Copper aids in the formation of red blood cells by combining with iron. Furthermore, it aids in maintaining healthy bones, arteries, neurons, and the immune system. Iron absorption is boosted by copper as well.
Ceruloplasmin, the most important plasma protein that binds to copper, makes up 90% of the weight of copper in the bloodstream.
How much copper should I take?
How much you need each day is based on how old you are. In micrograms, here are the average amounts that should be taken every day (mcg).
Recommended Amount for Each Life Stage
- 200 mcg from birth to 6 months
- 7–12-month-old babies 200 mcg
- Children ages 1–3 340 mcg
- Children ages 4–8 440 mcg
- Children ages 9–13 700 mcg
- 14–18-year-olds: 890 mcg
- 19-year-olds and up: 900 mcg
- Pregnant teens and women 1,000 mcg
- Women who breastfeed 1,300 mcg
What foods have copper in them?
Beef liver
1 ounce is equal to 4 mg (200 percent DV)
Black chocolate
1 bar: 1.8 milligrams (89 percent DV)
Sunflower seeds
0.8 milligrams per cup with hulls (41 percent DV)
Cashews
0.6 milligrams per ounce (31 percent DV)
Chickpeas
1 cup: 0.6 milligram (29 percent DV)
Raisins
1 cup: 0.5 milligram (25 percent DV)
Lentils
1 cup: 0.5 milligram (25 percent DV)
Hazelnuts
1 once: 0.5 milligram (25 percent DV)
Apricots that have been dried
1 cup: 0.4 milligram (22 percent DV)
Avocado
1 avocado: 0.4 milligram (18 percent DV)
Sesame seeds
1 tablespoon: 0.4 milligram (18 percent DV)
Quinoa
0.4 milligrams per cooked cup (18 percent DV)
Turnip greens
0.4 milligrams per cooked cup (18 percent DV)
The blackstrap molasses
2 teaspoons: 0.3 milligram (14 percent DV)
Shiitake mushrooms
0.3 milligrams per ounce (14 percent DV)
Almonds
0.3 milligrams per ounce (14 percent DV)
Asparagus
1 cup: 0.3 milligram (13 percent DV)
Kale
0.2 milligrams per raw cup (10 percent DV)
Goat cheese
0.2 milligrams per ounce of semisoft (8 percent DV)
The chia seed
0.1 milligrams per ounce (28 grams) (3 percent DV)
*DV means “per day.” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made DVs so that people could compare the amount of nutrients in foods and supplements as part of a whole diet. Copper has a DV of 0.9 mg (900 mcg) for adults and kids older than 4 years old. Unless added to the food, the FDA does not require food labels to list copper content. High sources of a nutrient are foods that have 20% or more of the DV, but foods with lower percentages of the DV can also be part of a healthy diet.
Not getting enough could lead to:
Fatigue
If you don’t get enough copper, you might feel tired and weak. Copper can take iron from the gut.
Often get sick
When copper and zinc are not in the right amounts, it can make you sick. Copper is one of the most important parts of a healthy immune system.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease that makes bones weaker and more likely to break as people age. For example, this condition could be caused by not getting enough copper. Eight studies with more than 2,000 people found that people with osteoporosis had less copper in their bodies than adults who were healthy.
Memory
People who don’t get enough copper may have trouble learning and remembering. It is important for how the brain works and how it grows. Copper is used by enzymes that give the brain energy, protect the brain from damage, and talk to the rest of the body.
Alzheimer’s disease
A study found that Alzheimer’s patients had up to 70% less copper in their brains than healthy people.
Problems with Walking
People who don’t get enough copper may have trouble walking because enzymes need copper to keep the spinal cord in good health. Some proteins are good for the spinal cord because they help it talk to the brain.
Less copper can lead to less insulation around the spinal cord. This, in turn, may change how well these enzymes that insulate the spinal cord work.
Studies on animals show that a lack of copper may cut the insulation of the spinal cord by as much as 56%.
The brain and body talk to each other so that we can keep our balance when we walk. If the amount in the brain goes down, we might lose coordination and feel unsteady when we walk.
Pale Skin
The ratio of melanin pigment, the color of the pigment, and the amount of melanin in the pigment determines how dark the pigment is. People with lighter skin have melanin pigments that are less dense, smaller, and lighter than people with darker skin. A lack of copper could affect how much melanin your body makes, which could make your skin look pale.
Gray Hair Too Soon
Melanin is also a part of hair color. When copper levels drop, melanin production can be messed up, which can cause gray hair to show up early.
Vision Loss
Copper is needed for many enzymes that are important for keeping the nervous system healthy. Copper is important to them, and if they don’t get enough of it, they can have problems with their nervous system, like going blind.
Research shows that people who have had gastric bypass surgery are more likely to lose their vision because they don’t get enough copper. These surgeries can make it harder for the body to absorb copper, which is one of the things that can lead to vision loss.
Can too much be bad for your health?
If you take more of this metal than the average daily recommended amount, it can hurt your health. Please don’t go over the recommended average daily amounts
High levels in the body for a long time can cause diarrhea, brain problems, or damage to the kidneys.
Copper poisoning doesn’t happen very often.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), adults should not consume more than 10 mg of copper per day ( 10.000 mcg )
medicine interaction
Copper and other medicines don’t seem to interact badly with each other.
Other articles you might find interesting: Best way to improve concentration and memory while studying and Herbal Remedies For Skin Problems
References
America’s Bone Health: The State of Osteoporosis and Low Bone Mass in Our Nation. Washington, DC: National Osteoporsis Foundation; 2002
WHO Scientific Group on the Assessment of Osteoporosis at Primary Health Care Level. Brussels: World Health Organization; 2004.
Assessment of fracture risk and its application to screening for postmenopausal osteoporosis. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2004.
Looker AC, Melton LJ, 3rd, Harris TB, Borrud LG, Shepherd JA. Prevalence and trends in low femur bone density among older US adults: NHANES 2005–2006 compared with NHANES III. J Bone Miner Res. 2010;25(1):64–71. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
