Lesson 4b: Copper

What is copper?

Copper is one of the essential minerals, which means your body needs it in trace amounts to stay healthy. This mineral protects your neurological health, has cardiovascular functions, and helps with hypothyroidism.

Is copper water-soluble or fat-soluble?

Copper itself is insoluble, which means it doesn’t dissolve in either water or fat. 

Where can copper be found naturally? 

Vegan or vegetarian sources of dietary copper include shitake mushrooms and most nuts and seeds. For non-vegans, copper is highly concentrated in oysters and liver. 

5 foods/drinks containing copper

1. Sesame seeds 300% DV per 128g or 1 cup

2. Potato 35% DV per 1 medium potato or 200g

3. Cashews 30% DV per 128g or 1 cup

4. Beef liver 620% DV per 85g

5. Oysters 245% DV per 85g

What is the recommended daily intake for copper?

The recommended daily amount (RDA) of copper is 900mcg for adults. Lactating or breastfeeding women should consume 1000mcg of copper per day, and RDA levels are lower for children and adolescents.

What to consume to get a full daily dose of copper?

Sesame seeds - approximately 20g

Potatoes - approximately 3 medium potatoes

Cashews - approximately 200g

Beef - approximately 15g

Oyster - approximately 15g

Can you absorb enough of copper from food?

Getting enough copper from your food can be difficult especially when you're vegan, so it's advised to supplement it with multivitamins. For meat eaters it would be enough to consume a small amount of liver to get your daily RDA. 

Why is copper necessary for your body?

Copper is necessary for the production of blood cells, and this mineral also performs important functions in your bones. This nutrient also reduces your chances of developing osteoporosis and cardiovascular conditions.

Functions of copper

Blood cell formation: Copper is a necessary component of red and white blood cells

Neurological: This mineral is used in neuron signalling

Immunological: Since copper is needed to make white blood cells, copper deficiency compromises your immune system

Collagen production: Copper is involved in the production of collagen, which is the most abundant protein in your body.

Symptoms of copper deficiency

Anaemia

Since copper is a critical component in the formation of blood cells, copper deficiency can result in anaemia. Symptoms of this condition include fatigue and low heart rate.

Osteoporosis

Copper is needed for proper bone growth and maintenance, so copper deficiency can cause osteoporosis, which is a condition in which your bones become fragile and brittle.

Immunological Issues

Copper’s function in white blood cell production can result in immune issues when you are deficient in this mineral. One common symptom is frequent illness.

How long do you need to take copper to start experiencing its benefits if you’re deficient?

It can take quite some time to get over copper deficiency. Ideally, the body stores copper in your organs, and it uses this mineral as necessary. Copper deficiency can slow down biological processes that take a while to get started again; in cases of extreme deficiency, it can take up to a year to recover, but in most cases, recovery takes place within a few months.

How long does it take for your body to digest/absorb copper?

The more copper you take, the slower it absorbs. The absorption rate for this mineral can be as low as 12% when you consume high quantities, but most people absorb up to 40% of the copper they consume within 24-48 hours.

How long does copper stay in your body after you take it?

Copper is stored in your organ tissues, which means that it can remain in your body for months or even years before it is used and excreted. In cases of copper poisoning, this mineral can remain in your body for multiple years.

Is copper an antioxidant?

Scientists believe that copper may have antioxidant functions. It is far from being the most potent antioxidant, but it appears to reduce the levels of free radicals in your body to support cellular health and longevity.

Can you overdose on copper? What are the effects?

Copper is stored in your liver and kidneys, and excessive levels of copper buildup can cause copper poisoning. Overdose on copper is highly rare, but symptoms of this condition include vomiting, vomiting blood, low blood pressure, jaundice, or even coma. Take copper in a daily multivitamin to make sure you don’t accidentally consume too much of this substance.

Does copper dissolve, flush out, or build up in the body?

Citric acid, the carrier for Copper, flushes out of the body almost immediately. Copper itself, however, stays in your body for some time, and it builds up in many of your organ tissues. Therefore, high intake levels of copper are not advised.

Can you take copper during a diet?

There is no reason you shouldn’t take copper supplements if you’re on a diet. Common sources of copper can be problematic for people who are practicing animal-free diets.

Are there synthetic forms of copper?

Copper itself is a pure mineral, which means that advanced technologies, such as nuclear fission, would be required to synthesise this substance. Most types of citric acid are synthetic, but they are chemically identical to natural forms of this citrus-derived compound.

Why might synthetic forms of copper be better?

Synthetic copper would only be valuable if the Earth’s natural copper supplies were depleted. It is extremely expensive to extract citric acid from citrus fruits, so synthesising this compound in a lab is the only way to make it economically viable.

Absorption rate of synthetic copper

The absorption rate of copper paired with synthetic citric acid is the same as copper paired with natural citric acid.

Why might natural forms of copper be better?

There is no reason to assume that natural citric acid would perform better than synthetic citric acid in the body. However, some sources contend that the process used to make synthetic citric acid may leave behind mycotoxins. No scientific research has confirmed this speculation.

How to take copper

It’s possible to source copper from foods. However, getting exactly 100% of your RDA of copper is hard especially if you're vegan. Supplementation is the most reliable way to take copper.

Copper trends in medicine

Recently, scientists examined the relationship between copper intake and the development of multiple sclerosis (MS). While these researchers did not discover any correlation between copper intake and either the genesis or development of MS symptoms, it’s clear that medical researchers remain interested in the potential benefits of increased dietary copper intake.

Why everyone should be taking WeAreFeel supplements

Minerals like copper are tricky; without enough copper, you’ll rapidly become ill, but if you consume too much of this nutrient, you could experience heavy metal poisoning. Most food-based sources of copper have either far too little or far too much of this substance, which makes getting your exact RDA every day difficult. Here at WeAreFeel, however, we’ve developed a revolutionary multivitamin that delivers exactly the amount of  copper you need every day to stay healthy; keep copper concerns at bay with Feel!