How To Supplement Copper?

[postman]

I recently started experimenting with lower amounts of iron intake and I noticed I feel significantly more energized, and I have CFS/ME so it's a pretty big deal for me. After noticing this I also started experimenting with a higher copper intake and it also gives me more energy, so I suspect my iron/copper balance has been out of whack.

Unfortuantely most copper sources have either quite a bit of PUFA or VA which I'm still very sensitive to for some reason, so when I eat these foods I do get more energy but I also get skin issues, eye issues, worsened brain fog, insomnia, joint pain etc. so I'm looking into supplementing it instead.

From what I can remember, copper, zinc, and iron intake affect each other and there should be some kind of balance? Is it safe to supplement copper alone or should I take it with zinc? What forms of copper are safe to take? Is there a good copper powder available for sale somewhere? Thanks for your attention.

 

[Twohandsondeck]

Ideal is probably to get it as pastured ruminant liver. I slice it into pill-sized sections and swallow it raw. Doesn't take much, maybe a thumb-sized portion daily.

Too much can risk copper or retinol toxicity... Takes quite a bit though.

 

[Homo Consumericus]

I recently started experimenting with lower amounts of iron intake and I noticed I feel significantly more energized, and I have CFS/ME so it's a pretty big deal for me. After noticing this I also started experimenting with a higher copper intake and it also gives me more energy, so I suspect my iron/copper balance has been out of whack.

Unfortuantely most copper sources have either quite a bit of PUFA or VA which I'm still very sensitive to for some reason, so when I eat these foods I do get more energy but I also get skin issues, eye issues, worsened brain fog, insomnia, joint pain etc. so I'm looking into supplementing it instead.

From what I can remember, copper, zinc, and iron intake affect each other and there should be some kind of balance? Is it safe to supplement copper alone or should I take it with zinc? What forms of copper are safe to take? Is there a good copper powder available for sale somewhere? Thanks for your attention.

Phoenix Nutrition sells 3mg copper glycinate tablets for the most agreeable price I've found online. There is also a zinc and copper combo which I have no experience with.

When I took a break from liver, I supplemented with vitamin A and those 3mg copper tabs with no problems. This is an amino acid cheated version which is considered safe.

But I have some more information which might help you. Cow liver generates what I perceive to be a strong inflammatory response, so I switched to sheep liver. Because it tastes so much better, I increased the portion size from 100 to 250 grams at a time. Now there was also an inflammatory response.

Around that time I had been thinking about the relationships between the various minerals that interact with iron and realized my meals typically contain high amounts of all except manganese because I don't eat much chocolate, hazelnuts, or pumpkin seeds and I only eat mussels when visiting Belgium. Because I had purchased a manganese supplement (8mg, glycinate, from Solgar) a few days earlier, I was able to take one tablet with the very next meal. And the inflammation which would normally persist throughout my upper body for a few days subsided in few hours.

I've repeated this experiment and result a few times. When I thought it was a copper issue, I took zinc gluconate but the feeling remained. When I thought it was a Vitamin A issue, I took vitamin D but the feeling remained.

Of course I was now interested in testing manganese's effect on other forms of inflamation, so I took 4x 8mg (one with each meal) the day after a heavy workout. The DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), which typically lasts 1-3 days, could barely be felt already after the first meal.

 

[Twohandsondeck]

I've repeated this experiment and result a few times. When I thought it was a copper issue, I took zinc gluconate but the feeling remained. When I thought it was a Vitamin A issue, I took vitamin D but the feeling remained.

Very cool anecdote, +1 thank you for sharing

 

[LUH 3417]

I’ve been taking jarrow formulas copper/zinc supplement. I have no soreness in my breasts this month so I imagine it’s doing something beneficial for my hormones.

 

[Peater]

I’ve been taking jarrow formulas copper/zinc supplement. I have no soreness in my breasts this month so I imagine it’s doing something beneficial for my hormones.

Interesting feedback even to a male as we may not be as in tune with this for obvious reasons

 

[Kingpinguin]

I recently started experimenting with lower amounts of iron intake and I noticed I feel significantly more energized, and I have CFS/ME so it's a pretty big deal for me. After noticing this I also started experimenting with a higher copper intake and it also gives me more energy, so I suspect my iron/copper balance has been out of whack.

Unfortuantely most copper sources have either quite a bit of PUFA or VA which I'm still very sensitive to for some reason, so when I eat these foods I do get more energy but I also get skin issues, eye issues, worsened brain fog, insomnia, joint pain etc. so I'm looking into supplementing it instead.

From what I can remember, copper, zinc, and iron intake affect each other and there should be some kind of balance? Is it safe to supplement copper alone or should I take it with zinc? What forms of copper are safe to take? Is there a good copper powder available for sale somewhere? Thanks for your attention.

I had same issues. Avoid zinc supplements imo. Eat foods with iron as a natural iron source. Supplement with copper and retinol. Maybe some B-vitamins. It all helped me a lot. Chronic fatigue imo in most cases is caused by dysregulation of iron. Ferritin is good to see your overall status but serum-iron should be upper range to feel good is what ive noticed. Even if i eat iron. Serum iron does not always stay up. Ferritin can go up but unless you eat copper your serum iron wont remain high. So i feel copper sorta makes iron available for its energy functions. And thats also what most studies support. Copper increases serum iron.

 

[Andy316]

Is Ionic Copper a good supplement to take?? 3 days ago, I bought NOW Liquid Chlorophyll which has 4Mg Copper, 4Mg Sodium and Potassium Sorbate as a preservative and just 3 servings gave me liver pain and bodyache.

I had same issues. Avoid zinc supplements imo. Eat foods with iron as a natural iron source. Supplement with copper and retinol. Maybe some B-vitamins. It all helped me a lot. Chronic fatigue imo in most cases is caused by dysregulation of iron. Ferritin is good to see your overall status but serum-iron should be upper range to feel good is what ive noticed. Even if i eat iron. Serum iron does not always stay up. Ferritin can go up but unless you eat copper your serum iron wont remain high. So i feel copper sorta makes iron available for its energy functions. And thats also what most studies support. Copper increases serum iron.

 

[Motif]

@postman What copper sources did you end up with ?