Copper Toxicity
Empowering Education, Support,
& Awareness for
the Epidemic of Copper Toxicity which affects both Physical & Mental Health.
"Many of the most prevalent metabolic dysfunctions of our time
are related in some way to a copper imbalance." ~ Dr. Paul Eck
What is Copper Toxicity? ...In Summary At a Glance:
- Copper Toxicity is a build up of stored bio-unavailable copper in the body. The liver is the primary storage location. The brain, secondary.
- Birth control pills, copper IUDs, vegetarian diets, copper piping, and estrogen are just some of the contributing factors that have made copper toxicity a growing epidemic.
- Though copper is an essential mineral, not all copper is ‘safe’. Copper sulfate used on crops for example is a known toxin. "Excess copper is poisonous to all forms of life, and copper overloading is responsible for several human pathologic processes"[66]. “Copper becomes toxic when it accumulates in the body's tissues in excessive amounts” (Pfeiffer, 1975; 1987)
- Copper offers many health benefits at a 'normal' level, however what is rarely mentioned is that the benefits reverse with excess copper. Energy turns to fatigue. Cognitive clarity turns to brain fog. Fungal control turns to candida. Positive emotions turn to depression and apathy. Other common symptoms include racing mind, insomnia, thyroid hypo-function, burn-out, anxiety and panic attacks, even Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, and cancer can all also be linked to copper toxicity.
- The higher the degree of copper accumulation, the higher the degree of bioavailable deficiency. Most articles promoting copper deficiency fail to make this connection, as most copper deficiency in the West is caused by excess.
- Since excess copper is tightly stored in tissue, blood testing to determine copper status can be very misleading. This is a primary reason why copper toxicity remains poorly recognized and so often mis-treated.
- As detox often brings to the surface some of the worst symptoms, detoxing excess copper should be done slowly and gently. For example, the mobilization of copper into the bloodstream after burnout increases adrenalin on top of an already increased adrenalin level stimulated by the body’s attempt to correct burnout-induced hypoglycemia. Since adrenalin is an anxiety and panic hormone, these psychological reactions need to be understood.
- Common copper detox approaches typically miss the fact that many symptoms/reactions are not necessarily solely caused by copper but by the cascade of changes excess copper causes to the broader mineral profile. These other mineral imbalances at the cellular (not blood) level need to be understood and also addressed as part of any complete healing approach.
- Reliance on blood levels, dismissal of HTMA, articles that speak only of copper deficiency or the benefits of copper at a healthy level, standard nutritional training that ignores the inter-relationships of minerals, the disconnect between fields of nutrition and psychology, and even outright denial of copper toxicity and the blocking of information by some - these factors all have suppressed public awareness of copper toxicity and prevent those affected from getting real answers to their health challenges.
- Copper toxicity is one of the most widespread yet misunderstood epidemics of our time, and is a major factor in many of today's most prevalent conditions. It should therefore be a key route of investigation for any of the above mentioned symptoms.
A Health Epidemic Ignored by the Medical World
"Virtually all MDs, including psychiatrists, still have not heard of this health problem. They practice medicine and psychiatry with an incredible lack of awareness that such a serious health problem even exists. They claim to be practicing “evidence based medicine”, yet they are practicing without the most basic evidence – real laboratory data showing the presence of excess (toxic) copper that has a profound effect on both the physical and mental health of the vast majority of their patients. Ever since Carl Pfeiffer, MD, PhD first wrote about the devastating health effects of copper toxicity in 1975, it has been a challenge for him and others among us to get the message out to the public and health professionals. Until medical doctors and other “health” care practitioners begin to study the mind/body’s mineral system especially as it is reflected in HTMAs, the medical / mineral disconnect will remain. Without HTMA data, medical doctors will not recognize the epidemic nature of the copper toxicity problem. Today, the time is ripe for getting the copper toxicity message out to the public." ~ Dr. Malter, Ph.D.
Terminology
Copper toxicity may sometimes be referred to as hypercupremia, though it is a misleading term since hypercupremia literally translates to mean 'high copper concentration in the blood' even though blood levels are almost entirely irrelevant in assessing copper toxicity. Symptoms of copper toxicity can very much exist even when blood levels are normal or low. Another erroneously used term being used recently, copper dysregulation, while it eludes to the body's inability to regulate copper due to low ceruloplasmin, is a narrow-minded view that fails to address the bigger picture of why we have this epidemic in the first place, not to mention completely ignoring copper’s proven toxic attributes at high levels. Copper toxicity, as research has shown since the 1970s, is far more than just a dysregulation issue that can be ‘fixed’ by regulating ceruloplasmin. Our modern epidemic of copper toxicity is largely the result of ever increasing exposure to copper with each new generation over the past half century, a concept of paramount importance that is trivialized by using the term ‘dysregulation’. Copper toxicity, in the context of this site, differs somewhat from Pyroluria (a genetic condition in which the individual produces excess kryptopyrrole which in turn causes B6 and zinc deficiency). Copper toxicity, though sharing some similarities with Wilson's Disease, is different in that the latter is an inherited & rare genetic disorder which, like copper toxicity, causes copper to collect in the liver, brain and other body tissues, but has a more dire prognosis than copper toxicity, and for which a different treatment approach is required. As the majority of people have a copper imbalance, copper toxicity should not be seen as a black or white 'label' that defines a person, but rather is a progression to varying degrees of accumulation along a continuum.
Sections of This Site
Key Symptoms
List of key symptoms of copper toxicity and why often you'll have symptoms of both deficiency and toxicity
Estrogen / IUD / The Pill
The close connection between estrogen and copper, and how use of the Pill and IUD have contributed to rising copper levels.
Food Exposure & Digestive Effect
A look at certain diets which exacerbate copper toxicity, and how excess copper in turn affects digestive health.
Effect on Emotions & Relationships
Though sometimes referred to as a 'love mineral', this can be misleading as the opposite emotions of fear, apathy, and depression take hold as excess copper accumulates. As a result, copper toxicity can devastate relationships.
The Calcium Shell
An explanation of the emotional deadening effect of high tissue calcium ('shell') which forms as the body's ultimate defence against stress in the face of excess copper.
Cases & Stories
A collection of more than 100 experiences and stories shared by women affected by the IUD and/or copper toxicity.
Affect on Adrenal Health
Copper is both stimulating (initially) and exhausting (eventually) on the adrenals, leading to fatigue and possible burnout.
Testing
One reason copper toxicity is misunderstood is due to an over-reliance on blood testing, even though the blood level has almost no correlation to stored tissue copper. Learn here about testing methods.
Detox and Healing
Nutritional and copper detox considerations for safely addressing copper toxicity - and how attempting to detox too quickly can have damaging consequences.
Flowchart
This PDF presents the basic cause and effect flow as copper accumulates in the body.
Link to Alzheimer's
Despite all the "studies" out there trying to find the cause of Alzheimer's, it seems one link is fairly clear - copper!
Movie
This full length educational documentary brings together several of today's leading experts in copper toxicity.
Why Copper Toxicity Remains Unknown
A look at the existing environment that promotes false information on copper, suppresses awareness, and even blocks the public from receiving this information.
References & Resources
Additional resources for further reading and study, along with the list of references used on this site.
About the Author
Rick Fischer is a Certified Health Coach, advanced HTMA practitioner, nutritional speaker and educator, author of The Healing Workbook (a 12 week guide to healing injury and illness by addressing diet, gut, and mindset), and creator/instructor of the game-changing mineral-based nutrition and health course Mineral Mastery. His life was profoundly impacted by copper toxicity - witnessing the toll it took on his beloved fiancée and the loss that followed from a post-burnout copper detox guided by blood status and without counsel given on the psychological changes that occur during adrenal burnout and the mobilization of excess copper. Vowing not to allow the heartbreaking loss not serve a greater purpose, Rick has since devoted his life to furthering the research in this field and helping others by bringing increased support, awareness and understanding to the copper toxicity epidemic. The more his research advanced and he began working on the front lines with hundreds (today thousands) of clients, the more he saw the devastation in people's lives, health, and/or relationships as a result of adrenal burnout, copper toxicity, and the subsequent detoxing process when incorrectly administered. In the 5 years since Ricks mission began and this site was created, discussions around copper toxicity are becoming now more mainstream, more practitioners are adopting HTMA for proper testing, and the support for women struggling with copper toxicity is greatly improving. Though copper toxicity continues to be misdiagnosed and mistreated by many practitioners, flat-out denied by some, and even purposely suppressed in some cases, the tide is most certainly turning in favor of one day this information becoming common knowledge. Rick is a passionate advocate for advancing awakened nutritional awareness and providing informed consent for women on birth control, and is at the global forefront of helping those affected by copper toxicity and improving education on the role mineral imbalances play in human psychology, physical and mental health, energy, and relationships.
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"This site is dedicated to a forever beautiful woman, inspired by her warmth, love, and our shared dream of helping women and girls with nutritional knowledge, health and personal growth. I hope through this research we as a community can offer greater support, guidance and understanding to those struggling through copper toxicity, providing people in general and women in particular with vital nutritional knowledge, while also reducing the risk of associated symptoms in our children and future generations."
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