Most people are severely
copper-deficient!
Many people think that copper is something we get in excess. Doctors and popular health writers warn us about copper accumulation through copper plumbing and cookware. Some even refer to copper as a toxic mineral.
Copper is a confusing mineral
However, the reality is that most people are copper-deficient. This is a critical deficiency because copper is one of the most important trace minerals in our diet. Copper is essential for many processes in the body, including the production of most proteins, enzymes and hormones.
Copper deficiency is a primary cause of many modern diseases such as coronary heart disease, strokes, atherosclerosis, inflammation, anaemia, old skin and rapid aging, fatigue, grey hair, arthritis, cancers and many psychological, brain and nervous disorders. The widespread appearance of these diseases in the past century coincides with the disappearance of copper from our diets.
Why is copper deficiency not widely acknowledged and copper not widely supplemented? The answer is that it is easily possible to have a severe copper deficiency or a toxic copper overload, depending on the forms of copper that you are getting.
To add to the confusion, hair, saliva and blood tests for copper are deceptive. Studies show that most tests that measure copper excess are misleading, and tests for copper sufficiency give conflicting results.
The healthy forms of copper are severely deficient in our diets. There is no danger of overloading on these forms of copper because any excess is excreted within hours. On the other hand, we suffer widespread exposure to the toxic forms of copper which are difficult to excrete and instead tend to accumulate in the body.
Symptoms of copper deficiency
The hallmark symptoms of copper deficiency are connective tissue disorders (prematurely aged, loose and weak skin), heart disease accompanied by weak/distended/damaged blood vessels, and osteoporosis.
- Rapid aging manifesting as:
Loose or sagging skin, wrinkles, skin looks older than it should be.
Slow wound healing.
Grey hair that loses its curls and becomes thin and straight.
Antioxidant disruption, causing accelerated aging and poor immune defence.
Reduced production of various anti-senescence proteins. - Fatigue and low energy.
- Inflammation.
- Weak connective tissues, causing increased incidence of heart and blood vessel disease, stroke and hernia.
- Anaemia. One of the most common signs of copper deficiency is anaemia that is unresponsive to iron supplementation.
- Bone, joint and muscle ailments. Arthritis, osteoporosis, formation of bone spurs, scoliosis, skeletal abnormalities and susceptibility to fractures. Joint problems, painful joints and other chronic conditions involving bone and connective tissue. Weak muscles.
- Digestive problems. Numerous digestive problems including ulcers, food intolerances, and the loss of ability to digest milk.
- Psychological / Neurological ailments. ADD / ADHD, increased pain sensitivity, impaired brain development, impaired nerve growth, depression, epilepsy, Alzheimer's.
- Weakened immune system. Increased risk of infections by viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. Low white blood cell count.
- Infants. Impaired growth and development, and low weight.
Sections in the 24 page Grow Youthful Copper eBook:
- Copper - excess or deficiency?
- Health properties of copper.
- How much copper do you need?
- Factors causing copper deficiency.
- Tests for copper deficiency.
- Symptoms of copper deficiency.
- The healthy and the toxic forms of copper.
- Copper excess.
- Food and drink sources of copper.
- Copper supplementation.
- References. 110 references to published studies in scientific journals.