Do you have copper toxicity?
Copper toxicity is the most common issue I have seen in the last 10 years on hair analysis results in approximately 90% or more of my clients.
As you read the following information, please take note if any of the symptoms are relatable. We will take stock at the end to see where you may be within your level of copper.
What is this heavy metal good for?
Copper is a very soft and malleable metal that is used as an electrical conductor for this reason.
It is used to make and stimulate neurotransmitters as well as emotional responses. Women need it for fertility but in excess, it is linked to infertility. Dr. Paul Eck called copper the “love” or “emotional” mineral because of its great impact on our nervous system. It stimulates the diencephalon or animal brain we have buried within.
When in balance with our chemistry, copper personality traits of one is a sensitive nature, warm, gentle, creative, intuitive, appear young and can have child-like or feminine mannerisms. In excess, it can tend to push women to be more fierce, violent, or depressed when the level rises monthly biochemically and is tightly associated with estrogens.
In pregnancy, it can push one to be fierce as it is elevated. Younger women are notably more likely to commit a violent crime just before menses when the tissue levels of copper rise as well. Copper is predominant in females whereas males tend to be higher in Zinc.
Is copper good for us or harmful?
This heavy metal is a blessing and a curse as we need it for many important functions to survive but in excess, it can cause a multitude of serious issues. Copper needs to be in balance with zinc for emotional stability but I will explain the link in greater detail to the psychological and spiritual aspects in another article.
Connective tissues require copper to form collagen and to make keratin which is used to create our hair, skin, and fingernails. When bound with sulfur these tissues become elastic and stronger. If you have a deficiency or an oxidized toxic amount you will have physical symptoms such as tendonitis, heart valve disease, overstretched ligaments, and possibly aneurysms. It also affects the strength of your veins including bleeding issues or excessive bruising similarly to anemia.
Most of us think of osteoporosis and arthritis as Calcium issues but they also have intimate ties with Magnesium, Copper, and Zinc. Less common conditions that are linked are scoliosis, slipped or degenerative discs, and kyphosis (a hunched back) due to the imbalance. The heavy metals and minerals all need to be in balance but we can also see clues such as a low Vitamin C along with excessive copper causing frequent infections, bleeding gums, and slow healing.
Today I want to look at the physical symptoms and sources with you. First, it is important to see both sides of the coin with being deficient or being toxic in copper. Symptoms of deficiency can be a bit similar to toxicity just as we can feel anemia symptoms with an excess of oxidized iron even though we are deficient.
Copper deficiency may include:
- Brittle nails and hair
- Hair loss, alopecia, dandruff/fungal infections, eczema, loss of skin color, and a build up of scars including keloids
- Rashes
- Too high or low blood pressure
- Weakness
- Vein issues such as hemorrhoids and varicose or spider veins
- Heart valve problems
- Irritability
- Stretch marks and scarring easily
- Aneurisms
- Muscle cramping or tightening
- Anxiety or nervousness
- Aggressive behaviors
- Links to ADD, ADHD, autism, and even cancers
Stored up Copper oxidizes inside of our body. If you see the green filigree look of copper that has been exposed outdoors you will understand how it changes to an unusable form. It can store up invitro as a child is developing because mom is full and the body sees it as another storage space or become accumulated over time until it manifests symptoms.
An elevated level or clear cut toxicity that is eliminating out of the hair may include:
- Inflammation
- Pain in menstruation or testicular pain in men
- Cancers
- Nervous breakdown or psychotic breaks in reality
- Adrenal fatigue due to pushing hard in producing ceruloplasmin in our liver, which is a protein needed to transport over 95% of the copper in our blood plasma
- Allergies
- Brain Fog, phobias, fears, OCD, loss of concentration
- Thyroid, liver, or brain disorders as it loves to accumulate in these organs
- Emotional or mental illness such as Schizophrenia or Tourette’s syndrome
Women may have menstrual regulation issues, endometriosis, fibrocystic breasts, ovarian cysts, pelvic inflammatory disease, polycystic ovaries, decreased libido, fibroid tumors, painful intercourse, miscarriage, etc.
Common copper sources may include:
- Frequent use of antibiotics as it is often used as an antimicrobial
- Adrenal burnout
- A diet heavy in high Copper foods such as nuts, avocadoes, dark chocolate and beans. More rarely eaten foods include dried fruits, organ meats, shellfish, any soy products, mushrooms, and yeast
- Some teas
- Vegetarian diets that contain these high Copper foods without the Iron and Zinc found in animal products
- Over the counter multivitamins and worse yet, the prenatal vitamins which are often higher causing nausea
- A zinc deficiency due to chronic inflammation, a diet including processed foods, hybrid crops (seedless, GMO), or foods sprayed to retain their color with EDTA
- Congenital imbalance due to your mother having the toxicity
- Copper water pipes. If you are using a refrigerator filter, your first glass of water may have sat in a copper pipe before the filter system for 12+ hours
- Copper jewelry, cookware, dental material, copper sulfate added to swimming pools, fungicides that were sprayed on foods, or possibly exposure on the job
Hair Analysis and copper
As you can see Copper is intimately related to an amazing number of functions, feelings, symptoms, and sources. Read more copper detoxification. If you can identify with 2 or more of the above symptoms, let’s talk!
Kindly find a time that works for you and LET’S CHAT!
Copyright Scientific Nutrition, LLC 2020
