HEALTH: Copper Overload: A Commonly Overlooked Condition?

[Guest guest]

Copper Overload: A Commonly Overlooked Condition?

 

from The Aquarian, Winter 2000

 

About two years ago I was diagnosed with something called " copper

overload. " I had seen many traditional M.D.s, but none could figure out

what was wrong with me. I had severe fatigue, a racing mind, yeast

problems, bad sinus congestion, muscle twitching, prostate problems, and

severe emotional ups and downs. Things got worse. Among other things, my

job stress mounted and I started to have problems with circulation in my

hands and legs. I also got laid off.

 

My doctor thought I had MS (multiple sclerosis), but when my MRI came

back normal, he didn't know what to do with me. He ordered many tests

that also came back normal. He implied it was all in my head and

prescribed antidepressants (that's what doctors do when they can't find

anything wrong with you).

 

I was now branded a hypochondriac. After many more wasted trips to

traditional doctors pushing various pharmaceuticals on me, I finally

found a naturopathic doctor. She suggested hair analysis to determine

what's going on with my body on a cellular level. That's how I found out

I had very high copper levels and numerous secondary deficiencies and

excesses. My ND suggested a change in diet and supplements to help

chelate (bind and remove) the copper from my system. I felt relieved,

yet when I went to my traditional doctor to tell him the findings, he

just laughed and told me I was wasting my money. With more stress, my

symptoms again got worse. I became hypothyroid. My morning body

temperature fell to 95.5 degrees F., and I was suffering from dry skin

and eyes, poor digestion and severe constipation, among other symptoms.

 

I searched everywhere for information about copper overload. I found

nothing. Finally, after a year of chasing my tail and not really keeping

up with my copper-free diet, I came across a book by Ann Louise

Gittleman called Why Am I Always So Tired? Discover How Correcting Your

Body's Copper Imbalance Can Keep Your Body from Giving Out Before Your

Mind Does (1999, Harper San Francisco). Finally a book about copper

overload! I learned that not all people get it - usually it's slow

metabolisers, like myself. I realized that the unresolved stress in my

life was depleting my body of zinc (which is the antagonist to copper).

[Editor's note: Copper and zinc both are essential nutrients that become

toxic in excess.] The more stress, the less zinc, and the more copper

builds up and impairs your endocrine system, especially your adrenal and

thyroid glands. My diet, I found out, was full of copper - nuts, seeds,

chocolate, seafood, beer, and lots of soy products (yes, soy!), which

all contributed to my condition. I truly felt God wanted me to find that

book. What a relief!

 

I'm not back to normal yet. I still suffer from " copper dumps, " but my

erratic mood swings are not nearly as severe or emotional. I'm much

calmer. My energy is up enough that I can work again. My prostate

problems have gone away, though my sex drive is not yet up to snuff. The

effects of hypothyroidism brought about by too much copper are still my

biggest challenge. Every case of copper overload is different.

Depending on how severe and how deeply stored the copper is in your

body, it could take a couple months or a few years to recover. I don't

claim to be an expert, but I do suggest anyone who suspects they may

have copper overload see a naturopathic doctor and get a hair analysis

done. It just may be the best investment you'll ever make!

 

Sincerely,

Ryan McDonald

ryan

 

 

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/rwgully/basics/minerals%202.htm

 

(NOTE FROM MOUSE: This link didn't work for me - I am looking for others

on this topic and will forward them when I have them. ** Also I know a

natural doc who will do hair analyses very very cheaply. I will send

you info on that too - its something I am thinking about having done and

it sure seems like a good idea.)

 

 

Copper

 

Why do I need copper?

 

Copper is a trace mineral found in all body tissues. It helps the body

absorb iron, helps regulate and stimulate the brain, helps protect and

support the nervous and glandular systems, assists in forming muscle &

bone, and assists in the pigmentation of hair and skin.

 

What are some of the signs of copper deficiency?

 

Too little copper can cause fatigue, weak blood cells, impaired

respiration, skin sores, and lack of hair and skin pigmentation. Copper

deficiencies are fairly rare, but can be caused by megadoses of zinc or

Vitamin C.

 

How much do I need and should I supplement?

 

While a small amount of copper is essential, this is a mineral that it

is easy to get too much of. Large quantities can be toxic. The RDA is

2000mcg, which can easily be obtained from food.

 

Copper is antagonistic to zinc, which means that if you have too much

copper in your body, your zinc supplies will be low (and vice versa).

 

Never take a copper supplement by itself, unless a copper deficiency has

been detected by your health specialist and it has been prescribed.

However, copper is usually present in multi minerals. If you have reason

to think you have a copper imbalance, try and find a multi without copper.

 

How would I know if I've got a copper imbalance?

 

Symptoms of copper overload include fatigue, skin problems, anxiety,

roller coaster emotions, insomnia, yeast overgrowth, PMS, and immune

system disorders.

 

Nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman found that an excess of copper was the

cause of chronic, unexplained fatigue in many of her patients. Some

people are unable to clear excess copper from their bodies and are prone

to copper overload. If you have chronic fatigue that has no detectable

cause, her book " Why Am I Always So Tired? " is well worth a read. It

includes case studies, how to test for copper overload and how to

reverse it.

 

Most health professionals are only trained to recognize copper overload

in it's acute forms, when the diagnosis can be confirmed by blood or

urine tests. But lower levels of copper/zinc imbalance, which can still

cause ill-health, can only be detected by a tissue mineral analysis,

preferably using a hair sample.

 

What other causes of fatigue should I consider first?

 

Some other causes of fatigue include: over work or overtraining, not

enough sleep, inadequate water intake, inadequate nutrition or

inappropriate diet, food allergies, blood sugar imbalance, metabolic

disorders, anemia, low thyroid function, immune dysfunction, depression

and heavy metal overload. I believe that the popular diagnosis of

Epstein Barr virus or glandular fever is actually a symptom of immune

dysfunction, rather than the cause of fatigue.

 

What foods contain copper?

 

Copper is readily available in many foods. The copper/zinc ratio is also

important, especially for people who have trouble eliminating excess

copper. Note that many popular diets (including high carb/low fat,

vegetarian, vegan and macro-biotic) emphasize high copper foods and can

contribute to fatigue caused by copper imbalance.

 

Copper

Zinc

Zinc/Copper

 

mg/100 gm

mg/100 gm

Ratio (Ideal 8:1)

 

NUTS

 

Sesame seeds

1.59

10.36

6.5

 

Macadamias

0.29

1.79

6.3

 

Pumpkin seeds

1.29

7.50

5.8

 

Peanuts

0.68

3.21

4.7

 

Pecans

1.21

5.71

4.7

 

Almonds

1.07

5.00

4.7

 

Pinenuts

1.04

4.29

4.1

 

Tahini (1 Tbs)

0.24

0.70

2.9

 

Sunflower seeds

1.79

5.00

2.8

 

Brazils

1.79

4.64

2.6

 

Cashews

2.25

5.71

2.5

 

Walnuts

1.39

2.86

2.1

 

Hazelnuts

1.57

2.50

1.6

 

Pistachios

1.21

1.43

1.2

 

 

Copper

Zinc

Zinc/Copper

 

mg/cup

mg/cup

Ratio (Ideal 8:1)

 

LEGUMES

 

Split peas, cooked (200G)

0.36

2

5.6

 

Black Beans, cooked (172g)

0.36

1.9

5.3

 

Kidney beans, cooked (177g)

0.43

1.9

4.4

 

Pinto beans, cooked (171g)

0.44

1.9

4.3

 

Chick peas, cooked (164g)

0.58

2.5

4.3

 

Soy beans, cooked (172g)

0.7

1.9

2.7

 

Lentils, cooked (198g)

0.5

0.25

0.5

 

 

Mushrooms (70g)

0.08

0.3

3.8

 

 

SHELLFISH

 

Shrimps (85g)

0.16

1.3

8.1

 

Lobster (85g)

1.7

2.5

1.5

 

Oysters (85g)

7.6

134

17.6

 

Excess copper intake can also result from copper water pipes and cooking

utensils, some of the new dental amalgams, pesticides and other

chemicals, copper IUDs, birth control pills and other oestrogen medications.

 

***