Copper is a mineral crucial for health maintenance. Copper is an essential nutrient, excesses or deficiencies of which cause impaired cellular functions and eventually cell death. The metabolic fates of copper and iron are intimately related. Systemic copper deficiency generates cellular iron deficiency, which in humans results in diminished work capacity, reduced intellectual capacity, diminished growth, alterations in bone mineralization, and diminished immune response. Copper is required for the function of over 30 proteins, including superoxide dismutase, ceruloplasmin, lysyl oxidase, cytochrome c oxidase, tyrosinase and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase. However, copper excess can also be harmful. It is suggested not to exceed 2 mg of copper intake a day.
Copper and Alzheimer's Disease
Copper is an essential metal in living organisms; thus,
the maintenance of adequate levels is of vital importance and is highly
regulated. Dysfunction of copper metabolism leading to its excess or deficiency
results in severe ailments. Two examples of illnesses related to alterations in
copper metabolism are Menkes and Wilson diseases. Several proteins are involved
in the maintenance of copper homeostasis, including transporters and
metal chaperones. In the last several years, the beta-amyloid-precursor protein
(beta-APP) and the prion protein (PrP(C)), which are related to the
neurodegenerative disorders Alzheimer and prion diseases respectively, have been
associated with copper metabolism. Both proteins bind copper through
copper-binding domains that also have been shown to reduce copper in vitro. In addition to a functional link between copper and beta-APP or PrP(C),
evidence suggests that copper has a role in Alzheimer and prion diseases.
In one study, elderly people whose diets were rich in
copper and heavy in saturated fats and trans fats risked faster mental decline
that could be related to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. In the six-year study
of more than 3,700 people aged 65 or older, about 600 of the subjects consumed
at least 1.6 milligrams of copper a day, along with foods heavy in saturated and
trans fat. Many of those people added the equivalent of 19 years to their ages
in terms of mental decline. While copper, zinc and iron are essential for brain
development, too much copper in the bloodstream may block the body’s ability to
rid itself of proteins that form plaques found to clog the brains of Alzheimer’s
patients. Archives of Neurology, August 2006.
Copper and postpartum depression
Women with a history of postpartum depression tend to have unusually high
levels of copper in their blood. The body's regulation of copper levels may be
involved. Blood copper levels are significantly higher among women with a
history of postpartum depression compared with non-depressed women and those
who'd suffered depression unrelated to childbirth. Some women may have a problem
in the body's built-in system for clearing excess copper.
During pregnancy, a woman's copper levels normally go up, more than doubling,
before normalizing after childbirth. In women who develop postpartum depression,
copper levels do not normalize for some reason -- most likely because of a
genetically determined flaw in the protein that regulates copper levels.
Persistently high copper levels might contribute to postpartum depression
because of the metal's role in brain chemistry. Excess copper in the brain, can
alter the balance of dopamine and norepinephrine, two mood-regulating chemicals.
Copper in food
Copper is normally consumed in animal organs like liver, and in
shellfish, nuts, legumes, some fruits, potatoes and chocolate. Drinking water
that travels through copper pipes can also contain copper.
Copper RDA or Suggested Daily Intake
The U.S. daily recommended intake of copper is 0.9 milligrams.
Copper Deficiency
During the past decade, there has been increasing
interest in the concept that marginal deficits of copper element can contribute
to the development and progression of a number of disease states including
cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Deficits of copper nutrient during
pregnancy can result in gross structural malformations in the conceptus, and
persistent neurological and immunological abnormalities in the offspring.
Excessive amounts of copper in the body can also pose a risk.
Toxicity
Acute copper toxicity can result in a number of pathologies, and in
severe cases, death. Chronic copper toxicity can result in liver disease and
severe neurological defects. The concept that elevated ceruloplasmin is a risk
factor.
In China, dumplings are served by millions of families
during the annual Dragon Boat Festival. The glutinous rice dumplings, or "zongzi",
are wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves and shaped like pyramids, but some
unscrupulous manufacturers are using copper-based chemicals to keep the leaves
green. The leaves dyed by copper sulphate or copper chloride contain metal
elements which will penetrate into the zongzi and cause harm. Some zongzi may
contained 30 times more copper than the national standard.
Copper and Depression
Magnesium and copper are important modulators of NMDA-receptor
activity. Recent data indicate that disturbances of glutamatergic transmission
(especially via NMDA-receptor) are involved in pathogenesis of mood disorders.
Magnesium deficiency, the same as disturbances in turn over of copper, are
related to a variety of psychological symptoms especially depression. There are
many reports indicating significant changes in blood levels of magnesium or
copper during a depressive episode.
Wilson's Disease and Copper
Wilson's disease (WD) is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder
leading to impaired intrahepatic trafficking and biliary excretion of copper,
resulting in the accumulation of copper in various organs including the liver,
cornea, and brain. Anticopper drugs that have been developed to treat Wilson's
disease, a disease of copper toxicity, include tetrathiomolybdate, zinc,
penicillamine, and trientine. Lowering copper levels by a modest amount in
non-Wilson's patients with tetrathiomolybdate inhibits angiogenesis, fibrosis
and inflammation while avoiding clinical copper deficiency.
Angiogenesis
The formation of new blood vessels is the initial step in progressive
tumor development and metastasis. The first stage in tumor
angiogenesis is the
activation of endothelial cells. Copper ions stimulate proliferation and
migration of endothelial cells. Serum copper concentration increases as the
cancer disease progresses and correlates with tumor incidence and burden. Copper
ions also activate several proangiogenic factors, e.g., vascular endothelial
growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, tumor necrosis factor alpha and
interleukin. Whether attempts to reduce copper levels in a tumor
microenvironment will alter cancer progression has not been fully evaluated.
Reduced Longevity? Unhealthy to have too much?
Dr. Nathalie Leone of the Lille Pasteur Institute and colleagues found
men with high copper levels had an increased risk of dying while high magnesium
levels were associated with reduced mortality risk. Low zinc levels seem to add
to the effect of the other two elements. However it remains unclear whether
these metals are actually responsible for these effects or simply markers for
cancer or heart disease. Zinc, copper and magnesium play a number of key roles
in the body, for example in the immune response, inflammation and oxidative
stress.
Researchers followed 4,035 men aged 30 to 60
for 18 years. During follow-up, 339 men died, including 176 from cancer and 56
from heart disease. Men with the highest copper levels at the study's outset had
a 50 percent increased risk of death from any cause, and a 40 percent greater
risk of dying from cancer, compared to men with the lowest levels. On the other
hand, those with the highest magnesium levels had a 40 percent to 50 percent
reduced risk of death compared to those with the lowest levels. Low zinc levels
along with high copper levels boosted mortality risk further. Low zinc values
combined with low magnesium levels contributed to an increased mortality risk.
High copper levels were tied to older age, smoking and high cholesterol, while
lower magnesium levels were linked to older age, high blood pressure and
diabetes.
Copper can contribute to the formation of damaging free
radicals in the body while low magnesium may also contribute to inflammation.
Low zinc levels may impair immune function, while zinc also shields the body
from free radicals. Epidemiology, May 2006.
Review
Biophys J. 2016. How Mammalian Cells Acquire Copper: An Essential but
Potentially Toxic Metal. Cu is an essential micronutrient, and its role in an
array of critical physiological processes is receiving increasing attention.
Among these are wound healing, angiogenesis, protection against reactive oxygen
species, neurotransmitter synthesis, modulation of normal cell and tumor growth,
and many others
Questions
Q. Is it okay to take a copper supplement with
CoQ10 and
Lipoic acid pills?
A. First make sure you really need to take supplemental
dosages of this mineral. I don't
see a problem taking them together.
I have been reading that copper is not good for the brain
and that no copper supplements should be taken by anyone. There is some research
that says that it contributes to deterioration in the brain.
There is debate about this topic. It is possible that some people
are mildly deficient and could benefit from small amounts.