Incredible Benefits Of Copper

The health benefits of copper are crucial for an overall healthy existence, as this mineral enables a normal metabolic process in association with amino acids and vitamins. It cannot be produced by the body and therefore needs to be added from external food sources. It is the third most prevalent mineral in the body and is mostly carried by the blood plasma protein, ceruloplasmin.

Typical diets in the United States meet or exceed the copper RDA.

Mean dietary intakes of copper from foods range from 800 to 1,000 mcg per day for children aged 2–19.

In adults aged 20 and older, average daily intakes of copper from food are 1,400 mcg for men and 1,100 mcg for women.

Food rich in copper

Food rich in copper are as follows

  • Beef, liver

  • Oysters

  • Baking chocolate

  • Potatoes

  • Mushrooms

  • Cashew nuts

  • Crab

  • Sunflower seed

  • Turkey

  • Tofu

  • Chickpeas

  • Millets

  • Salmon

Benefits of copper

Ensures Proper Growth

  • Copper is essential for normal growth and health.

  • Thus, it is very important to include this mineral in balanced levels in your regular diet.

  • It is also helpful for the protection of the skeletal, nervous, and cardiovascular systems.

  • If you suffer from its deficiency, the normal and healthy growth of organs and tissues, as well as their proper oxygenation from an ample red blood cell concentration, would be impossible.

  • Copper deficiencies are seen in many third world countries and are reflected in a number of birth and growth defects in children of those nations.

Regulates Melanin Production

  • Copper is a vital component of the natural dark pigment, melanin, which imparts coloration to the skin, hair, and eyes.

  • Melanin can be produced by melanocytes only in the presence of the cuproenzyme called tyrosinase, which is derived from it.

  • Intake of its supplements also helps in protecting against graying of the hair, so while it is often overlooked as an antioxidant mineral, it does protect the integrity of those cells and keeps you looking young.

  • It also maintains the color of your eyes, and is essential, along with zinc, to keep your eyes beautifully colored into your old age.

Skin Care

  • Copper is an important nutrient that plays a significant role in the synthesis of hemoglobin, myelin, body pigment melanin, and collagen.

  • It helps to protect the myelin sheath surrounding the nerves and is also actively involved in the production of elastin, an element of connective tissue that keeps the skin flexible.

  • This also keeps your skin from looking older, by keeping it flexible and less prone to sagging and wrinkles.

Brain Stimulant

  • Copper is widely known as a brain stimulant, which is why foods rich in this element are often classified as Brain Foods.

  • However, copper content in the diet has to be in sufficient proportions, because too much of it is also not healthy for the brain.

  • It has a control function to play in the brain, so the amount of copper supplementation has to be balanced.

  • It has been associated directly with higher thought processes, particularly in relation to the impact of its transporter protein, Atp7a.

  • Studies have shown a direct link between its content within the brain and creative or out of the box thinking, showing that it enables neural pathways to develop in unique ways.

Co-enzymatic Reactions

  • Copper is either an element or a cofactor in as many as 50 different enzymes that take part in various biological reactions within the body.

  • These enzymes can function properly only in the presence of it. Without the enzymatic reactions in our various organ systems, our entire metabolism would slow down and the intricate network of reactions and metabolic pathways would cease to function in harmony.

  • This is specifically important in certain brain pathways, particularly those involving dopamine and galactose.

Absorption of Iron & Sugar

  • Copper helps in the absorption of iron from the intestinal tract and in the release from its primary storage sites like the liver.

  • It also helps in the utilization of sugar in the body.

  • By helping in the absorption of iron from food and other supplemental sources, copper guarantees a healthy red blood cell count and proper oxygenation of different organ systems.

  • Without a proper supply of iron, people suffer from anemia, also known as iron deficiency, which can be a very dangerous condition resulting in fatigue, muscle ache, digestive problems, and general weakness.

Prevents Premature Aging

  • Copper is a strong antioxidant, which works in the presence of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase to safeguard the cell membranes from free radicals.

  • Superoxide dismutase is one of the strongest antioxidants that work within the body in the fight against free radicals.

  • Free radicals attack different organ systems but are specifically studied in terms of their effect on aging, including wrinkles, age spots, susceptibility to various types of cancer, macular degeneration, and kidney malfunctions.

Reduces Cholesterol Levels

Studies have shown that copper can reduce the levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and help to increase beneficial HDL (good) cholesterol.

This lowers the chances of cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis, heart attack, and stroke.

Symptoms of copper deficiency

A deficiency of copper can have the following symptoms in human beings

  • Anemia

  • Low body temperature

  • Brittle bones

  • Osteoporosis

  • Dilated veins

  • Low white blood cell count

  • Uneven heartbeat

  • Elevated cholesterol levels

  • Low resistance to infections

  • Birth defects

  • Low skin pigmentation

  • Thyroid disorders

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