Copper Deficiency

Are you getting sick frequently? Do you find it difficult to walk ?
What about pale skin and grey hair? We’re talking about all of these AND more !!

Note - All images used in this website/article are from pexels (noncopyrighted images)

Hey there, viewers!

The food you eat affects your body in more ways than you think. There are certain nutritional deficiencies you might not be paying attention to. One such deficiency is copper. In today’s Article, we will be discussing 9 signs that your body has low copper levels. Are you getting sick frequently? Do you find it difficult to walk? What about pale skin and grey hair? We’re talking about all of these AND more...

1) You get sick frequently

Is your work suffering because you always feel sick? It could be a copper deficiency messing with your health. Copper plays a very important role in your immunity. Your body makes immune cells that fight off infections and foreign bodies. Copper is needed to make these immune cells. This means when you don’t have enough copper, your body cannot make enough immune cells. Since your immunity is now hurt, you fall sick easily. Research has found that when your body doesn’t have copper, the ability to produce white blood cells falls dramatically. The good news is you can reverse this easily by eating more copper-rich foods. All the more reason to have tuna, salmon and sardines! They are loaded with copper. And of course, oysters. It is the richest source of copper among seafood. What else do you do to keep your immune system healthy? Do you exercise? Share us the comments below on the article.

2) You’re always tired

We all have days when we’re exhausted. Even getting out of bed seems like a challenge. But if you feel this way constantly, there is something up with your health. When you’re tired and weak, your body is asking for more attention. This includes more copper in the diet. When you don’t have enough copper, you feel fatigued and weak every day. This is because copper is necessary for the absorption of iron in your gut. Confused? Let me explain. Your blood has a very important component called hemoglobin. It transports oxygen to each and every cell and tissue of the body. Iron is needed for the formation of hemoglobin. So, when you don’t have enough copper, iron absorption from the food in your gut suffers. This causes anemia. Your blood doesn’t have enough oxygen to carry to the tissues. And this makes you feel tired and devoid of energy all the time. Several studies have proven copper deficiency causes anemia. To fix it, you need both copper and iron. There is one more reason for your tiredness caused by copper deficiency. Your body cells use copper to generate a particular type of energy. This is the main source of energy in your body. If you aren’t getting enough copper from your diet, the energy production falls. Eat more meats like liver, turkey, and beef to drive the fatigue away. They are rich sources of copper. Especially veal liver! Eggs are a good choice too. Make sure you eat the yolk, as it contains copper.

3) Poor Memory and Learning Problems

Stress can make us forgetful. You might find yourself searching for your keys, phone or wallet. If it’s becoming increasingly harder to remember things, there is something up with your brain. And copper deficiency could be behind it. Copper directly impacts your brain’s development and functioning. Your brain receives energy from enzymes that keep it healthy. These enzymes need copper to thrive. But that’s not all. These enzymes also protect your brain by strengthening it defines system. They help your brain send signals to your body. Experts have found strong links between deficiency of copper and diseases like Alzheimer’s. It affects your ability to learn and remember. If kids are deficient in copper, it can stunt their brain development. You can eat more seafood, meat and eggs to meet your daily copper needs. But what if you’re a vegetarian? Some veggies are rich in copper. It’s time you focus more on yummy mushroom soup or kidney bean salad. Both are a good source of this nutrient. Soybeans and radishes are another great option.

4) Weak bones as you age

There is a higher chance of getting osteoporosis. Your bones will get so brittle that they’ll break easily. Researchers have found strong evidence between copper deficiency and osteoporosis in old age. To make things clearer, a review on these studies was done. Everyone with osteoporosis has lower levels of copper in their body. But why is copper so crucial for your bones? The answer lies in their structure. Your bones have cross links inside that hold them together. This makes them stronger. But more copper is required to make the cross links. Bone tissue also needs copper. There are cells that strengthen and reshape them. Copper boosts the production of these cells.

5) You fall easily

Have you ever felt really clumsy? Even with simple things like walking, or you fall down easily? Have you had problems with balancing and coordination? You’ll be surprised to know how closely copper is linked to your ability to walk. Just like your brain, your spinal cord has enzymes. These enzymes keep your spinal cord healthy by insulating it, relaying signals between the body and the brain. This helps to strengthen it. Guess what keeps these enzymes thriving? COPPER! When you don’t have enough copper in the body, these enzymes won’t work properly. This means reduced spinal cord insulation. This impacts the relaying of signals between the body and the brain. You are able to walk because of these signals going back forth between your body and brain. Getting your copper count up is GREAT for your safe walking. If you’re bored of eating copper rich seafood, meats and veggies, don’t sweat it. There are fruits you can eat. Make smoothies out of pineapple, blackberry and bananas. Lemon and guava are great too.

6) Pale skin

A lot of times we associate dull skin with poor skin care. But it actually has a deep relationship with the food you eat. If you have pale skin, you might be missing out on copper. But how? Well, the answer is with melanin. Your skin colour is determined by the pigment melanin. The more you have, the darker your skin is. Experts say people with lighter skin have less melanin pigment than people with dark skin. And copper directly impacts the production of melanin. It is used by enzymes that make melanin. This means when you don’t have enough copper in your body, melanin production suffers. Do not make the mistake of thinking this is a good way to lighten your skin. Melanin is very important for healthy skin as it protects you from the sun’s UV rays. Its absence can cause skin cancer.

7) Premature Greying

If copper can affect your skin colour, it definitely can impact your hair as well. After all, the pigment that gives colour to your skin is also responsible for your hair colour. It doesn’t just have to do with age, you know. Copper deficiency can make your hair grey when you’re younger. Studies have found that people experiencing premature greying also had low levels of copper in their body. This is because the absence of copper negatively affected the production of melanin.

8) Poor vision

Copper deficiency can cause vision loss. You need to address it in time because over the long term, it will lead to blindness. This is because copper is used by various enzymes involved in the healthy functioning of your nervous system. Your brain communicates with your sensory organs through signals. And these signals are carried back and forth by nerve impulses. So when you don’t have enough copper, this communication between your brain and eyes gets affected, and will lead to vision loss.