Copper occurs naturally in many foods and is essential for your body to function properly. You can find it in certain meats, fruits, and vegetables. It’s even in some drinking water. Copper allows you to produce energy, get strong blood vessels, and stay healthy with a functioning immune system. You can take copper as a supplement or take a multivitamin with the amount you need daily.
What is copper?
Copper is an essential mineral. Your body needs small amounts of copper every day to process cholesterol and stay healthy. Copper is part of how you maintain healthy bones, red blood cells, and the needed tissue that connects bones. You also need copper for enzymes, and for pregnant women, copper also keeps your growing baby healthy. Since the body cannot make copper on its own, you must find copper from vitamins or food sources.
How much copper do you need?
How much copper do you need depends on a few factors. If you are an adult male 20 years and older, you should be consuming 1,400 mcg of copper daily. That amount drops to 1,100 mcg for women and children. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, be sure to speak to your doctor. Normally, however, you should consume more copper, between 1 and 1.3 mg daily.
Fortunately, most healthy bodies will simply excrete copper that they don’t need, so overdosing on copper is rare. However, please consult a doctor if you experience abdominal pain, dry mouth or diarrhea.
What are the benefits of copper?
Since your body cannot produce copper on its own, a balanced diet with sufficient copper is essential. This is the best way to get copper into your system. The older you get, the more copper you need. Here’s why:
1. Copper strengthens your immune system
Without a healthy immune system, your body is unable to fight off disease or disease. Copper also serves as an antioxidant. This means copper binds to free radicals in your body and protects healthy cells from damage. Too many free radicals can accelerate the aging process, which gets worse when you don’t get enough exercise. Antioxidants like copper help lower these levels, and with them, the risk of arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease decreases.
2. Copper helps maintain tissue
Your body needs connective tissue for your tendons, ligaments, and heart to function properly. This requires certain types of enzymes. The same enzymes also work hard in your circulatory system, strengthening blood vessels and the structures they use to move. They also use enzymes in building strong bones.
3. Copper is good for your brain
No organ in your body uses as much copper as your brain. It’s a necessary mineral for your neurological functions to function as they’re supposed to. For example, high levels of copper in your brain ensure that oxygen is absorbed and free radicals do less damage. Thanks to copper’s interaction with your cognitive development, you’ll enjoy a healthier nervous system and more energy. They also respond better to stress.
7 foods rich in copper
1. Innards
Offal like beef liver contain more copper than any other food. You can stew or fry liver; Both are effective at maintaining copper levels and enjoy approximately 16,070 mcg per 4-ounce serving. That’s almost 20 times your recommended daily value. So only eat beef liver for dinner once a week.
You can also eat chicken livers for a little less copper. However, at 566 mcg, it’s still about 62% of your daily value.
A popular way to eat liver is with onions and ketchup. You can also prepare it with mushrooms, burgers or as an ingredient in chili or stews. Remember that the liver is endowed with a high amount of vitamin A and too much can harm unborn babies.
2. Wheat bran cereal
Fortified with copper, wheat bran cereal can complement your diet if you don’t eat liver. This is especially helpful for vegetarians or vegans. These cereals also contain a good amount of fiber, which makes your stool bulkier and easier to pass. This will help you avoid constipation and generally enjoy better digestive health.
Additionally, you can enjoy wheat bran cereal with regular milk and almond or oat milk to aid in digestion and reduce bloating or discomfort. Finally, mash up bananas for added flavor and as an extra source of copper.
3. Dark Chocolate
Watch out for sugar and calories when it comes to chocolate, but dark chocolate has some health benefits. A great advantage is that it is filled with copper. A bar of about 70-85% dark chocolate provides 1,766 mcg of copper. Bars with only 60-69% dark chocolate have less copper at 1,248 mcg. The darker the better.
4. Lemons
Lemons are high in copper and fiber, vitamin C, and other health benefits. Put lemons in the water and other drinks, as well as certain meals or desserts, can also make you feel fuller longer than usual and you may therefore eat less. Enjoy a reduced risk of heart disease, fewer kidney stones, improved digestion and some protection from cancer.
5. Bananas
Bananas benefit your diet for many reasons, including adding potassium, copper, and iron. People can treat anemia, cramps in their feet, and other ailments. Simply add bananas to smoothies, cereal, and peanut butter sandwiches, or eat them on their own. By increasing your copper intake, you increase red blood cell count. This also prevents anemia and improves blood circulation.
6. Shellfish
Do you like oysters and lobster? Good news! Steamed or smoked oysters contain a whopping 4,800 mcg per 100-gram serving. Lobsters, large shellfish that live on the ocean floor, are also high in copper.
Most seafood will give you a good amount of copper, but shellfish have more. For example, the cooked crab has about 663 mcg and smoked salmon adds 228 mcg of copper to your diet.
7. Cashew nuts
If your diet needs more copper and you can’t eat shellfish and indulge in liver, then grab a handful of nuts, like cashews, and get close to what you need for the day. You can eat cashews raw for about 622 mcg per ounce. Add them to the trail mix, recipes or use them as a base for certain cheeses, dips or spreads. They also add a lot of flavor to bread and casseroles.
Copper rich meal you must try
This meal can turn even the most anti-liver eater into a believer. With just this meal, you’ll fill up more than the copper you need for several days.
The ingredients include:
- Beef liver, sliced, 2 lbs
- Milk as needed or 1 ½ cups
- butter, divided, ¼ cup
- 2 Vidalia onions, large and sliced into rings
- All-purpose flour, 2 cups, or as needed
- Salt and pepper as needed
instructions
- Rinse the liver gently under cold water and place in a medium-sized bowl. Cover with milk. Set aside two hours and slice onions while you wait.
- Melt two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Separate the onion rings and sauté them until soft. This usually takes three to five minutes. Then remove the onions from the heat and melt the remaining butter.
- Season the flour with salt and pepper to taste. Then put that in a small bowl or plate.
- Drain the milk from your liver and brush each slice with the flour mixture.
- After your butter has melted, increase the heat to medium-high. Then add the breaded liver slices to the pan. Fry until brown, then flip until the opposite side is brown.
- Then add the onions and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for as long as you like, depending on whether you want pink inside or a more well-done liver.
Serve with steamed shiitake mushrooms for a delicious, copper-filled side dish. Enjoy!
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