Copper: Benefits, Side Effects, Best Time to Take It & More

Copper

(Cu)

Evidence: High
Potential Benefits: Low
Safety: Reasonable

What is copper?

Copper is an essential mineral necessary to create dopamine and white blood cells, utilize iron, regulate serotonin levels, and more. Copper supplements are only helpful if you are deficient in this nutrient. If you already get enough from food, you should not take it as a supplement as too much copper can lead to multiple health problems. This article is about the main benefits of copper as a supplement, its potential side effects, the best time to take it, and more.

What does copper do?

Copper has many vital functions in the body.

It helps us make white blood cells necessary for immune system function, platelets that clot the blood when we get wounded, and dopamine, our brain’s key motivation chemical.

This mineral helps us regulate dopamine and serotonin levels, especially if we produce too much serotonin and not enough dopamine.

Copper acts as an antioxidant, protecting us from oxidative stress.

One of copper’s roles is to help us get rid of histamine. While histamine is essential to make stomach acid and keep us awake and alert, too much histamine can cause acid reflux and heartburn and contributes to allergies, headaches, diarrhea, anxiety, and panic attacks. Getting enough copper helps the body flush out excess histamine and prevent these side effects.

This nutrient is also necessary to absorb and utilize iron and extract energy from food.

Copper cooperates with vitamin C in many ways. Together, they strengthen collagen and make essential neurotransmitters, such as adrenaline, noradrenaline, and oxytocin. These two nutrients also work together to send signals to make thyroid hormones and sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone. They also prevent us from overeating and peeing too much at night.

Potential benefits

It is important to note that all of the potential benefits mentioned below are dose-dependent. Generally, the higher the dose, the more pronounced the effects are. However, they do reach a plateau at a certain point. We will discuss the best dosing protocol later in this article.

Many possible benefits fall under the umbrella of ‘correcting a deficiency’ and are therefore not mentioned in the article. If you are deficient, copper supplements can affect your cognition, performance, and overall health in a remarkably positive way.

Major benefits

Correcting or preventing a deficiency – Copper deficiency can be terrible for your health and overall quality of life. Fortunately, a severe deficit is relatively rare. A mild deficiency is much more common and can lead to many problems mentioned later in the article. If you are experiencing symptoms of deficiency or know that your copper levels are too low, helping you get back to the optimum is the main benefit of copper supplements.

Possible side effects

These side effects are dose-dependent. The risk for them increases (often linearly but sometimes exponentially) as you increase the dose. Some of the side effects only apply to very high doses.

Diarrhea – Diarrhea caused by this supplement is not dangerous (assuming it doesn’t lead to severe dehydration) and usually only occurs if you take very high doses at once.
Nausea – Just like diarrhea, this side effect is not dangerous but can be unpleasant.
Zinc deficiency – These two minerals have to be kept in balance as too much of one can deplete the other. The optimal copper:zinc ratio ranges anywhere from 1:2 to 1:15.
Copper toxicity – While acute toxicity is rare, taking high amounts of copper could lead to some health problems over time. For example, too much copper can cause oxidative stress and damage the liver, eyes, and brain, possibly contributing to age-related dementia. This is why you want to stay below 10 mg a day unless you have a great reason to take more. Drinking water sometimes contains high amounts of this mineral but this is easy to notice. At 1 mg/L or more, the water will stain your laundry, sinks, and toilets blue. At 2.5 mg/L or more, the water tastes bitter and is likely to cause nausea.
Contamination – Contaminated supplements are uncommon in the USA and other well-regulated countries. However, if you wish to buy products from China, India, or other countries without strict regulations, beware that the supplements may be contaminated. Either way, you need to choose the brand you order from wisely. It is highly recommended to check the certificates or read through some reviews for the specific product before you buy it. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has the power to regulate dietary supplements but can only do so after they have been on the market for a while. That’s because supplement companies are not obligated to announce to the FDA when releasing a new product on the market. The FDA has to discover the product and test it for potential impurities, which can take a lot of time. During that time, the supplement can be sold on the market even if it’s impure. Also, supplement companies can change their manufacturers without announcing it to the FDA.

Who should not take copper?

You should probably avoid taking the supplement if you:

take birth control pills (they significantly increase copper absorption and can lead to toxicity)
are on HRT (hormone replacement therapy)
are deficient in zinc
already consume enough copper from food
experience a severe adverse reaction after taking the supplement
are an infant (infants cannot regulate how much copper they absorb)
are on a tight supplement budget (since there are more cost-effective supplements on the market for most people)

Who will benefit the most?

You should consider taking the supplement if you:

experience symptoms of deficiency, or you know you are deficient based on blood tests
supplement with high doses of zinc (these two minerals have to be kept in balance as too much of one can deplete the other; the optimal copper:zinc ratio ranges anywhere from 1:2 to 1:15)
consume foods high in histamines (such as semi-hard or hard cheese, canned anchovies, smoked fish, all shellfish, deli meats, curry, mustard, soy sauce, yeast, avocados, bananas, dried fruit, dried nuts, lemons, mandarins, and pineapples)
don’t get enough from food (the easiest way to find out how much of this nutrient you are getting in your diet is to track your food intake for a while with Cronometer.com)
take antacids
take proton pump inhibitors
suffer from celiac disease or other digestive disorders
have undergone a gastric bypass surgery
suffer from severe burns
have rare genetic defects that may manifest as deficiency or toxicity

Symptoms of copper deficiency

The most common signs of deficiency include:

allergies
histamine intolerance
insomnia
peeing too much
waking up in the middle of the night to pee
anxiety
acid reflux
pale skin
arthritis
osteoporosis in children and teenagers
anemia
brain fog
low sex drive
fatigue
difficulty coping with stress
overeating
hypothyroidism
poor motivation
lack of focus
excessive fear avoidance
low amounts of white blood cells
gray hair sooner than is normal
high cholesterol
high blood sugar
heart disease

Keep in mind that these signs are just indications of a deficiency. If you experience some or even most of them, it does not necessarily mean you need more copper. On the other hand, some people may be deficient even though they are completely asymptomatic.

With that said, if you experience many or most of these symptoms, there is a high chance that you are not getting enough copper. The more of these symptoms you have and the more severe they are, the more likely you are to have a deficiency.

Types of copper supplements

The different types of copper supplements include:

Copper sulfate
Chelated copper
Copper gluconate
Copper citrate
Copper niacin (also known as MitoSynergy and Cunermuspir)

All of these forms are different from copper found in food. All of these are somewhat effective for fixing a deficiency but animal experiments suggest none of these are as effective as getting the mineral from food. Furthermore, these forms also have more potential to cause harm.

One possible exception is the copper niacin form (sold mainly by MitoSynergy). This form appears to be just as good as copper from food but we need more studies to know for sure.

How much copper should you take?

The RDA (recommended daily allowance) for this nutrient is 0.9 mg/d for both men and women. These amounts should be enough for most people to avoid symptoms of deficiency. The RDA for pregnant and lactating women is 1 mg/d and 1.3 mg/d, respectively.

For most people, 1 mg appears to be the best daily target. This amount should provide most of the benefits without meaningful side effects.

Beware that some things increase your need for copper. These include zinc supplementation, antacids, celiac disease, gastric bypass surgery, and more.

It is relatively easy to get enough copper from food. What you want to keep an eye on is a copper:zinc ratio. These two nutrients have to be kept in balance and the sweet spot is somewhere between 1:2 and 1:15.

What generally throws this ratio off is getting too much copper from supplements or certain types of liver. However, zinc supplements with 50+ mg could certainly deplete you of copper.

If you take any dose of copper or a high dose of zinc, consider supplementing with the other mineral as well.

The upper safety limit is 10 mg/d. Higher amounts may cause problems if you take the supplement for a prolonged period. Taking more than 1 mg daily should not be necessary and is not recommended unless you have a great reason to do so.

Food sources of copper

Getting enough copper from food is easy.

The richest food sources include oysters, spirulina, shiitake mushrooms, sesame seeds, cocoa powder, and most types of liver. These foods should provide enough of this nutrient in 15-20 grams.

As a general rule of thumb, plant foods are a better source of copper than animal foods. The exceptions to this rule are oysters and liver. If you are on a plant-heavy diet or include one of these two animal sources, you should not be at risk of becoming deficient.

One thing to keep an eye on is the varying levels of this mineral in some foods. For example, the copper content in milk varies 88-fold, muscle meat varies 18- to 100-fold, potatoes vary 32-fold, and oysters vary 48-fold.

Because of this, you do not want to rely on just one rich source of copper and instead want to spread it across multiple foods.

Fortunately, foods rarely contain amounts so high to cause copper toxicity since both plants and animals limit their accumulation when there is too much copper in the soil.

The easiest way to predict how much copper you are getting in your diet is with Cronometer.com. This free app allows you to track all vitamins, minerals, and more.

Best time to take copper

The nutrient is fat-soluble, which means you want to take it with food to absorb it well. Taking the supplement with food is also better if it causes stomach upset when you take it on an empty stomach.

Whether you take the supplement in the morning or the evening doesn’t matter. It does not interrupt your sleep in any way.

Interactions with other supplements

Vitamin C
Copper cooperates with vitamin C in many ways. Together, they strengthen collagen and make essential neurotransmitters, such as adrenaline, noradrenaline, and oxytocin. These two nutrients also work together to send signals to make thyroid hormones and sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone. They also prevent us from overeating and peeing too much at night.
Zinc
These two nutrients have to be kept in balance. The optimal copper:zinc ratio is somewhere between 1:2 and 1:15. What generally throws this ratio off is getting too much copper from supplements or some types of liver. However, zinc supplements with 50+ mg could certainly deplete you of copper. If you take any dose of copper or a high dose of zinc, consider supplementing with the other nutrient as well.
Iron
Copper helps us utilize iron and allows it to perform all of its functions. This is why a copper deficiency can sometimes result in anemia.

Where to buy copper

Amazon seems to be the best option for ordering copper supplements in most countries. They offer some very affordable products backed by many positive reviews. Also, you can choose from a wide range of brands without having to search through other markets on the internet.

Beware some brands display the dosage per serving instead of per pill or capsule. Therefore, you may accidentally buy something less potent than you intended. Do not fall for this marketing trick.

FAQ

You can take the supplement daily and do not need to cycle it. However, it is certainly not a problem if you don’t take it daily. Not taking the supplement every once in a while could lead to better absorption.

All of these options are fine. The two most important things to consider are the price and dosing. Powders are almost always the cheapest form. However, you may need a highly accurate scale to dose them correctly (preferably 0.001g). You can get one for as little as $20 from Amazon. Dosing the powders also takes some time that can add up over months or years. The disadvantage of capsules is that they often contain bovine gelatine, which rarely comes from an ethical source.

Yes. The nutrient doesn’t impact your sleep in any negative way in the short term.

The supplements should not become harmful once they exceed the expiration date, but they can lose potency over time.

Keep the supplements in a cold, dark, and dry place, and they should remain just as potent for many months or even years.

The supplement doesn’t directly reduce acne, unfortunately.

While toxicity is rare, too much copper in the system can cause some health problems, such as oxidative stress, liver damage, brain damage, and more. Too much of this mineral may also contribute to age-related dementia. It is best to stay below 1 mg a day to prevent these side effects.

All of the supplemental forms (copper glycinate, gluconate, citrate, etc.) are different from copper found in food. All of these are somewhat effective for fixing a deficiency but animal experiments suggest none of these is as effective as getting the mineral from food. Furthermore, these forms also have more potential to cause harm.

One possible exception is the copper niacin form (sold mainly by MitoSynergy). This form appears to be just as good as copper from food but we need more studies to know for sure.

The most common reason people become deficient is that they don’t get enough of this nutrient from their diet. However, many things can hurt your copper status and increase your need for this nutrient. These include antacids, proton pump inhibitors, high doses of zinc, celiac disease, gastric bypass surgery, severe burns, and more.

You may need more of the nutrient if you:
– experience signs of deficiency, or know that you are deficient from blood tests
– don’t get enough from food (the easiest way to find out how much of this nutrient you are getting in your diet is to track your food intake for a while with Cronometer.com)
– supplement with high doses of zinc (these two minerals have to be kept in balance as too much of one can deplete the other; the optimal copper:zinc ratio ranges anywhere from 1:2 to 1:15)
– take antacids
– take proton pump inhibitors
– suffer from celiac disease or other digestive disorders
– have undergone a gastric bypass surgery
– suffer from severe burns
– have rare genetic defects that may manifest as deficiency or toxicity
– consume foods high in histamines (such as semi-hard or hard cheese, canned anchovies, smoked fish, all shellfish, deli meats, curry, mustard, soy sauce, yeast, avocados, bananas, dried fruit, dried nuts, lemons, mandarins, and pineapples)

The half-life of this mineral in the body is about 13-33 days. The nutrient stays in your system for about a year after you consume it. Most people have about 50-80 mg circulating in the system.

In the long term, it typically takes about two months of taking the supplement (at doses of 1-7 mg) to begin noticing the benefits related to fixing a deficiency.

Most copper supplements on the market are vegan-friendly but always check the label to be sure. If you buy the mineral in a capsulated form, beware that the capsules often contain animal-based gelatine. Instead, find a brand that puts its products into cellulose capsules.

The nutrient is fat-soluble, which means you should take it with food to absorb it well.

No, it doesn’t. The supplement does not interfere with fasting in any significant way. However, taking it with a meal is still better because dietary fat increases its absorption.

References

Most of the information provided in this guide is supported by scientific research that can be found and verified in the PubMed medical library. We highly encourage you to use the library to verify anything said in this article. We excluded from consideration studies that are either confounded or have a high conflict of interest.

TABLE OF CONTENTS