Copper Part 2
Although it is rare to find a deficiency in copper in the body, such conditions do exist. Some of the symptoms associated with a deficiency of copper include:
- Anaemia
- Lowered body temperature
- Osteoporosis
- Easy fractures in the bones
- Low white blood cell count
- Prominent dilation of the blood vessels
- Irregular heartbeat
- High cholesterol levels
- Deficiency of the immune system that leads to increased infections
- Birth defects when a pregnant woman has a deficiency in copper
- Loss of skin pigmentation
- Disorders of the thyroid
Some people are born with a copper deficiency. Males born with a mutant X-gene have what is called Menkes Syndrome. In this condition, the body does not have the ability to properly absorb copper from the bloodstream.
Consuming too much copper from your diet or supplements can cause toxicity. Some of the symptoms associated with a copper toxicity include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. These, in turn, prevent the body from absorbing from ingesting and digesting copper. In addition to these symptoms, a toxicity to copper can result in liver damage and kidney failure. It can even result in coma and death.
Taking 30mg of copper sulphate, for example, could be lethal because of the high amounts of copper. From sources of food and water, the safe amount of copper per day is between 1.5 to 2 mg per day. When taking copper supplements, you have to combine the amount with the amount you get from other sources so that you are not taking more than 10 mg per day.
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