Copper Health Benefits & Caution

Copper has become trendy, instagrammable and an alcoholic mug staple? Just google muscow mule mugs, and you will find recipes for vodka, lemon & lime cocktail recipes but is that safe in copper mugs?

Let’s talk about BENEFITS and RARE but potential toxic exposure effects of copper mug use.

Copper drinking vessels have been used safely since ancient times. I was aware that Copper was used as cookware in Europe when I was a child but stainless steel has become the go to metal for safe cooking methods.

According to ancient Ayurvedic health practices of India, drinking from a copper vessel balances the biological energies of the human body and mind known as the 3 Doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha). These energies are said to determine conditions for growth, health, ageing and disease.

Although our water treatment plants do a great job of removing contaminants and making water safe for human consumption, by the time the arrives in out taps it is also low in vitality. It is also believed this is why people get thirsty again very shortly after drinking tap water.

The copper is believed to create a subtle charge in the water and positive effects in the body.

Water stored for over 8 hours allows for trace amounts of copper to charge the water and act as an antioxidant.

BUT for all of us science geeks out there. Before you think there is no scientific evidence to these claims …Let’s take a look at modern scientific evidence that shows both the benefits and mechanisms of how copper functions in our body

Research reveals that copper is vital for the optimal health of the human body – along with other mineral micronutrients such as iron, calcium and zinc. While copper is found throughout the body, it is concentrated in organs with high metabolic activity, such as the liver, kidneys, heart and brain.

Copper is essential in absorbing iron from the gastrointestinal tract into the blood stream. Reduced iron levels may lead to iron deficiency anemia which means that the body is unable to carry enough oxygen to tissues, resulting in weakness and fatigue.

Once copper enters the blood stream from the gastrointestinal tract it travels to the liver from where it is distributed for variety of functions throughout the body.

However, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Copper is a metal after all and too much of it can lead to toxicity. Especially when pure copper mugs are used with alcohol and citrus. For more information please watch the YouTube video above as well as the research included below.

Overall, there are great benefits to drinking from copper mugs. As always, please check with your doctor whether this is safe for you. You may be interested in the products below.

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SOURCES: Recommended RDI for Copper

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/programs/consultation-copper-drinking-water/document.html#2.1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24748564 https://www.healthline.com/health/heavy-metal-good-for-you-copper https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/copper-deficiency-symptoms https://www.healthline.com/health/colloidal-copper

Dietary Copper & Functions in the body https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3690345/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceruloplasmin (CP protein Ceruloplasmin) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1534580708005236 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6460475/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15623839 https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Cellular-Cu-homeostasis-The-CTR1-protein-functions-in-Cu-uptake-The-Cu-chaperones-COX17_fig1_221830250 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufiEZy1so_Y https://chem.libretexts.org/Courses/Saint_Mary%27s_College%2C_Notre_Dame%2C_IN/CHEM_342%3A_Bio-inorganic_Chemistry/Readings/Metals_in_Biological_Systems_(Saint_Mary%27s_College)/Keep_Cu_Safe%3A_Intracellular_Copper_Chaperones https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24748564 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK222312/ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221830250_Advances_in_the_Understanding_of_Mammalian_Copper_Transporters https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/ATP7B#location https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0946672X11002355