The Case For Copper Water Bottles
Getting yourself a copper water bottle is an
inexpensive way bolster your health. Drinking
water from copper vessels has an amazing array of benefits, it has been used in
Ayurvedic medicine for centuries.
According to Ayurveda, copper balances all three “doshas”, the vata,
kapha and pitta. Copper is an essential
mineral, functioning as an antioxidant, aiding metabolism, stimulates cell
growth, and it is vital to many bodily processes. A deficiency in copper could result in
anemia, cardiovascular and neurologic disorders, irregular bone development and
low white blood cell count.
According
to an article from NCBI, a study by Sudha et al, proved that storing water in
copper kills pathogens and raises the alkalinity of water. “When drinking-water (pH 7.83±0.4; source: ground) was
contaminated with 500 CFU/mL of the above bacteria and stored in copper pots
for 16 hours at room temperature, no bacteria could be recovered on the culture
medium. Recovery failed even after resuscitation in enrichment broth, followed
by plating on selective media, indicating loss of culturability. This is the
first report on the effect of copper on S. flexneri
2a, enteropathogenic E. coli, and Salmonella
Paratyphi. After 16 hours, there was a slight increase in the pH of water from
7.83 to 7.93 in the copper pots while the other physicochemical parameters
remained unchanged. Copper content (177±16 ppb) in water stored in copper pots
was well within the permissible limits of the World Health Organization.”(7)
According
to the Linus Pauling Institute, “Copper (Cu) is an essential trace element for humans and
animals. In the body, copper shifts between the cuprous (Cu1+) and cupric (Cu2+) forms, though the majority of the body's copper
is in the Cu2+ form. The ability of copper to easily accept and
donate electrons explains its important role in oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions and in scavenging free radicals (1). Although Hippocrates is said to have prescribed
copper compounds to treat diseases as early as 400 B.C. (2), scientists are still uncovering new information
regarding the functions of copper in the human body.” (1).
A copper enzyme is crucial to cellular
energy production -the mitochondria uses it to create ATP. (2) ATP, or adenosine triphosphate provides
energy to drive cell processes. Copper stimulates
the production of collagen and elastin (think anti-aging!) and is essential for
the formation of strong and flexible connective tissue.(3) Copper also regulates iron in your
bloodstream. Did you know that anemia is
a clinical sign of copper deficiency? One of the most common clinical signs of
copper deficiency is an anemia that is unresponsive to iron therapy but corrected by copper supplementation.(5)
Copper is essential to the health and functionality of our brain and nervous system, as well.(4) Copper is critical for the formation of melanin, the pigment found in our hair, eyes and skin! Perhaps a remedy for graying hair?
Copper is essential to the health and functionality of our brain and nervous system, as well.(4) Copper is critical for the formation of melanin, the pigment found in our hair, eyes and skin! Perhaps a remedy for graying hair?
Studies have also found that copper
prevents cardiovascular disease, stimulates the immune system (specifically
white blood cell count), supports bone density and prevent osteoporosis. The RDA of copper by the Linus Pauling Institute
is 900ug/day. Food sources are organ meats,
shellfish, nuts, seeds mollusks, oysters, clams, lentils, mushrooms and
chocolate (yay!).(6)
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If the font size, color and type are different
- this happens when I transfer the article to blogger, not sure why it happens,
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the information!! As always, this article
is for informational purposes only and is NOT intended as medical advice!!!
1. Prohaska JR. Copper. In: Erdman JW,
Macdonald IA, Zeisel SH, eds. Present Knowledge in Nutrition. 10th ed. Ames:
Wiley-Blackwell; 2012:540-553.
2. Uauy R, Olivares M, Gonzalez M.
Essentiality of copper in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998;67(5 Suppl):952S-959S. (PubMed)
3. Prohaska JR. Copper. In: Erdman JW,
Macdonald IA, Zeisel SH, eds. Present Knowledge in Nutrition. 10th ed. Ames:
Wiley-Blackwell; 2012:540-553.
4. Turnlund JR. Copper. In: Shils ME,
Shike M, Ross AC, Caballero B, Cousins RJ, eds. Modern Nutrition in Health and
Disease. 10th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2006:286-299
5. Harris ZL, Klomp LW, Gitlin JD.
Aceruloplasminemia: an inherited neurodegenerative disease with impairment of
iron homeostasis. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998;67(5 Suppl):972S-977S. (PubMed)
6. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute
of Medicine. Copper. Dietary reference intakes for vitamin A, vitamin K, boron,
chromium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silicon,
vanadium, and zinc. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press; 2001:224-257. (National Academy Press)
7. V.B. Preethi Sudha,1 Sheeba Ganesan,1 G.P. Pazhani,2 T. Ramamurthy,2 G.B. Nair,2 and Padma Venkatasubramania,
Storing Drinking-water in Copper pots
Kills Contaminating Diarrhoeagenic Bacteria, J Health Popul Nutr. 2012 Mar; 30(1): 17–21.
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