This is one of the pages from the database. It is succinct and contains more than the word count would suggest. Fonts and point sizes are of course lost, I just hope I don't have to redo the line feeds...:-)
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Copper
Copper is an essential trace element for humans, animals and many plants. The average adult contains between 75 and 150 mg copper and about half of this is contained in the skeleton and the muscles. Copper is most concentrated in the brain and liver.
What it does in the body
Copper is an important component in many enzymes in the body. A copper- containing enzyme plays a vital role in energy production in cells. The activity of this enzyme is highest in the heart, brain, liver and kidney.
Connective tissue formation
An enzyme responsible for the production of the connective tissue proteins, collagen and elastin, requires copper. It is therefore necessary for the development and maintenance of blood vessels, skin, bone and joints.
Iron metabolism and blood
Copper is involved in the release of iron from storage sites and is involved in the formation of bone marrow and the maturation of red blood cells.
Brain and nervous system
Copper is necessary for the synthesis of cell membrane phospholipids, and so helps maintain myelin, the insulating sheath that surrounds nerve cells. It also helps regulate neurotransmitter levels.
Antioxidant
Copper is part of the enzyme copper-zinc superoxide dismutase, an antioxidant vital for protection against free radical damage. Maintaining the correct balance between zinc and copper is important in many body functions involving superoxide dismutase.
Immune system
Copper is important in developing resistance to infection. During inflammation or infection, two copper-containing compounds, superoxide dismutase and ceruloplasmin, are mobilized in the body. Copper is also necessary for T cell function and maturation.
Cardiovascular system
Copper is essential for the contractility of heart muscle. It is also necessary for the healthy function of small blood vessels that control blood flow and nutrient and waste exchange. It is also necessary for the functioning of the muscles of the blood vessels and is involved in the functioning of blood vessel linings and platelets which may play a role in blood clotting.1
Other functions
The formation of melanin, a natural coloring pigment found in skin and hair, involves a copper-dependent enzyme. The enzyme histaminase, which metabolizes histamine, requires copper. Copper is involved in fat and cholesterol metabolism and in the normal functioning of insulin which regulates glucose metabolism. It also contributes to the synthesis of prostaglandins, compounds that regulate a variety of functions such as heartbeat, blood pressure and wound-healing.
Absorption and metabolism
Around 30 per cent of dietary intake of copper is absorbed in the stomach and upper intestine. It is transferred across the gut wall and carried to the liver where it combines with proteins including ceruloplasmin. This protein is released into the blood and carries copper to body tissues. Adequate protein improves copper absorption. Excretion is mostly via secretion in bile into the gastrointestinal tract and then elimination in the feces.
Deficiency
Symptoms of copper deficiency in babies include failure to thrive, pale skin, anemia, diarrhea, lack of pigment in hair and skin, and prominent dilated veins. In adults, symptoms include anemia, water retention, weakness of blood vessel walls, irritability, brittle bones, hair depigmentation, poor hair texture and loss of sense of taste.
Children at risk of deficiency include those with Menkes' syndrome, a rare disorder which means they are unable to absorb copper. Malnourished, premature infants and those who have iron deficiency anemia are also at risk. Milk, in general, is low in copper; although absorption from breast milk is more efficient than that from cow's milk and formula.
Those who eat large amounts of phytates which bind copper in the gut, those whose diets are highly refined, those who have prolonged diarrhea or those with high intakes of zinc, cadmium, fluoride or molybdenum may be at risk of deficiency.
Immune system
Copper deficiency can lead to reduced resistance to infection as white blood cell activity and cellular immune responses are reduced. The ratio of zinc to copper may also affect immune system effectiveness. Susceptibility to disease seems to increase when copper intake is high and zinc intake is low..
Nervous system
Copper deficiency can impair the function of the nervous system. This impairment causes poor concentration, numbness and tingling, and a variety of nervous system disorders.
Heart disease
A deficiency of copper may contribute to heart disease. Copper deficiencies have been associated with poor heart muscle, a drop in beneficial HDL cholesterol and an increase in harmful LDL cholesterol. In animals, copper intake has also been associated with weakening of heart connective tissue and rupture of blood vessels. Alterations in blood clotting mechanism and the muscular activity of blood vessels may also occur. The ratio of zinc to copper may be important in the regulation of blood cholesterol.
Collagen defects
Copper deficiency leads to poor collagen formation, the protein component of connective tissue which may result in bone deformities, damaged blood vessels, reduced resiliency of skin and other internal and external linings of the body.
Other problems
Copper intakes may be low in rheumatoid arthritis sufferers and may contribute to the incidence of the disease.2 Copper deficiency may also be involved in high blood pressure.3
Sources
Good food sources include liver, shellfish, brewer's yeast, olives, nuts, whole grains, beans and chocolate. Copper from food processing and storage, pesticides and fungicides in food and copper kettles also contribute to copper in the diet. Up to 70 per cent of the copper content of flour may be lost when it is refined.
Beef liver, fried 85g 3.77 mg
Peanuts ½ cup 1.59 mg
Walnuts 1 cup, chopped 1.58 mg
Sesame seeds ¼ cup 1.40 mg
Almonds 1 cup 1.27 mg
Sardines, canned in tomato sauce1 can 1.01 mg
Oysters 6 pieces 0.80 mg
Crab, cooked 1 cup 0.72 mg
Soybeans, cooked 1 cup 0.66 mg
Sunflower seeds ¼ cup 0.60 mg
Chickpeas, cooked 1 cup 0.55 mg
Avocado 1 avocado 0.53 mg
Lentils, cooked 1 cup 0.48 mg
Tofu ½ cup 0.47 mg
Wheatgerm ½ cup 0.44 mg
Kidney beans, cooked 1 cup 0.41 mg
Beet greens, cooked 1 cup 0.34 mg
Mushrooms, raw 1 cup, slices 0.32 mg
Spinach, cooked 1 cup 0.29 mg
Wholewheat spaghetti 1 cup 0.22 mg
Cocoa powder 1 tbsp 0.21 mg
Brown rice, cooked 1 cup 0.19 mg
Milk chocolate 1 bar 0.17 mg
Recommended dietary allowances
There is no RDA for copper. Safe and adequate intake is estimated to range from 1.5 to 3 mg per day. The UK RNI is 1.2 mg for adults.
Supplements
Copper supplements are available in various forms including copper amino acid chelate, copper gluconate and copper sulfate. Some experts feel that copper should not be supplemented as there is a fine line between therapeutic and toxic doses.
Toxic effects of excess intake
Toxicity of copper is thought to be fairly rare but high concentrations (daily intakes of 200 mg and over) can cause effects such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, muscle pains, heart problems, immune suppression and abnormal mental states. The lethal dose for copper may be as low as 3.5 g. Imbalance in the copper to zinc ratio may be an important factor in copper toxicity.
Patients with ulcerative colitis may accumulate copper in the tissues and the excess of copper may aggravate the disease. High copper levels may also be a risk factor for heart disease.
A study done in 1998 in Wisconsin suggests that high levels of copper in the water supply may increase the rate of gastrointestinal upsets. The researchers assessed copper levels in several homes with new water distribution systems. Their findings suggested that copper-contaminated drinking water was a common cause of nausea, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and headaches in areas where water supplies are naturally corrosive.4
Wilson's disease
Wilson's disease is a rare genetic disorder affecting one in 30 000 people, in which the liver is unable to remove copper from the body. Excessive amounts of copper accumulate, leading to symptoms of liver disease and loss of mental function. Drugs to remove excess copper, and zinc to promote excretion of copper, are used to treat Wilson's disease.
Therapeutic uses of supplements
Copper is used therapeutically to treat deficiency symptoms and iron deficiency anemia. Copper is present in expectorant cough mixtures, cough suppressant preparations and decongestants.
Heart disease
Copper supplements have been shown to have beneficial effects on the oxidation of blood fats. A 1997 study done over four weeks at Ohio State University found that 2 mg per day of copper increased the time taken for LDL cholesterol to become oxidized.5 This helps to reduce the damage these fats do to arteries and limits the build-up of atherosclerotic plaque.
Arthritis
The wearing of copper bracelets as a cure for arthritis is an old remedy which may have some scientific support. It is possible that the copper combines with compounds in the skin which are then absorbed and exert anti-inflammatory effects. Copper is part of ceruloplasmin which acts as both an anti-inflammatory agent and as an antioxidant, and plays a role in the body's reaction to inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Interactions with other nutrients
Copper to zinc ratio
Zinc and copper compete with each other for absorption. Excess zinc intake for prolonged periods can lead to copper deficiency. Altered copper to zinc ratios may play a role in several disorders including heart disease and some types of cancer including those of the breast, lung and gastrointestinal tract. There is some suggestion that this may be useful as a diagnostic test. Copper zinc ratios also seem to be high in violence-prone males (See page 323 for more information.)
Copper-zinc superoxide dismutase levels seem to be altered in rheumatoid arthritis. Those with the disease have higher serum copper/zinc superoxide dismutase levels than those without.6
Other vitamins and minerals
Iron and copper interact in several ways. Copper deficiency alters iron metabolism, causing it to accumulate in the liver. Excess iron can lead to copper deficiency. High molybdenum intakes may increase copper excretion. High doses of vitamin C may alter copper metabolism and lead to deficiency states.
1 Schuschke DA. Dietary copper in the physiology of the microcirculation. Nutr, 1997 Dec, 127:12, 2274-81
2 Kremer JM; Bigaouette J Nutrient intake of patients with rheumatoid arthritis is deficient in pyridoxine, zinc, copper, and magnesium. J Rheumatol, 1996 Jun, 23:6, 990-4
3 Lukaski HC; Klevay LM; Milne DB Effects of dietary copper on human autonomic cardiovascular function. Eur J Appl Physiol, 1988, 58:1-2, 74-80
4 Knobeloch L; Schubert C; Hayes J; Clark J; Fitzgerald C; Fraundorff A Gastrointestinal upsets and new copper plumbing-is there a connection? WMJ, 1998 Jan, 97:1, 49-53
5 Jones AA; DiSilvestro RA; Coleman M; Wagner TL Copper supplementation of adult men: effects on blood copper enzyme activities and indicators of cardiovascular disease risk. Metabolism, 1997 Dec, 46:12, 1380-3
6 Serum copper/zinc superoxide dismutase levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Mazzetti I; Grigolo B; Borzì RM; Meliconi R; Facchini A. Int J Clin Lab Res, 1996, 26:4, 245-9
Copyright Bookman Press 1998
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Think maybe the rest of that is worth a 130KB download ?
Also, when reading the whole thing you'll find they more than once mention that the mineral content of the foods depends upon the soil in which it is grown. You don't hear about this as they spout their **** about cholesterol and fat, it does not make a good case for commercial farming. If you don't think the land is played out ask a cattle farmer why his livestock gets comprehensive mineral supplements. Without them, the animals would not make it to market weight. They have no other incentive to pay for this except that now the USDA did get involved and start requiring them. Look it up. In fact the government surprised me doing something right, years ago an association of meat growers petitioned to be allowed to stop the supplements during the last month before slaughter. the government rejected their request.
Good. That shows just how much they care about their customers.