The Kaufmann Diet is all about using nutrition as a powerful tool to support good health, prevent disease, and sometimes even reverse diseases. In this series, we break down the components of nutrition into their specific parts, and discuss how they can support––and sometimes hinder––our health. The third part of this series covers minerals, what they are, how they fit into your Kaufmann Diet, and the best sources of these nutrients. Copper is an essential trace mineral that is vital for the proper functioning of organs and metabolic processes within the body. It plays several key roles in human health, including:
1. Enzymatic Reactions: Copper is a component of multiple enzymes. It is crucial for the synthesis of hemoglobin, myelin, body pigments, and various neurotransmitters. It’s also important in the formation of disulfide bonds in proteins.
2. Iron Absorption: Copper helps in the absorption of iron from the intestinal tract and in its release from primary storage sites like the liver. It also helps in the conversion of iron into a form that can be transported by the blood, facilitating its use in red blood cell synthesis.
3. Energy Production: It’s involved in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body’s primary form of energy, by being a part of the cytochrome c oxidase complex.
4. Antioxidant Functions: Copper acts as an antioxidant by helping form superoxide dismutase (SOD), an enzyme that protects cells from damage by free radicals.
5. Connective Tissue Formation: It’s important for the formation of collagen, a key protein for the health and strength of bones, skin, and connective tissues.
6. Nervous System: It helps maintain the health of the nervous system. Copper’s role in the synthesis of neurotransmitters illustrates its involvement in neural operations and potentially in cognitive function.
Copper can be found in a variety of Kaufmann Diet-approved foods, and incorporating these into your diet will ensure that you get plenty of copper. Here are some of the best dietary sources:
Seafood: Shellfish like oysters, lobster, and crab are particularly rich in copper. For example, oysters can provide more than 7.6 mg of copper per 100 grams, which is far above the daily requirement.
Nuts and Seeds: These are excellent sources of copper. Cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, and sesame seeds are good options. Sunflower seeds are particularly high, providing about 1.8 mg per 100 grams.
Organ Meats: Liver is especially high in copper. For instance, beef liver contains about 12 mg of copper per 100 grams, making it one of the richest dietary sources.
Legumes: Lentils, chickpeas, soybeans, and kidney beans not only provide protein and fiber but are also good sources of copper.
Fruits and Vegetables: Fruits like avocados and blackberries, and vegetables like kale provide copper, albeit in smaller amounts compared to other sources.
Including a variety of these foods in your diet can help ensure you get enough copper, which is important for overall health. The daily recommended intake of copper for adults is about 900 micrograms (mcg), and these foods can help easily meet and even exceed that amount if consumed regularly.
Copper does possess antimicrobial properties, including anti-fungal abilities. However, copper’s use in this regard lies outside of the body, but there are some interesting applications:
Medical Facilities: Copper alloys are used on surfaces like doorknobs, bed rails, and other fixtures to reduce the spread of infections, including fungal infections.
Agriculture: Copper-based compounds, such as copper sulfate and copper octanoate, are commonly used in fungicides to control fungal diseases in plants.
Textiles: Copper-infused fabrics are known to inhibit the growth of fungi, reducing odors and the deterioration of the material.
Copper’s broad-spectrum antimicrobial effect makes it a valuable material in both public health and various industries to control the growth of microbes, including fungi.
Vitamins & Minerals: Am I Nutrient Deficient?
The Most Nutrient-Dense Foods On The Kaufmann Diet
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Doug Kaufmann developed his diet after years studying the clinical effects of pathogenic fungi on the body. Fungi and yeasts can become parasitic organisms on and inside our body, causing health problems that can be difficult to diagnose. Learn more about the Kaufmann Diet, change your life and know the cause.
We encourage all visitors to this site to take some time and study these technical articles prior to initiating lifestyle changes, including dietary changes and to do so with their physician’s awareness and approval. The articles posted in this link are scientific and with few exceptions are taken from medical journals familiar to healthcare workers.
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