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Copper

Copper, the essential mineral required by the human body

What does copper do in the human body?

Copper helps produce energy in all the cells of the human body.

Copper is a component of several enzymes known as cuproenzymes. These enzymes are involved in the following body processes:

  • Energy production

  • Iron metabolism

  • Neuropeptide activation

  • Connective tissue synthesis

  • Neurotransmitter synthesis.

For example, ceruloplasmin is an enzyme containing the mineral copper. Ceruloplasmin plays a role in iron metabolism and carries more than 95% of the total copper in the plasma of healthy humans.

In addition, copper helps our bodies make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is needed to carry oxygen in red blood cells.

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Copper is involved in many physiological processes, including the following:

  • The formation of new blood vessels

  • Metabolic equilibrium of neurohormones also referred to as neurohormone homeostasis

  • Regulation of gene expression

  • Brain development

  • Cell pigmentation

  • Immune system functioning

Equally important, copper also works in the defense against oxidative damage by helping in the functioning of the copper-containing enzyme called Superoxide Dismutases.

Superoxide Dismutases are antioxidant enzymes that help defend against oxidative damage in the human body.

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Copper helps our bodies develop connective tissue, myelin, and melanin. Myelin is a vital substance forming nerve fibers. Melanin is a type of complex pigment that, in humans, produces pigmentation in our hair, skin, and eyes. Copper is an essential trace mineral for synthesizing both myelin and melanin in our bodies.

 

Myelin is a white fatty substance that forms a medullary sheath around the axis cylinder of some nerve fibers. Myelin is an insulating layer or sheath that develops around nerves, including the spinal cord and the brain. Myelin is made up of protein and fatty substances. This myelin sheath allows electrical impulses to transmit quickly and efficiently along with the nerve cells. If myelin is damaged, these impulses slow down.

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The nutritional food sources of copper.

Where is copper mostly found?

The richest dietary sources of mineral copper include shellfish, nuts and seeds, animal organ meats, wheat-bran cereals, whole-grain products, and chocolate.

The top foods with copper content:

 

  • Beef liver

  • Oyster

  • Baking chocolate

  • Potatoes

  • Mushrooms

  • Cashew nuts

  • Crab

  • Sunflower seed kernels

  • Turkey

  • Tofu

  • Chickpeas

  • Millet, cooked

  • Salmon

  • Pasta, whole wheat

  • Avocado

  • Figs

  • Spinach

  • Asparagus

  • Sesame seeds

  • Turkey

  • Tomatoes

Dried Oranges

How much copper do we need?

For people aged 14 to 18, the RDA, the Recommended Dietary Allowance of copper, is 890 micrograms daily. For people aged 19 and older, the RDA of copper is 900 micrograms daily.

 

The RDA for pregnant females (14-50 years old) is 1000 micrograms, and the RDA for females (14-50 years old) in lactation is 1300 micrograms.

However, do not consume an excess amount of copper. Excessive intakes of copper result in health risks. The UL, the Tolerable Upper Intake Level of copper, is 10,000 micrograms for people aged 19 and older; the UL of copper for 14-18 years is 8,000 micrograms.

 

The daily upper limits for copper include intakes from all foods, beverages, and supplements.

The ULs do not apply to individuals receiving supplemental copper under medical supervision.

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Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Copper in unit of micrograms (abbreviated as mcg) are listed in the following table:

_Adequate Intake (AI).For infants from birth to 12 months, AI for copper is established as
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Copper can be harmful if you get too much.

The daily upper limits for copper include intakes from all sources—food, beverages, and supplements—and are listed below in micrograms (mcg).The ULs do not apply to individuals who are receiving supplemental copper under medical supervision.

Tolerable Upper Levels (ULs) for Copper are listed in the following table:

_Adequate Intake (AI).For infants from birth to 12 months, AI for copper is established as
Dried Oranges

References:

National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: Magnesium Fact Sheet for Health Professionals

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Copper-HealthProfessional/

Updated: October 18, 2022

 

Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2001.

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