Why Copper Is Important For The Immune System And What We Do Differently
Copper is an essential mineral that cannot be produced by the body.
Copper deficiency causes the number of white blood cells to drop too low (1). This can have harmful effects on the immune system. Increased risk of infection is known to be an effect of copper deficiency (2).
Usually the immune cells multiply in response to infection. In borderline copper deficiency the immune cells multiply less in response to infection. The cells that are present are also less able to kill microorganisms (3).
It has been shown that during infections, certain immune cells can attack microbes (bacteria and viruses) by using copper, which may explain why copper levels increase at the sites of certain infections (4) as your body’s attempt to fight disease.
This may be in part due to the ability of copper to kill viruses it comes in direct physical contact with.
For example, on copper surfaces, no viable SARS-CoV-2 (A.K.A COVID-19 coronavirus) could be detected after 4 hours. For other surfaces like plastic and stainless steel, there was still viable virus detected up to 72 hours after applying the virus (5).
This is not limited to coronavirus. One study in a laboratory tested copper against 5 different types of viruses, which were chosen to represent all the different types of viruses that can cause disease in humans. It found that copper was able to kill all five of the viruses it came into contact with. This included enveloped or nonenveloped, single- or double-stranded DNA or RNA viruses (6).
Borderline copper deficiency is also thought to be part of the cause of certain degenerative diseases (7). Scientists, however, have found there is currently no way of accurately and reliably diagnosing copper deficiency. They are now looking at blood measurements of immune system function to see if these can be a reliable way of detecting borderline copper deficiency (7). This is because the immune system is thought to be sensitive to mild decreases in copper levels. In other words, copper is very essential for keeping your immune system functioning. Even minor decreases in copper may be problematic.
Copper is also needed to produce certain antioxidant enzymes in the body. Antioxidant enzymes play an important part in the functions of the immune system, including the killing of microbes (which includes bacteria and viruses) (8). As we mention in our other pages, magnesium, boron, zinc and selenium have all been shown to be important for our antioxidant enzymes.
One month of supplementing copper in malnourished infants with signs of copper deficiency improved the function of certain white blood cells (9) (1).
Although we are not White Pekin ducks, a study of adding copper to the diets of these animals found that organic forms of copper were safer than inorganic forms of copper (10). These were also more effective at increasing copper stores in the body and decreasing plasma triglycerides (fat in the blood) (10). Many store-bought multivitamins will contain copper sulphate (an inorganic form) whereas we have chosen to use copper bisglycinate (an organic form) which has been used effectively in people (11). This should make it safer and more effective. On a related note, similar differences can be observed between organic and non-organic forms of other minerals too (you can also see this in our article on selenium).
So how much copper should we be getting? According to the NHS, the requirement is 1.2mg per day (12). As previously mentioned, there isn’t really a reliable way of telling whether someone has got enough copper in the body. For example, one study found that giving 3mg of copper reduced the amount of bone lost by about 89% (11). In other words, about 10 times less bone loss was observed. Given that copper deficiency leads to poor bone health, perhaps this implies that 1.2mg is a bit too little for some of our body’s functions. The average copper intake in adults aged 20 and older is 1.4mg for men and 1.1mg for women (in the United States) (2), so in theory the average person has an adequate intake, and there shouldn’t be a 10x reduction in the amount of bone lost by taking additional copper. This suggests to us that the current daily requirements are set too low. Some data has also shown that 6-15% of adults aged 19 and older have intakes below 0.9mg (2) (13). Copper isn't the only vitamin/mineral where we add more than the recommended daily amount. You can find out why we think it's best to have extra vitamin D, selenium and vitamin K in our articles page.
One study found that a total (from food and supplements) of 2.6mg of copper per day was deemed an optimal intake when trying to minimise risk of deficiency and minimise risk of toxicity symptoms (14). This is why we add 1.4mg of copper into our ThinkPharm formula, to help you meet the optimal levels of copper for your immune system and keep you in good health.
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Disclaimer: Food supplements are intended to correct nutritional deficiencies, maintain an adequate intake of certain nutrients, or to support specific physiological functions. The ThinkPharm Formula (or any other food supplement) is not a medicine and therefore cannot and does not claim to treat or prevent disease. All content on this website is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. None of the scientific studies quoted on this website qualify as proof or implication that ThinkPharm Health's supplements treat or prevent disease. Findings of scientific studies do not always represent reality. It is always difficult for scientific studies to reach accurate conclusions regarding nutrition and its relationship to diseases. Please consult your healthcare professional before making any significant changes to your diet and lifestyle. ThinkPharm Health is not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting on information from this website.