Balancing copper to prevent copper overload can be a delicate process in today’s modern world, especially among high estrogen females.
Copper is a mineral, a metal and an essential nutrient that impacts neurotransmitters in the brain. Specifically, copper lowers dopamine levels (think pleasure and reward centers in the brain) and increases the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, which acts as a stress hormone.
In order for the copper you take in to be used by your body and enter your cells it needs special binding proteins, specifically metallothionein and ceruloplasmin. These binding proteins make the copper bio-available so it can be used by your body.
Getting Too Much Copper
Getting too much copper can decrease energy levels though adversely impacting thyroid activity, as well as mental well-being. Other symptoms include:
- irritability
- hyperactivity
- academic underachievement
- skin sensitivity to rough fabrics and metals
- sensitivity to food dyes
- sleep issues
- high anxiety
- ringing in ears
- adverse reactions to copper (including multivitamins), chocolate, shellfish
- estrogen intolerance
- poor stress control
- premature graying of hair
- abnormal menstrual cycles
How Copper Overload Happens
Copper overload can manifest for a variety of reasons, one strong influence being the antagonistic relationship between copper and zinc. When zinc is depleted by stress, dietary insufficiency or malabsorption, copper can increase, and vice versa. Other contributing factors include:
- estrogen dominance (estrogen lets copper levels rise)
- hormonal birth control or hormone replacement therapy
- copper IUD
- high copper diet
- low zinc diet, low zinc levels, pyrroles disorder
- chronic stress (depletes zinc levels, increasing copper)
- genetic predisposition and/or nutrient inheritance
- vegetarian and vegan diets (high in copper, low in zinc)
Sources of copper
Copper is pretty easy to find in the diet, especially for those who are on paleo-type diets that are avoiding grains and instead loading up on large amounts of nuts, seeds and chocolate.
Some of the most common copper sources are:
- multivitamins
- other copper-containing supplements
- copper IUD
- old copper pipes contaminating drinking water
- shellfish (% daily value varies)
- dark chocolate (a 3oz dark chocolate bar contains approximately 100-200% the daily value for copper)
- shiitake mushrooms (1 cup, 65% daily value)
- nuts/seeds, especially almonds, cashews and sunflower seeds (% daily value varies)
- avocados (1 avocado, 12% daily value)
Types of Copper
Evaluating copper levels can be confusing because there are different forms of copper. If you just measure one component of copper, you’re only getting 1/2 the story on your true copper levels and overall copper homeostasis.
- Free copper is copper not bound to copper binding proteins. When over 25% of copper is free or unbound this can create metal metabolism disorder, and lead to copper issues.
- Bio-available copper – in healthy, copper-balanced persons, approximately 80-95% of copper is bound to ceruloplasmin, with only 5-20% of copper being ‘free’ or ‘unbound.’
Testing for copper can be measured by using a serum copper blood test paired with hair tissue mineral analysis.
Correcting Copper Overload
Correcting copper overload takes a multifaceted approach including dietary and supplement strategies.
As well as reducing excess high-copper foods (and supplements) from the diet, nutrients important to counteract copper high copper include:
- zinc
- vitamin b6
- vitamin C
- molybdenum
I hope this post better helps you understand a not-so-commonly known nutrition imbalances that can have a huge impact on how you feel and empowers you to discover ways to feel better.
Have you struggled with copper overload? Please share in the comments!
References:
- Walsh, William J., PhD: Nutrient Power: Heal Your Biochemistry & Heal Your Brain, 2014.
- https://www.traceelements.com/Docs/Nutrient%20Interrelationships-Minerals-Vitamins-Endocrines.pdf
- https://www.traceelements.com/Docs/The%20Nutritional%20Relationships%20of%20Copper.pdf