Copper Health Professional Fact Sheet

For a reader friendly overview of zinc see our consumer fact sheet on zinc.

Copper health professional fact sheet.

These include vitamins minerals herbs and botanicals probiotics and more. 1 000 mg plus trace minerals 5 mg manganese 15 mg zinc and 2 5 mg copper for 2 years improved spinal bone density compared with placebo in 59 healthy postmenopausal women mean age 66 years. Zinc is an essential mineral that is naturally present in some foods added to others and available as a dietary supplement. Yes copper can be harmful if you get too much.

Known land based resources of copper are estimated to be 1 6 billion metric tons of copper usgs 2004. For a reader friendly overview of selenium see our consumer fact sheet on selenium. But it can occur in people with wilson s disease a rare genetic disorder. Copper also helps maintain the nervous and immune systems and activates genes.

Selenium is a trace element that is naturally present in many foods added to others and available as a dietary supplement. The epa has found copper to potentially cause the following health effects when people are exposed to it at levels above the acceptable level. Use of water that exceeds the acceptable level over many years could cause liver or kidney damage. You may think of copper as something to do with wiring and electronics but it s also an important mineral that you take into your body when you eat some types of seafood nuts veggies fruit and.

Only small amounts of copper are typically stored in the body and the average adult has a total body content of 50 120 mg copper 1 2. Your body uses copper to carry out many important functions including making energy connective tissues and blood vessels. Manganese health professional fact sheet author. Copper health professional.

This is a fact sheet intended for health professionals. Copper toxicity is rare in healthy individuals. Short periods of exposure can cause gastrointestinal disturbance including nausea and vomiting. Most copper is excreted in bile and a small amount is excreted in urine.

Getting too much copper on a regular basis can cause liver damage abdominal pain cramps nausea diarrhea and vomiting. Geological survey usgs estimates that every american born in 2008 will use 1 309 pounds of copper during their lifetime for necessities lifestyles and health. Copper is a mineral that you need to stay healthy. Your body also needs copper for brain development.

This collection of fact sheets and other resources from the nih office of dietary supplements and other federal government sources presents information about dietary supplements and their ingredients. Nuts are a rich source of copper.