Copper is an essential trace element involved in antioxidant defense, immune response, nerve cell development, and iron metabolism. It also serves as a cofactor for numerous vital enzymes and proteins. The human body contains approximately 100 mg of copper, with the highest concentrations found in the brain and liver.
Copper is primarily absorbed in the stomach and small intestine, where higher pH levels help release it from dietary macromolecules. Once absorbed, copper is transported in the blood by albumin and transcuperin to the liver, where it binds to ceruloplasmin, a copper-carrying protein. Ceruloplasmin production is stimulated by adrenal hormones, so dysfunction in the liver or adrenal glands can disrupt copper balance, potentially leading to copper buildup in tissues. Under normal conditions, the body maintains copper homeostasis through biliary excretion, preventing toxicity.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for copper is:
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0.9 mg/day for both men and women
Some researchers suggest that an optimal intake may be closer to 2.3 mg/day.
Common dietary sources of copper include animal products, legumes, grains, and vegetables. Additional exposure may come from copper plumbing, cookware, drinking water, birth control pills, fungicides, and supplements. Drinking water alone contributes about 6–13% of daily copper intake. Most diets provide 1–5 mg/day, which is generally sufficient to meet basic nutritional needs and prevent deficiency.
Copper
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