Don't underestimate the importance of copper in your diet. It's
true that your body only needs it in small amounts, but having the
proper copper levels in your body are critical to your long-term
survival. The body needs copper for the many tasks it performs, from
building the enzyme ceruloplasmin (this carries iron in the blood) to
its major role in the production of collagen. But for my money, the most
important thing about this little trace mineral is its ability to help
produce elastin.
Elastin is found primarily in the artery walls,
lungs, intestines, and skin and is a structural protein that gives your
body flexibility and healthy connectivity. Copper is absolutely
necessary in manufacturing elastin, helping create our elastic fiber. No
copper, no elastin, right? It's easy to see that copper deficiency
would lead to a loss of elasticity in the tissues found in your
arteries, skin and organs. And if your body goes without normal elastin
production, big problems will arise.
Copper deficiency and its link to aneurysm
As
elastin production deteriorates, so does the viability, flexibility and
connectivity of body tissue. So what happens when tissue in your
arteries and organs are weakened? Those weakened tissues become prone to
thinning. Arteries will balloon at their weakest point with the
possibility of rupturing, kind of like a garden hose with a weak spot
bulging in the line... pressure will eventually blow it out. In your
arteries, those weak, bulging spots are called aneurysms. Of course,
aneurysms can be life-threatening, especially when they blow. I don't
think it's a stretch to think that weak tissue, resulting because of
less elastin, will sometimes cause existing aneurysms to worsen, or new
ones to develop. And as shown, less elastin is a direct result of a
copper deficiency.
Copper deficiency and its link to hemorrhagic stroke
A
blood vessel that leaks or breaks into the brain results in a
hemorrhagic stroke, which account for twenty percent of all strokes.
Again, without elastin, blood vessels lose elasticity. Tissue starts to
harden, fissures form on the inside of the arterial wall, and begin to
crack. These cracks are weak spots which slowly get worse, begin to
leak, then break. Absence of proper copper levels means less elastin,
causing tissues to harden and weaken. There appears to be a correlation
here between hemorrhagic stroke and low copper levels in the body.
What other conditions does copper deficiency create?
Did
you know that a doctor can tell if you have copper deficiency by
looking at the color of your hair? Copper is a crucial component in the
creation of hair pigment. White, gray and silver hair are quick
give-aways to a trained eye. Here's something that got me thinking:
isn't it interesting that Albert Einstein, famous for his white crazy
hair, dropped dead of an aneurysm when he was 68?
What are the chances
that he had a copper deficiency?
Varicose veins and hemorrhoids
are common conditions too, but they wouldn't be as common if people
would keep a normal level of copper in their systems. These two ailments
are caused by weak tissue, tissues that are struggling to maintain
their elasticity, but can't because they lack the trace mineral that can
help create the elastin they need. If you suffer from either of these
two ailments, you might consider having your copper levels tested.
How do you maintain a proper copper balance in your body?
The
body does not manufacture copper, so you must ingest it. There are many
foods rich in copper, like pumpkin and sunflower seeds, garbanzo beans,
lima beans and soybeans. Do you like cashews? This is one of the best
copper foods you can eat, second only to sesame seeds in copper content.
If you have copper plumbing, you are getting trace amounts of it in
your drinking water. And of course, there are supplements to help you
get your daily allowance.
Now, don't overdo it. Remember, copper
is a trace mineral, and your body needs only a small amount daily to
ward off any copper deficiency malady. Copper toxicity is not something
you want, either, so follow the established guidelines of two milligrams
daily. That's all you need. The important thing here is that your body
has a consistent flow of this natural mineral. Avoid copper deficiency
in your diet, and you will avoid some of life's biggest pitfalls.
By
M Heimann
