Is copper playing a part in your anxiety, energy and hormonal issues?
Copper dysregulation may have a significant impact on emotional, mental and physical health. It appears to be an increasing problem given our lifestyles today. Copper is more and more commonly found in foods and other parts of our environment. More of us are feeling stressed, and our diets often lack the minerals needed to keep everything in balance.
In our clinic, we use a functional test called a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) to look at the levels of minerals stored in the body’s tissues, including copper. Many of our clients come to us with symptoms such as fatigue, anxiousness, low mood, hair loss, poor sleep and hormonal (oestrogen) concerns. If you experience some of these symptoms (see the list below), a copper imbalance may be one of the underlying factors contributing to how you feel.
Copper dysregulation can be described as copper insufficiency (low), copper excess (high) or copper that is bio-unavailable (present, but not in a form the body can use well). Copper that is too low, too high or bio-unavailable can often cause similar symptoms.
Signs That May Be Linked to Copper Dysregulation
- Feelings of anxiety and/or low mood
- Oestrogen dominance
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Fatigue and adrenal issues
- Headaches or migraines
- Insomnia
- Hair loss or greying hair
- Iron deficiency
- Yeast infections (candida)
- Behavioural and mood issues
Anxiety and low mood have many possible causes. If you are struggling, please talk to your GP as well. Nutritional support works best alongside the care you receive from your doctor.
What May Contribute to Copper Dysregulation?
- Drinking water from unfiltered copper plumbing.
- Zinc deficiency. Copper and zinc have an antagonistic relationship. Zinc is needed to form caeruloplasmin and metallothionein, which both bind to copper to help carry it into the mitochondria. Zinc is found mainly in animal foods such as meat, so a diet low in meat may not provide enough zinc. Diets high in processed foods also tend to be low in zinc.
- Mineral and vitamin deficiencies. Low levels of vitamin C, B complex, iron, selenium, chromium, manganese and molybdenum may contribute to elevated copper in the body.
- Adrenal fatigue or HPA axis dysfunction. For copper to be carried into the mitochondria, where it helps form ATP (the body’s energy currency), it needs to bind to caeruloplasmin and/or metallothionein. These are only produced when the adrenal glands signal the liver to do so. A sluggish liver may also contribute to a build-up of copper.
- The oral contraceptive pill.
- Heavy metal exposure. Metallothionein, one of the copper-binding proteins, also attaches to heavy metals like mercury and cadmium, which makes it less available to transport copper.
- Xenoestrogens (endocrine disruptors) found in pesticides, plastics, cosmetics and personal care products, which may also increase copper retention in the kidneys.
- Genetics. If a mother has high levels of copper, this may be passed across the placenta during pregnancy.
- Pyroluria, a condition associated with low zinc and vitamin B6. When zinc levels are low, copper can build up.
- Diet. A diet that is high in copper and low in zinc. Vegetarians may be more prone to copper build-up, as plant-based diets tend to be naturally higher in copper and lower in zinc.
- Other sources of copper exposure, including copper cookware, swimming pools, some medications, cigarette smoke and copper IUDs.
How to Measure Copper Dysregulation in the Body
Assessing copper status can be complex and needs the help of a skilled practitioner. There are a variety of methods that may be used, including blood, hair, urine and stool testing. Your practitioner needs to understand how to interpret these results carefully, as it is not always a black and white situation.
To assess copper in the blood, it is important to test three markers together: plasma zinc, serum copper and caeruloplasmin. All three markers are needed to evaluate and monitor copper levels.
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) is a useful functional test that measures the amount of copper and other minerals stored in the hair. Practitioners also look at the mineral ratios on an HTMA for patterns that may relate to adrenal, liver and detoxification function, and at the other minerals that play a role in regulating copper. Strategies such as rebuilding mineral status, supporting detoxification pathways and supporting energy pathways such as the adrenals and thyroid may help reduce what is referred to as copper dumping.
What Is Copper Dumping?
When copper is mobilised, it needs to leave the body through the detoxification pathways, that is, the liver and the stool. Some clients may experience detox-like symptoms such as:
- Headaches
- Mood swings, anxiousness or low mood
- Skin issues (the skin is one of the body’s main detox organs)
- Fatigue (it takes a lot of energy to move copper)
This is why it is important to work closely with a knowledgeable practitioner before and during this process.
What Is the Connection Between Copper and Iron Deficiency?
Iron is an important mineral in the body and is needed for:
- Transporting oxygen around the body
- Energy production
- Forming red blood cells
Within each cell in the body, there are approximately 1,000 to 2,000 mitochondria. The job of the mitochondria is to use oxygen to turn the food we eat into energy. The mitochondria require copper in a bioavailable form to do this. Without enough usable copper, inflammation and oxidative stress in the body may increase, which over time can affect your health.
Our body needs copper in the correct form to convert iron from its ferrous form to its ferric form in the gut. Without copper to help carry iron into the cell, mild anaemia can result. This means a copper deficiency, or bio-unavailable copper, can look like iron deficiency or anaemia. A Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) can help you understand the bigger picture. If you have been diagnosed with low iron or anaemia, please keep working with your GP on it too.
As you can see, the right form of copper is important in the body. Assessing copper status is complex and needs the skills of a knowledgeable practitioner who understands copper dysregulation. The best approach is a holistic one that considers how all the systems in your body work together.
If you’d like to understand what may be affecting your health, book a free 30-minute phone call.