Recently in our blog, we’ve discussed some troubling trends in testing for copper, the potential danger in adding copper supplements, and some of the specific challenges faced by males who have a difficult time metabolizing and excreting copper from their systems. However, we have yet to directly address the population most likely to face challenges associated with copper toxicity, and that population is women. It is estimated that as many as 40% of all females have high levels of copper in their systems. Today, I want to address the cognitive and physical challenges that women can experience as a result of a copper biochemical imbalance.
The Missing Link
Copper very well may be “the missing link” for you ladies out there who are struggling with both physical and “mental health” concerns. Many of you may have had difficulties with premenstrual issues, fibromyalgia, or chronic fatigue, while also dealing with symptoms of anxiety or depression. Your healthcare provider may have labeled you as being estrogen dominant. But what you (and your doctor) may not realize is that your physical issues and your cognitive issues may be related.
This commonality very likely resides in high levels of copper. Excess copper in the system is the missing link because copper is sensitive to estrogen. When estrogen levels rise, copper levels will also rise. When copper rises, it wreaks havoc in both your brain and your body – painful uterine contractions, heavy menstrual bleeding, chronic fatigue issues, menstrual migraine headaches, migraine headaches in general – all of these and many other “female” concerns are caused or influenced by high copper. There have even been links demonstrated between high copper levels and breast cancer (perhaps we will look at that more closely in a future blog). And, of course, several of our past blogs have already chronicled how high copper levels can lead to anxiety, depression, poor focus, and a host of other cognitive challenges.
We Need Copper
It is important to note here that copper is absolutely essential to our bodies. We need copper in our systems to help in the production of red blood cells, to help facilitate and regulate the proper function of our nerve cells, to maintain bone density, to produce and maintain collagen and elastin, and a host of other important body functions. There are several sources of our bodies’ copper intake. Foods that are rich in copper like nuts, avocados, and spinach are certainly very common sources. We also might take in copper simply by drinking tap water that flows to our homes and offices through copper plumbing, or by swimming or relaxing in highly chlorinated pools and spas. Women who choose an intrauterine device (IUD) for contraception may not realize that many of those devices are made of copper. These copper sources are very common and all around us. But again, our bodies need copper, so having easily accessible sources is not necessarily a bad thing.
The problems occur when we have too much copper in our systems. Many women (and men, for that matter) with high or toxic levels of copper simply have a difficult time eliminating excess copper from their bodies. It’s not that you’ve been exposed to high levels of copper. It’s that excess copper is built up in your system over time and it hasn’t been removed. Imagine a city that has not hired enough garbage men – pretty soon garbage begins piling up and causing a host of environmental problems. The same is true in our bodies – if our bodies cannot get rid of the excess copper, this “garbage” gets very toxic, very quickly.
Copper Toxicity Is Treatable
Here’s the good news. So many women, especially young women, who struggle with both physical and cognitive symptoms that seem to be tied to their menstrual cycles, do not have to simply endure those symptoms. You are not alone, and your symptoms are very treatable. It’s not “all in your head.” You are not just being overly emotional. You do not just have to “deal with it” for the first two weeks of your cycle. And you don’t necessarily have to be on an oral contraceptive to be treated for this. Many contraceptives can actually make the underlying
