation in various organs. The treatment of Wilson’s disease involves avoidance of foods and supplements rich in copper and drug treatment with chelating agents that remove the excess copper from the body.
The Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for copper varies by age group: for those 1–8 years it is 1,000 mcg; 9–13 years, 5,000 mcg; 14–18 years, 8,000 mcg; and,19 years and older, 10,000 mcg
My remark on Postpartum depression has also been linked to high levels of copper Therefor extra zinc may often help!!
https://myfooddata.com/articles/high-copper-foods.php COPPER RICH FOOD
http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/high-copper-foods.php
| Copper Deficiency Although supportive data is limited, a report from a study group of hyperthyroid women suggests that copper status should at least be investigated in women with hyperthyroidism. “Thyroid and immune system health are crucially dependent upon copper. As far as I can see now, copper deficiency is the most important factor in the development of hyperthyroidism. Virtually all hypers in the hyperthyroidism group have found that copper supplementation reduced their symptoms, usually within hours or a few days at most. Most have reported that within three to six months of beginning copper supplementation, they have been able to significantly reduce their intake of antithyroid drugs. While copper is the big story in hyperthyroidism, it is not the whole story. If it were, it would have been discovered years ago. Proper copper metabolism interrelates with and depends upon many other nutrients.” [John Johnson, iThyroid.com] |
LAST REMARK: TOO MUCH COPPER CAN BE TOXIC!
medicine from harold jitschak bueno de mesquita 