Copper Cup Benefits: 15 Reasons to (Safely) Drink Copper
You’ve seen them advertised — copper cups, copper mugs, copper water bottles. Some are so ornate, they’re works of art.
You might have heard that drinking out of a copper cup has benefits. You might also have heard that people can die from drinking out of copper.
So what’s the deal? Is drinking water out of a copper cup safe — or not?
This article explains everything you need to know about copper health benefits, why some copper vessels can be dangerous, and how to drink water from a copper mug safely.
Ready? Let’s go.
What is copper and why is it important?
First, you should know that copper is a reddish metal found in the environment, including rock, dirt, and water. There’s even small amounts of copper in the air.
Copper is an important trace element that helps the body function properly. The body doesn’t make copper, so we need to absorb it through our food and water.
Some food sources of copper are:
- seafood & shellfish
- organ meat (liver)
- whole grains
- wheat bran cereals
- lentils & legumes (chickpeas)
- nuts (brazil, cashews)
- seeds (poppy, sunflower)
- chocolate
- potatoes
- peas
- dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, asparagus, parsley).
However, according to Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology,
“Copper in the Western diet has been decreasing at least since the 1930s; half of the adult population consumes less than the amount recommended in the European Communities and the United Kingdom. At least one fourth of adults consume less than the estimated average requirement published for the United States and Canada.”
Why do people drink out of copper mugs?
Long ago, people in the Far East found that water stored in copper vessels tasted better and kept fresh longer. Scientists discovered that copper has an oligodynamic effect — which means copper can kill bacteria. It also kills viruses, algae, mold, spores, and fungi.
Studies have shown that water stored in a copper vessel for at least four hours acquires a certain quality — because copper leaches into the liquid. Since people today use water purifying systems, many of the healthy micronutrients are removed from their water. Drinking water out of a copper cup replenishes the copper stripped by purifying systems.
But since liquids aren’t all the same, leaching can cause problems. I’ll get to that in a minute.
First,
What are the health benefits of copper?
Drinking water out of a copper cup has many health benefits. Here are 15 of them, in no particular order:
Copper kills bacteria.
Like mentioned above, copper is oligodynamic and can destroy bacteria, including E.coli and S.aureus — two common bacteria that cause serious illness. Copper also helps prevent bacteria that causes diarrhea from drinking bad water. In fact, drinking out of copper vessels is one way for countries with poor sanitation systems to enjoy cleaner water, and thus keep healthier.
Copper improves your digestive system.
Copper helps stimulate peristalsis, the contraction and relaxation of stomach muscles, which moves waste products (feces) through the intestines and out of the body. Copper also helps kill harmful inflammation-causing bacteria in the gut, possibly improving ulcers, indigestion, and infections. A healthy gut is important in order for the body to absorb proper nutrients.
According to ancient Indian Ayurvedic teachings, drinking water stored in copper vessels (such as a copper water bottle or a copper water cup) first thing in the morning on an empty stomach detoxifies and cleanses your digestive system.
That being said, too much copper can damage your “good” intestinal bacteria and cause diarrhea. We’ll talk about having too much copper in your system in a minute.
Copper strengthens your immune system.
Copper has antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help decrease free radicals which are harmful to the immune system. Drinking water from a copper cup routinely can boost your antioxidants and, therefore, boost your immune system. And because copper helps eliminate harmful bacteria, your immune system doesn’t have to work as hard — which will also keep you healthy.
Copper increases your energy level.
Copper helps make an important enzyme in the body called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is basically energy. When you drink water from a copper cup, you are providing copper needed for your body to make more energy.
Copper balances your thyroid.
Not having enough copper in your system (copper deficiency) can cause your thyroid gland to regulate hormones improperly. Drinking water from a copper vessel provides the copper needed by the thyroid gland to stay balanced and function properly.
Copper helps with weight loss.
We’ve already learned that copper helps regulate the thyroid and helps make energy through ATP. Both of these speed up the metabolism and create energy for fat burning, which in turn may help you lose weight.
Copper improves your brain function.
Copper is needed to make phospholipids, a type of fat (lipids) used to give cells form and to build a protective barrier around them. Of all your organs, the brain has the highest concentration of lipids.
These lipids help electrical impulses shoot from nerve to nerve, giving signals to the rest of the body, telling it what to do. They also help with memory storage.
Changes in lipid levels may lead to problems in the brain, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common type of dementia among older people.
Copper decreases your risk of cancer.
Copper has antioxidants which fight off free radicals. Studies show free radicals in large amounts damage the body’s cells which can then lead to cancer. Antioxidants help neutralize these free radicals preventing them from causing damage.
Copper helps your heart and blood pressure.
Copper helps prevent plaque from accumulating in the coronary arteries, decreasing your risk of heart attack. Copper also helps your blood vessels dilate, which improves blood flow to the heart and helps regulate your blood pressure.
Copper helps protect your liver.
Copper deficiency appears to be a factor in Non-Alcoholic Fatty-Liver Disease (NAFLD), a syndrome where fat cells replace healthy cells in the liver, causing other metabolic problems.
Copper helps prevent anemia.
Copper helps the body absorb, use, and maintain iron — preventing anemia.
Copper decreases joint inflammation and arthritic pain.
Copper has anti-inflammatory properties which may help relieve aches and pains caused by inflamed joints — such as in arthritis.
Copper helps heal wounds.
Enzymes use copper to produce new cells in the body, particularly new skin cells, which is key for tissue healing. Since copper also has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, copper helps wounds heal faster.
Copper slows down signs of aging.
Copper has antioxidant properties which fight off free radicals, one of the main causes of fine lines in the skin. Since copper helps produce new, healthy skin cells to replace the old dying ones, it helps you look younger.
Copper helps strengthen hair.
Copper is used by enzymes to make melanin, the pigment that creates our skin, hair, and eye colors. Copper also improves circulation at the hair follicle level which promotes hair growth. Having enough copper in the body may help your hair stay lush longer, and slow the inevitable age when your hair turns gray.
Copper promotes healthy skin.
Copper promotes healthy skin in several ways.
- First, the melanin that’s beneficial to your hair also helps protect your skin from sun damage.
- Second, the body uses copper to make collagen and elastin, substances which improve your skin’s elasticity and prevents wrinkles.
- And third, we’ve already learned copper helps produce skin cells. By replacing old dead cells with supple new cells, copper is key in keeping your skin looking healthy and vibrant.
So there you have it — 15 ways drinking from a copper cup benefits you. Now let’s take a look at the other side of the proverbial coin.
Side-effects of drinking water from a copper mug: is copper bad for you?
People often ask, “Is it safe to drink out of copper?”
Generally, yes. According to experts, copper toxicity is possible but not common.
But beware! You have an increased risk of having too much copper in your system IF…
- You suffer from Wilson’s disease, an inherited disorder that causes copper to accumulate in your liver, brain and other vital organs — but Wilson’s disease is rare.
- You drink water from corroded copper pipes, cook acidic foods in copper pots and pans, or somehow ingest powder copper which can be found in occupational or industrial settings.
- You drink liquids other than water from a copper mug. Like I mentioned earlier, when you store liquid in a copper vessel, traces of copper leach into the liquid. The amount of copper that leaches depends on the acidity of the liquid. The more acid the liquid, the more leaching occurs.
Like a bad trip, acid is the culprit.
Liquids with a pH < 6.0 (acid) such as alcohol, fruit juices, and vinegar increase copper leaching.
In fact, the FDA prohibits food with a pH less than 6.0 to come into direct contact with copper and copper alloys (such as brass).
That’s why a popular alcoholic beverage called the Moscow Mule — which is often served in an unlined copper mug — has been banned in some areas.
Like Switzerland, water is neutral.
The pH of pure water is 7, which is neutral. The pH of drinking water varies, but it’s generally between 6.5–7.5.
Drinking water out of a copper cup every morning carries very little risk of copper toxicity.
Bottom line, know the pH of your water — because pH is the key to drinking water from an unlined copper mug safely.
What are signs of excessive copper exposure?
Copper toxicity is rare. But excessive long-term copper exposure can cause:
- gastrointestinal (GI) upset such as nausea or diarrhea
- neurological problems such as dizziness or headaches
- skin irritation around the mouth, nose, and eyes
- and, when extreme, internal bleeding from liver dysfunction.
Why doesn’t everybody drink from copper? The “copper water bottle” controversy.
Not everybody recognizes copper cup benefits.
According to Michael Lynch, MD, medical director of the Pittsburgh Poison Center, “There’s probably no real health benefit or risk from drinking from a copper cup. They’re safe to use, but there’s probably no benefit.”
Again, from the Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology:
“People deficient in copper are being identified increasingly; it is unknown if unusually high requirements or unusually low diets are causal. Alzheimer’s disease, ischemic heart disease and osteoporosis are the most likely human illnesses from low copper intakes.”
And David Eisenberg, adjunct associate professor of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in a PBS NewsHour segment said:
“Despite the connection between poor diet and many preventable diseases, only about one-fifth of American medical schools require students to take a nutrition course.”
He went on to add:
“Today, most medical schools in the United States teach less than 25 hours of nutrition over four years. The fact that less than 20 percent of medical schools have a single required course in nutrition, it’s a scandal.”
But apparently our ancestors knew a thing or two about the health benefits of drinking out of a copper vessel. So…
Go ahead and buy that copper water bottle!
You’ve now learned the health benefits of copper, why some copper vessels can be dangerous, and how drinking water from a copper mug is safe.
Now it’s time for you to enjoy the health benefits of drinking from a copper cup or water bottle. One that puts the micronutrients your body needs to keep you healthy back into your system.
Head on out to your favorite store — or visit your favorite online shop — and find your new “piece d’art” copper drinking vessel.
