What IS Bioavailable Copper and what Sources are Best?
In discussions about copper, the term “bioavailable” often emerges, indicating its accessibility and usability within the body. But what exactly does this mean, and why is it crucial?
Understanding Bioavailable Copper
Bioavailable copper typically resides within proteins such as ceruloplasmin, a master antioxidant, primarily in its ferroxidase form. These proteins, when active and fully functional, play pivotal roles in reducing inflammation, combating oxidative stress, and facilitating metabolic processes in the body. Without functional copper, these processes are impacted, leading to various symptoms.
**Find out more about ceruloplasmin structure, and the chemistry of ceruloplasmin.
The Role of Functional Copper in the Body
You may have heard me mention bioavailable copper before and wondered what this actually means,? Or perhaps were confused about what actually makes copper become “bioavailable”.
Functional (bioavailable) copper is essential for a number of bodily functions, yet to become activated it requires specific cofactors.
Crucial cofactors include:
Retinol: which is found abundantly in whole food sources like grass-fed beef liver, butter from grass-fed cows, eggs from chickens that are truly free-range, and cod liver oil.
Tyrosinase: is found in whole food vitamin C.
Therefore, foods that contain both the copper, and the activators (retinol and tyrosinase) are foods that help our bodies thrive, make energy and feel good!
Activators in Whole Foods
Whole food sources like bee pollen contain additional enzymes that aid in copper activation, despite their relatively low copper content. It gives a good ‘bang for your buck’. Similarly, lamb, another good copper source, contains retinol in its fat, facilitating copper functionality.
Understanding Food Sources
As a Root Cause Protocol Consultant, I often get asked about other foods, which may appear to be good sources of copper, like nuts and avocados. Although they appear to contain copper, they lack the necessary components for its activation. They may be nutritious foods for other reasons, and consuming them in moderation is beneficial but relying on them as a source of copper may lead to imbalances.
Ancestral Diet and Copper
The Root Cause Protocol advocates for an ancestral diet rich in various copper sources, ensuring this is alongside key copper activators, whole food vitamin C and retinol, maximising the body’s ability to utilise ingested nutrients effectively.
Addressing Copper Imbalances
In cases of perceived “copper toxicity,” understanding the body’s mineral balance, particularly levels of retinol and magnesium, is crucial. By harnessing “excess” copper and getting it functioning as intended, your body can return to balance, alleviating symptoms and restoring well-being.
As Morley Robbins, Founder of The Root Cause Protocol says:
“For every one molecule of copper, there are 60 of iron.”
Seeking Personalised Assistance
Understanding your bioavailable copper status and overall mineral balance is key to optimising health. If you’re interested in learning more or seeking personalised guidance, feel free to get in touch or book an appointment with the Supporting Balance team.
Bioavailable copper is not just about its presence in foods but also about the body’s ability to activate and utilise it effectively. By incorporating a diverse range of nutrient-rich foods and understanding the body’s unique needs, we can optimise copper function and support overall well-being.
Until next time!
– Kristan.
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Well explained thanks Kristan. I’m curious though if eating say a 1/4 of an avocado would having bee pollen, say 1/4 tsp at the same time does it increase the activation of the copper from the avocado? Or does it require more bioflavonoids from some other foods?
Maybe there’s a list somewhere I haven’t found that gives foods that go together to enable activation of copper in foods like nuts etc. 🤔
Fantastic question Cheryl! Activation of copper requires retinol – this isn’t provided by foods like avocado, but from foods like butter from grass fed cows, eggs from chickens that free range and get sun and bugs outside (true free range chickens!), cod liver oil and beef liver, to name a few.
There’s some copper in bee pollen and it’d very bioactive, but it’s not that much in total to meet our needs either. We need a variety of foods and most people will benefit from a quality copper supplement too in this regard – needing enough to offset many years of deficiencies or imbalances, plus higher needs during healing and recovery. It’s a very real potential that many people can only source food from sources that aren’t so rich in copper naturally or aren’t as currently rich in copper due to soil depletion too.
Not to say that diversity in nutrients from a range of sources such as some avocado, nuts, seeds etc isn’t enough, but they don’t have retinol – it’s true FAT (‘From Animal Tissue’) that we need.
I hope this helps!
-Kristan.