Re: Copper deficiency?

From Dr. Wilson's site: http://www.drlwilson.com/articles/copper_toxicity_syndrome.htm


It looks like you might want to look at a hair mineral analysis as well. Just because one reading is low doesn't mean it's not elsewhere stored in your body. People can apparently be copper toxic AND deficient at the same time (was reading about this last night).

"Indirect copper indicators. The copper level on a hair mineral analysis is NOT the best way to assess copper status. The reason is that copper does not often accumulate in the hair tissue and too many other factors can skew the reading. In fact, copper assessment is quite complex.

Assessing Low Copper. A need for copper supplements does not mean the entire body is low in copper. It just means that some is needed to balance the chemistry at this time. Following are hair indicators for a need for copper supplementation:

1) A fast oxidation rate. This is identified for you on tests from Analytical Research Laboratories. The criteria are a calcium/potassium ratio less than 4:1 and a sodium/magnesium ratio greater than 4.17;1.

2) A hair sodium/potassium ratio less than about 2.5:1. Copper may be low or is more often biounavailable. In this condition, one must give some copper, even if the absolute copper level on the test is high and even if the patient has symptoms of copper toxicity. This is difficult to understand, but it works in practice and is very important to assist some patients. I have written more about this in other articles on this website, such as A Low Sodium/Potassium Ratio.

Assessing Biounavailable Copper. Most or perhaps all the time when copper is high in the hair or when hidden copper indicators are present, copper is at least somewhat biologically unavailable as well.

This may give rise to a combination of symptoms of toxicity and deficiency. In addition to all the indicators below for hidden copper toxicity, other indicators of the biounavailability of copper are:
1) A copper level less than 1.0 in a slow oxidizer. This indicator is not too common, and may be related to more copper buildup in the brain, according to our recent research.
2) A sodium/potassium ratio less than about 2.5:1 in either a fast, slow or mixed oxidizer.

Assessing Copper Toxicity. The hair copper level is a very unreliable indicator for copper toxicity. So is serum copper, serum ceruloplasmin and many other tests because the copper can hide deep in the brain and the liver. A liver biopsy is a good indicator, but is a painful and somewhat invasive procedure. Dr. Eck found that a hair mineral analysis, however, offers indirect indicators that are very accurate. They include:



Ø Most slow oxidizers and all very slow oxidizers.

Ø Calcium level greater than about 70 mg%.

Ø Magnesium greater than about 10 mg%.

Ø Potassium level less than about 4 mg%.

Ø Zinc less than about 13 mg%.

Ø Zinc greater than about 20 mg% is often, but not always is a hidden copper indicator.

Ø Mercury level greater than 0.03 mg%. (see below)

Ø Slow oxidation with a copper level less than 1.0 mg%

Ø Copper greater than about 2.5 mg% on any chart indicates excess and usually biounavailability.

Ø Calcium /potassium ratio greater than 10:1.

Ø Sodium/potassium ratio less than about 2:1.

Ø Phosphorus less than about 12 mg%. This is a newer indicator with less research behind it.

Ø Four low electrolytes.

Ø Four high electrolytes.

Ø Sympathetic dominance pattern.

Ø Calcium shell.

Ø Step down pattern.

Ø Step up pattern.

Ø Double low ratio pattern.

Ø Bowl pattern.

Ø Passive-aggressive pattern.



In the book I co-authored with Dr. Paul Eck, entitled Toxic Metals in Human Health and Disease (1989), we wrote that the mercury level needs to be 0.4 mg% for hidden copper to be present. I believe this is an error and the level is closer to 0.03.
" Tweet