The body's copper stores range from 75 to 150 mg. They are quickly consumed as "building material" for muscles, bones, brain, heart, liver, hair. Copper strengthens the nervous and immune systems. Therefore, these stocks need to be replenished daily. Especially pregnant women, nursing mothers, children.
Due to excess copper, protein metabolism is disrupted, cells age faster. But more often people are deficient. The nervous system is the first to suffer. A person gets tired faster, becomes irritable. Muscle weakness appears. The hormonal background changes.
Anemia develops gradually. Immunity weakens. Reproduction of bone tissue cells is inhibited. Since hair needs a lot of copper, its shade changes, it dulls and even begins to fall out.
According to the WHO recommendation, for an adult, the intake of copper should be at least 1.5 mg per day.
This mineral is found in a variety of foods, both animal and vegetable. There is very little of it in beef, lamb, pork. There is almost no copper in fish fillets (with the exception of salmon and seafood such as squid and shrimp). But on the other hand, its huge reserves are hidden in one single organ of animals: the liver.
The absolute "copper" champion among all food products is cod liver: its 100-gram serving contains 12.5 mg of this microelement. Slightly less - in the liver of pollock: 10 mg.
In beef and pork liver, copper is three times less. But still a lot: at least 3, 7 mg in a hundred-gram piece or minced meat. But the liver of any poultry is completely uncompetitive: it contains ten times less copper.
However, it is not only important how rich in micronutrients the foods are, but also how they are absorbed. From animal food, copper (like other minerals, vitamins) is absorbed with difficulty, only by 10%. Imagine how much you need to eat, say, the same liver, and every day!
Therefore, plant products should be considered as the main supplier of this trace element. Only they can really provide us with the necessary reserves of copper. Spinach is in the lead here, as well as cucumbers, however, not of all varieties: 7-8, 4 mg per 100 g of vegetables.
In other plants, copper is much less. But still, it is found in raw carrots, cabbage of all kinds, including sea cabbage, in any greens, bell peppers, beets, radishes, fresh legumes, potatoes.
If fruits and berries are sweet, they also contain copper. More of it in apricots, pears, apples, gooseberries. The concentration of copper in currants and strawberries is quite high. There is this trace element also in bananas, citrus fruits, dates, dried apricots, raisins, and prunes.
Copper deficiency in the body begins to develop when this trace element is supplied in an amount of less than 1 mg per day for more than two to three weeks.
In hazelnuts, sunflower seeds and rose hips, copper is about half as much as in beef or pork liver: about 1.8 mg. But given its digestibility, this is a lot. But in walnuts and pistachios, copper is almost four times less than in hazelnuts, sunflowers and rose hips.
It is also delivered to the body with millet, oatmeal, buckwheat, rice porridge, bread, pasta made from durum wheat. Even if there is not much of it in these products, we eat them more often and more.
Cocoa and yeast stand out on the list of products. Cocoa is very rich in copper: 4, 3 mg per 100 g of powder, so you should love this healthy drink. In addition, it is rich in magnesium, which is so necessary for the heart muscle.
In yeast, copper is slightly less: about 3.2 mg in a hundred-gram package. Of course, no one eats raw yeast, but baked goods retain this trace element. In addition, pharmaceutical yeast tablets are a very useful nutritional supplement.
