16 Amazing Benefits of Copper for Skin, Hair, and Health

Reviewed by: | Author: Manoja Kalakanti

Somehow in the crowd of the more important minerals, we tend to ignore some of the trace minerals that play such an important role on our health. We are talking about copper here. The one trace mineral that has suddenly shot into the limelight. All of a sudden people are buying copper bottles and copper jars to store their water. Copper health benefits are just too many to name, and people are finally realizing it.

Benefits of copper

Copper has immense protective properties for the human body. It boosts your immune system, improves cognitive function, increases bone density and helps provide relief in arthritis. That’s not all, copper is a vital mineral for growth and development, as it aids melanin production, accelerates skin healing, enhances iron absorption, aids in digestion, slows down the aging process, boosts energy, helps improve thyroid function and also protects against chronic diseases such as heart diseases and cancer, and helps in improving blood circulation.

What is Copper?

Copper as a trace mineral vital for multiple functions in the body. Our bodies are unable to synthesize copper on its own, so we have to ensure that we take adequate amounts from food sources such as sesame seeds, cashews, turnip greens and spinach. We hardly give any importance to this, but copper benefits for the human body are amazing.

Find the benefits here,

  1. Improves Cognitive Function
  2. Enhances Growth and Development
  3. Boosts Immune Function
  4. Improves Bone Health
  5. Helps Provide Relief in Arthritis
  6. Faster Skin Healing
  7. Helps in Melanin Production
  8. Aids in Iron Absorption
  9. Aids in Digestion
  10. It has Anti-Aging Properties
  11. Optimises Thyroid Function
  12. Boosts Energy
  13. Shield Your Heart
  14. Combats Cancer
  15. Improves Circulation
  16. Copper for Hair Health

Copper Uses for Health – Some Amazing Benefits

There are innumerable benefits of this trace mineral. Copper can be easily broken down to copper peptides, and when you ingest it, it has instant power to get absorbed in your skin. Most doctors recommend that at least 0.9-1.3 mg/day is absolutely essential to the body for its optimal functioning. Find out how this trace mineral can help benefit your body in a number of ways.

Copper for Brain

1. Improves Cognitive Function

Copper helps in neurodevelopment and growth and also helps improve cognitive development. Copper, in fact, helps in the culmination of more advanced thought processes and aids in processing complex information.

But that does not mean you start supplementing too much copper, try and get your source of copper from food sources and get it at an optimum level.

2. Enhances Growth and Development

Copper helps in growth and development. But that does not mean it is only suitable for kids and its requirement minimizes as we grow up. Your body is in a constant state of repairing, rebuilding and rejuvenating itself, and all it requires an adequate amount of copper to keep this process to continue. Copper has a big role to play in causing birth defects and also stunts growths in some cases.

Copper Helps Increase Immunity

3. Boosts Immune Function

White blood cells protect your body from infections. A copper deficiency, on the other hand, reduces the white blood cells in your body and hence capitulates to infections. Copper protects your body and helps put up a solid defense against foreign invasions. Copper in adequate amounts can help build a healthy amount of white blood cells to keep your health in perfect order.

Copper for bone health

 

4. Improves Bone Health

We always regard copper to be the chief armor in your fight against osteoporosis. But looks like we need to have copper too in our armory to keep the debilitating bone condition at bay. In other words, we require adequate amounts of copper to help prevent deficiency.

 

5. Helps Provide Relief in Arthritis

Have you heard about copper bands bracelets? Well, they are thought to be a formidable force in treating joint pain. The theory denotes that copper is absorbed through the skin trans dermally. Many people report that they get considerable relief by wearing these bracelets. However, there is no substantial research on this fact.

Since copper is anti-inflammatory, it helps restore the strength in the supportive structures of the muscular system. Reducing inflammation and strengthening the structures are the two-pronged process of an effective arthritis treatment plan.

Copper for Skin Healing

 

6. Faster Skin Healing

Copper has potent anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral properties, it is the foundation of healing your skin. Copper also helps in cell renewal and rejuvenation, so copper helps in the healing process and also helps in repairing and rejuvenating damaged skin cells.

7. Helps in Melanin Production

Copper helps in the production of melanin. This is the dark pigment that has an effect on the color of your skin by what is present in your skin cells. Melanin is responsible for dark hair and eyes. It is not that only dark-skinned people have melanin in their skin cells, even people with fairer skin do. If there is a deficiency in copper, the skin starts looking unhealthy and an inadequate amount of copper can also lead to premature graying of hair.

8. Aids in Iron Absorption

While there are many people suffering from a deficiency of iron, which leads to anemia,;most men and women supplement with iron tablets to replenish the dwindling iron resources. But the point is that you need copper for the proper absorption of iron. What is the point in consuming large doses of iron tablets when it does not get absorbed properly? Copper also brings the red blood cell count up, besides helping in the absorption of iron in the digestive system.

9. Aids in Digestion

In this fast-paced world were eating clean is nonexistent in most of our lives, a majority of us suffer from digestive issues. So, what is the solution? Popping in antacids by the fistfuls? Not really! You can add more copper to your diet, which helps in improving the gut health, feeding it with the good kind of bacteria, which helps maintain the gut health. Copper also helps in healing your stomach ulcers and brings it back on the road to recovery, thanks to its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. So, try and use more copper water. Storing water overnight in a copper jar and drinking the water first thing in the morning is said to improve your digestive health to an enormous extent. This just one of the benefits of copper water.

10. It has Anti-Aging Properties

Aging is inevitable, so are its various signs, such as fine lines and wrinkles. We need skin products that will help keep all signs of aging at bay. Well, if you want to hoodwink aging, at least for the time being, and look youthful for years together, copper can prove to be useful. If you are choosing products straight out off shop shelves, check out the ingredients and find out whether it has enough copper. Copper, as we already know, has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and can protect you from free radicals, which as they say is your skin’s long-sworn enemy. Copper also helps renew the cells, and you will soon have enviably beautiful and youthful skin.

Copper Helps thyroid function

11. Optimizes Thyroid Function

Your thyroid is a tiny gland that has an enormous impact on your hormonal health, which means that it regulates metabolism, growth, and also maturation. While most people who suffer from thyroid conditions are on medication, what they don’t know is that the right balance of minerals, selenium for one, and copper too, can return your hypo and hyperthyroid conditions back to normalcy. It is not a symptomatic treatment alone, it is more of a finding-the-root-cause approach. But yes, that does not mean you should be off your thyroid medication, just talk to your general practitioner and find out, whether you can bring harmonize your hormone profile by including key minerals like copper.

12. Boosts Energy

While not delving too deep to the science of it, copper has incredible potential in boosting your energy. More than those energy drinks you so insist on sipping. Copper helps rejuvenate you and wipe out your tiredness. Without adequate doses of copper into your life, your body lacks the energy to function at optimal levels, thus making you feel all drained and fatigued.

13. Shield your Heart

Cardiovascular disease is the number 1 killer disease today, and there is a continuous process of research going on, trying ways and treatment processes to combat this disease. You can add an optimal amount of copper, which helps bring down your blood pressure and also prevents plaque buildup in your arteries and build up a solid defense system against heart disease. Copper also lowers your triglyceride levels, and is important to improve your cardiovascular system.
fights-cancer

14. Combats Cancer

Since copper is an antioxidant nutrient, it has the potential to fight cancer as it helps reduce oxidative stress and free radical damage. Let’s just say that antioxidants are those tiny soldiers that shield your cells and block the entry of the free radicals. Yes, you can lower your risk of cancer by optimizing copper levels.

15. Improves Circulation

The enzymes in copper help keep your arteries healthy and also help build blood volume. People who suffer from circulatory issues often have problems such as stiff arteries and poor blood circulation. It is said that wearing copper infused clothing has the power to combat both the problems and improve circulation in the body.

16. Copper for Hair Health

Whenever we suffer from hair issues or skin issues, we tend to look at the larger picture of it, whereas just bringing balance to the trace minerals such as copper can restore them back to health. Copper is great for hair health, and increases the hair follicles, hence stopping the hair thinning process. While we are on the topic of hair health, copper also helps prevent the problem of premature graying, since copper helps in the production of melanin, it can even prevent premature graying of hair.

Now, that we have discussed the copper benefits for hair, copper skincare benefits, and copper health benefits, let us now know how you can find out whether you indeed have a copper deficiency.

Signs of Copper Deficiency – Keep a Tab on These Symptoms

Deficiency of copper can lead to the following issues:

  • Bone disorders such as fractures and osteoporosis
  • Anemia
  • Thyroid problems
  • Pigmentation problems in skin and hair
  • Neurodevelopment delays in infants, also known as Menkes disease.

Instead of considering supplementation for copper, as you need just the right amount, not too much of it, add these below-mentioned foods to your diet.

Diet rich in copper

A Copper Rich Diet – Add these Nutrient-rich Foods

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of copper is just 900 mcg a day for everyone, and that includes adults and adolescents. You cannot go beyond 10 mg per day. So, have enough of these foods.

DV stands for Daily Value.

  • Sunflower seeds
    1 cup:8 milligrams (41 percent DV)
  • Chickpeas
    1 cup: 0.6 milligrams (29 percent DV)
  • Dark chocolate
    1 bar: 1.8 milligrams (89 percent of DV)
  • Cashews
    6 milligrams (31 percent DV)
  • Raisins
    1 cup: 0.5 milligram (25 percent DV)
  • Lentils
    1 cup: 0.5 milligram (25 percent DV)
  • Hazelnuts
    5 milligram (25 percent DV)
  • Dried apricots
    1 cup: 0.4 milligram (22 percent DV)
  • Avocado
    1 avocado: 0.4 milligram (18 percent DV)
  • Almonds
    1 ounce: 0.3 milligrams (14 percent DV)
  • Sesame seeds
    1 tablespoon: 0.4 milligram (18 percent DV)
  • Chia seeds
    1 ounce (28 grams): 0.1 milligrams (3 percent DV)
  • Turnip greens
    1 cup, cooked: 0.4 milligrams (18 percent DV)
  • Shiitake mushrooms
    3 milligrams (14 percent DV)
  • Chia seeds
    28 grams: 0.1 milligrams (3 percent DV)

There you go, you can have enough copper if you add the above-mentioned foods. That is why a balanced diet is so important, you need to have foods from each food group, and the more variety your plate has, the better are your chances of combating nutritional deficiencies. So, even if you are on a diet, don’t be super restrictive about the kind of foods you eat. Just have everything in moderation and you will be good to go!

 

FAQ’s

1. How can I obtain copper for my body’s needs?

You can obtain copper through dietary sources such as sesame seeds, cashews, turnip greens, and spinach, as our bodies cannot produce copper naturally.

2. How does copper boost the immune system?

Copper helps increase white blood cell production, which is essential for fighting infections. A deficiency in copper can weaken the immune system.

3. How does copper contribute to faster skin healing?

Copper possesses antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties, aiding in cell renewal and skin healing.

4. Can copper help with digestion and gut health?

Copper can improve gut health by promoting beneficial bacteria and aiding in the healing of stomach ulcers, thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.

5. How does copper optimize thyroid function?

Copper, along with other minerals like selenium, can play a role in balancing thyroid hormones and supporting thyroid health.

6. What are the benefits of copper for hair health?

Copper can increase hair follicles and prevent hair thinning and premature graying by promoting melanin production.

7. What foods are rich in copper?

Foods like sunflower seeds, chickpeas, dark chocolate, cashews, raisins, lentils, hazelnuts, dried apricots, avocado, almonds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, turnip greens, and shiitake mushrooms are excellent sources of copper.

8. Is copper supplementation necessary, or can I get enough from my diet?

In most cases, you can obtain sufficient copper through a balanced diet, so supplementation is usually unnecessary.

 

 

 

 

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