Copper in Health (11 to 14 year-olds)

Introduction

 
A catalyst for good health

Although the amount of copper found in the body (50,120 milligrams) would fit on the head of a pin, this tiny quantity is essential. Research reveals that copper is vital for the optimal health of the human body - along with other mineral micronutrients such as iron, calcium and zinc. While copper is found throughout the body, it is concentrated in organs with high metabolic activity, such as the liver, kidneys, heart and brain.

How Much is Enough?

Recommended Dietary Allowance

According to the World Health Organisation, 1 to 3 mg per day of copper is required to prevent any symptoms of deficiency. In the U.S., there is now an official Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for copper, which highlights its importance as part of a balanced diet.

RDAs of copper

Why do you think that pregnant women have an increased demand for copper in their diet?

The diet of a pregnant woman must supply the copper necessary for her own body and for that of her growing foetus. Copper plays a crucial role in embryonic growth and development. During the latter stages of pregnancy, the foetus absorbs copper from the mother to build reserves which will be used following birth.

In Your Diet

Dietary sources of copper

Copper is available from a wide variety of fresh and processed foods. Good sources include grains, nuts (particularly brazil and cashew nuts), meats (liver and kidney), shellfish, legumes (peas and beans) and seeds. What's more, even chocolate is a rich source of copper! Eating a well balanced diet should allow you to meet your daily requirements of copper.

What are the key components of a balanced diet?

A complete or balanced diet must include the following in the right proportions: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, water, minerals and vitamins.

The Roles of Copper

Health is copper coloured

Copper has been described as the 'workhorse mineral'. As a co-factor for at least thirteen enzymes, copper drives a crucial array of chemical reactions that underpin human health and development.

After copper is ingested, it is absorbed from the small intestine into the bloodstream. Here, copper is bound to transport proteins, which convey it to the liver for subsequent distribution throughout the body.

Balancing Trace Elements

Sources of minerals

Copper is increasingly being recognised as an essential micronutrient. A growing body of research indicates that, as part of a balanced diet, an adequate intake of copper is vital to ensure a wide range of health benefits.

The intake of adequate copper is, on its own, not good enough. Minerals interact in the body, working as a team. The advice of research scientists is to regard copper, iron and zinc as an essential trio - too much of one can hamper the body's ability to absorb or process the other two. Deficiency diseases may then result. For example:

• Zinc inhibits copper - too much zinc can inhibit the absorption of copper. This may result in poor copper status in the body, which over time may lead to bone abnormalities, problems with the heart and circulation and impaired immunity.
• Iron needs copper - without adequate copper, iron cannot be converted to its most useful ferric form; copper is also necessary for the transport of iron to and from the tissues

The trio of essential micronutrients are all transition metals and are close to each other in the periodic table.