Category Archives: Copper

Minerals and Immunity

Posted on January 21, 2022 by Robert Barrington

Mineral deficiencies arise through various mechanisms and are prevalent in both Western nations and the developing world. Mineral deficiencies can have an impact on host immunity and a number of mineral deficiencies are known to cause severe immune dysfunction. Copper … Continue reading →

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Zinc and Copper Balance

Posted on January 14, 2022 by Robert Barrington

Zinc and copper are essential trace minerals that are required by humans to maintain health. Zinc and copper are antagonistic minerals in that the intake of one can seriously affect the metabolism of the other. High levels of zinc may … Continue reading →

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Superoxide Dismutase As a Marker of Mood

Posted on November 29, 2019 by Robert Barrington

Superoxide dismutase is an enzyme that acts as an antioxidant in cells. Superoxide dismutase is present in humans in two forms. One form uses manganese as a cofactor and one form uses copper and zinc as cofactors. The superoxide dismutase … Continue reading →

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An Imbalanced Zinc to Copper Ratio: A Cause of Anxiety?

Posted on August 7, 2019 by Robert Barrington

Zinc and copper are essential minerals that are known to antagonise each other. In this respect high intakes of copper can inhibit the absorption of zinc, and vice versa. Therefore a balance must be struck such that both minerals are … Continue reading →

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Oysters: Nutrient Dense Seafood

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Edible oysters belong to two different genera. The Ostrea and Crassostrea differ in appearance but have similar tastes. While the Ostrea have round and scalloped shells, the Crassostrea have shells that are long and asymmetrical. Crassostrea virginica and Crassostrea gigas … Continue reading →

Posted in Copper, Docosahexaenoic Acid, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Iron, Oysters, Selenium, Vitamin B, Zinc | Comments Off on Oysters: Nutrient Dense Seafood

Mineral Antagonism: Zinc and Copper

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Trace (micro) minerals, are required in small microgram amounts by humans. Trace minerals are essential nutrients and as such a failure to obtain an adequate intake causes specific deficiency diseases and ultimately death. Plants are a good source of many … Continue reading →

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Mineral Losses in Sweat: Are They Significant?

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Evidence suggests that trace mineral intakes in developed nations are declining. This relates partly to the increasing consumption of the typical Western diet that is naturally high in mineral poor processed foods but naturally low in the types of foods … Continue reading →

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Vitamin C and Copper Interactions

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Supplementation with vitamins and minerals can have useful health benefits. In some cases, essential elements can be absent from the diet and supplements are a useful adjunct to support proper growth and development. However, supplementation is a double edged sword … Continue reading →

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Pica in Humans: Remember Dr Joel Wallach from ‘Dead Doctors Don’t Lie’?

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Recordings of the now infamous ‘Dead Doctors Don’t Lie’ cassette tape can still be found on the internet. When it was released in the 1990’s it caused quite a stir in the nutrition world. Wallach, a veterinarian by training, highlighted … Continue reading →

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Copper And Sucrose Interactions: It’s The Fructose Again

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Robert Barrington

Fructose is known to alter long chain fatty acid metabolism in mammals. In particular, fructose increase the production of triglycerides in the liver through the de novo lipogenesis pathway and also through a stimulation of the desaturation of stearic acid … Continue reading →

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