Copper - Some interesting thoughts on copper toxicity

[R.B.]

Please find below a link to a thought provoking article on copper. I have not read and make no comment on other articles on his site. Minerals have fundamental roles at a cellular level.



COPPER TOXICITY SYNDROME
by Lawrence Wilson, MD


http://www.drlwilson.com/articles/copper_toxicity_syndrome.htm

[R.B.]

I have only performed a couple of quick searches but it appears that excess copper may have a role in BC and other cancers. Reading on other topics like fertility suggests that a number of people suffer from high copper levels.


http://breast-cancer-research.com/content/7/6/R897
Clioquinol and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate complex with copper to form proteasome inhibitors and apoptosis inducers in human breast cancer cells

"A physiological feature of many tumor tissues and cells is the tendency to accumulate high concentrations of copper. While the precise role of copper in tumors is cryptic, copper, but not other trace metals, is required for angiogenesis."

"Copper is an essential trace metal for animals. The amount of copper in an organism is tightly regulated [1,2]. Angiogenesis, the growth of a tumor blood supply, is essential for tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis [3-6]. It has been shown that tumors, without a blood supply, do not grow larger than 1 to 2 mm3 [7]. Molecular processes of angiogenesis that require copper as an essential cofactor include stimulation of endothelial growth by tumor cytokine production (i.e., vasoendothelial growth factor), degradation of extracellular matrix proteins by metalloproteinases, and migration of endothelial cells mediated by integrins [3-12]. Consistently high levels of copper have been found in many types of human cancers, including breast, prostate, colon, lung, and brain [13-21]. "

[Ellie F]

Hi RB
I heard about this issue a couple of years ago. I tried to keep my dietary intake low for that reason. What i am less clear about is whether dietary copper makes any impact at a cellular level.

Ellie

[R.B.]

Ellie F


Copper is essential to cellular function at the most fundamental level as are many of the minerals. The importance of minerals is often under appreciated.

[R.B.]

A small trial found higher copper and lower zinc in BC cases.



Serum copper and zinc levels and copper/zinc ratio in patients with breast cancer.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7511919

Serum copper, zinc levels, and the Cu/Zn ratio were evaluated in 31 patients with breast cancer and 35 healthy controls. Copper and zinc were determined by atomic absorbtion spectrophotometry. The mean serum copper level and the mean Cu/Zn ratio in patients with breast cancer were significantly higher than the control group (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001). In addition, the mean serum zinc level in patients with breast cancer was significantly lower than the control group (p < 0.001). Neither serum copper and zinc levels nor the Cu/Zn ratio were of value in discriminating of the disease activity and severity. Interestingly, the Cu/Zn ratio in premenopausal patients was higher than postmenopausal patients (p < 0.05) and this was not related to age. The further combined biological and epidemiological studies are necessary to investigate the roles of copper and zinc in breast cancer.

[1rarebird]

The acidity of drinking water can play a role in leaching copper from copper pipes and tubing used in modern plumbing. The EPA has set limits on the amount of copper and many other metals that are distributed by public water systems in the US. The agency also requires the operators of the public systems to monitor the acidity of the water distributed to the public, and if there is is too much acidity, steps must be taken to lower it to acceptable levels to prevent the leaching of copper and other metals from the pipes before the consumer drinks the water. However, many people in rural areas get their water from private wells and probably don't monitor the water for metals and acidity characteristics. In light of the findings in these studies, it probably would be a good idea to have tests done on the private well water systems so that corrective steps can be taken if needed.
bird

[Laurel]

I have been watching out for copper in many supplements. Basically there is no multi I will take.

[R.B.]

^
It is important to remember that there is competition going on between some 'minerals', for example zinc competes with and displaces copper at some level. A book about infertility, discusses the effect of high copper on fertility; women with high copper levels found that increased zinc intake helped normalise copper levels.

As usual it is complex and multifactoral.