Posted by Larry Hoover on June 4, 2003, at 10:25:16
In reply to Re: Larry/John, Zinc/Selenium/Vitamin C questions » McPac, posted by Larry Hoover on June 3, 2003, at 8:16:26
> > >>>>>>>>>Lar, I tested VERY high for copper (ceruloplasmin levels....33% free copper, whereas Pfeiffer told me that they like to see it under 10% in people). When I looked up Copper Toxicity on-line and read the effects of it, I have to say that it was DEAD-ON as to so many of my problems. I was zinc deficient also.
>
> That goes together, absolutely. Zinc supply is really the controlling variable. I really don't think low copper can be a problem, unless you never take a zinc holiday.
>
> >Anyway, I've been on Zinc supp's daily for about 6 months now (85 mg/day) with NO copper supplementation (NO copper supp's but I get it in food obviously)
>
> Make sure you get retested when you go back to Pfeiffer.I was looking at copper intake from food, and interactions with zinc, and the oft-repeated advice that zinc supps will block copper seems to be (once again) misinterpretation or hyperbole or whatever. Only if your zinc intake massively exceeds your copper intake will this occur. In fact, huge amounts of zinc are sometimes used to control copper intake in Wilson's disease, a hereditary inability to regulate copper (kind of the copper equivalent of hemachromatosis (iron)).
It seems that the recommended intake of copper (about 1 mg/day) is easily met by a non-supplemented diet.
So, I go and take a look at drinking water vis a vis copper plumbing, and I come across references to drinking water found to contain e.g. 8 grams/litre of copper. I didn't follow up to see how common/uncommon that concentration might be, but if you've got copper plumbing where you live, and you drink the water that's been standing in your copper pipes for hours on end, I don't think you need to worry about copper deficiency! At 8 grams/litre you'd meet the total daily intake from half a cup of water (4 oz.).
So, I hereby retract my earlier comment that you might need a zinc holiday to ensure adequate copper intake. I don't think it's an issue. If anything, I'm a little concerned about excessive intake.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:230511
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030604/msgs/231348.html