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| How Much Do We Need? |
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  Copper
is a micro-nutrient that is essential for human health. Human nutritional
requirements demand a small but regular intake of dietary copper in
order to maintain health and keep the body functioning properly.
Copper is required for:
- infant growth
- bone strength
- red and white blood cell maturation
- iron transport and adsorption
- cholesterol and glucose metabolism
- maintaining a healthy heart (heart contraction)
- brain development
- maintenance of the body's immune function
- protection against oxidative and inflammatory damage
At least 20 enzymes contain copper and at least 10 of these require
copper to function. Substantial amounts of copper can be found throughout
organs and tissues of the body.
Because copper is essential to human life and present in most foods,
it poses virtually no risk as part of a balanced diet in healthy people.
And since copper is a natural substance that has always been with
us in the environment, the human body has evolved an extremely effective
and well-developed internal regulatory mechanism to ensure that the
copper we ingest is put to use and that any excess is harmlessly eliminated.
As a result of this mechanism, between 25 and 60 percent of the copper
taken up by the body is absorbed for use. The balance is excreted
in bile, urine or perspiration.
The average non-skeletal tissue concentration of copper in humans
is 2.9 ppb wet weight (fresh weight).
Each of the essential minerals, including copper, zinc, iron, manganese,
chromium, molybdenum, and selenium may affect the absorption and metabolism
of the other essential minerals, to varying degrees. The interaction
between zinc and copper is probably the most important, because zinc
can compete directly with copper for absorption in the gut.
Nutritional Requirements for Copper. The recommended daily
requirement of dietary copper is 1-2 mg. for adults and 0.5-1 mg.
for children (source: US Dept. Agriculture). Infants from birth to
6 months of age should ingest 0.4 to 0.6 mg/day of copper.
Infants from 6 months to children of 10 years should ingest 0.7 to
2.0 mg/day of copper.
This requirement is met by taking in copper through a balanced diet
rich in cereals, meat, root vegetables, legumes, wine, nuts and even
chocolate. Other good sources of copper include organ meats, potatoes,
peas, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, oysters, shrimp, trout, flounder,
tuna, and fruit.
Drinking water delivered through copper plumbing tube is a minor source
of copper, as is atmospheric dust.
Special Copper Needs for Pregnant Women and Children. Copper
is especially essential for pregnant women and the developing fetus,
as well as for newborns. In the third trimester, expectant mothers
are advised to double their normal intake of dietary copper to ensure
the fetus receives all of the nutrient that it needs.
Copper is stored in the liver of the fetus, where it can reach levels
that are ten times greater than typical adult levels. After birth,
the baby will need this copper for growth and development, and will
excrete any excess copper that is not required. |
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