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The contemporaneous epidemic of chronic, copper deficiency | Journal of Nutritional Science | Cambridge Core
The contemporaneous epidemic of chronic, copper deficiency - Volume 11
„The classical deficiency diseases have nearly disappeared from the industrialised world and are thought to be found largely in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. More than 80 collected medical articles, mostly from Europe and North America, describe more than 9000 people with low concentrations of copper in organs or tissues or impaired metabolic pathways dependent on copper. More than a dozen articles reveal improved anatomy, chemistry or physiology in more than 1000 patients from supplements containing copper. These criteria are diagnostic of deficiency according to The Oxford Textbook of Medicine. Alzheimer's disease, ischaemic heart disease and osteoporosis receive major emphasis here. However, impaired vision, myelodysplastic syndrome and peripheral neuropathy are mentioned. Copper deficiency probably causes some common, contemporaneous diseases. Advice is provided about opportunities for research. Seemingly authoritative statements concerning the rarity of nutritional deficiency in developed countries are wrong.“
„Dietary sources are lower than they were..
In addition, the dietary sources of copper are not easily available in typical diet, the best sources being liver and oysters are not readily consumed in a western diet. Other sources of nuts (cashews, almonds) seeds (sesame) and shitake mushrooms need to be consumed regularly if copper RDA levels are to be met on a consistent level. On top of this we have other issues which contribute to a copper deficiency, namely a reduction is soil bioavailability of copper, indicating a reduction of up to 81% of copper from 1940 to 2000 due to modern farming practices reducing copper in the soil1, showing depletions in actual foods like meats, cheese and dairy2. Thus our dietary patterns plus copper depletion in food supplies, is undoubtedly contributing to the problem of copper deficiency.
Are the RDA recommendations sufficient enough?
In the 1980’s before the RDA was set by the FDA it was suggested the adequate daily intake should be around 2-3 mg/ day, but this was lowered by the American administration when it was found that over 80% of the population was getting less than 900mcg from food3. Around 33% of our diets today contain less than 1mg of copper and in the EU and UK half the adult population consumes less than recommended amount of copper4 . Optimal copper intake recommended is 2.6mg / day4, with some authors like Prof Leslie Klevay recommending up to 8mg / day. Other dietary factors which can induce a copper deficiency include eating a Standard American Diet (high & processed carbs), high fructose intake5 having excess meat or high zinc supplementation as zinc competes for absorption with copper in the gut. As copper is absorbed mostly in the stomach and upper small intestine, any decrease in stomach acid secretion can impede copper absorption.“
