Why You Should Be Drinking from a Copper Cup

You may think of copper as a metal that's used for making wire or pipes. What you may not realize is that Copper is a trace mineral that's essential to your health.

It's among the most revered minerals in holistic health. Copper is a part of several enzymes as well as protein molecules.

It's necessary for proper use of iron by the body. You also need copper for energy release and nerve signal transmission across your body.

Holistic wellness experts recommend using copper vessels to store and drink water. This helps to provide this important trace mineral in water in small quantities everyday.

Benefits of using copper vessel

Use of copper cups and utensils provides a ton of health benefits aside from its nutrient benefit.

Here are some key perks of using copper vessels:

Natural disinfectant

Copper metal is a natural disinfectant.

Results of one preliminary study shows that copper kills 97% of the bacteria in ICU. They showed toxic effects on contact with pathogens that caused hospital-acquired infections.

The study findings are from 3 medical centers tested over a span of 1 year.

Self-sterilizing

There is also evidence that storing water in copper containers decrease microbes.

A 2016 study showed copper vessels can lower the count of E. coli and P. aerugeinosa species in water. At 1 milligram of copper per liter of water, there was 99.9% inactivation of both microbes.

Researchers confirmed copper's disinfectant properties.

Aids weight loss

Recent research shows that copper is a crucial element in fat burning. One study on mice showed that copper acts as a big factor in breaking down body fat for energy. Researchers found that there was more white fat in mice with low copper reserves.

This indicates a clear link between copper and fat loss.

Improves immune health

Copper is a vital part of many protein enzymes. It supports immune function by fighting bacterial infections.

You need copper to produce monocytes, the white blood cells. Several studies show that a diet low in copper leads to poor immune health.

Supports heart health

Copper is a part of 2 antioxidant enzymes.

The enzymes (superoxide dismutase and ceruloplasmin) prevent the oxidation of bad cholesterol.

This lowers the risk of heart disease. Some studies associate low copper levels to increase in cholesterol levels too.

Studies show that low levels of copper increases the risk for heart disease.

Best way to use copper vessel

Copper reacts with foods and may alter the taste of the recipe. It is often used as water storing utensil.  The best way to use it is to store water overnight and drink it the next morning.

What about copper toxicity?

Copper is of utmost importance, yet, you need only small quantities a day.

The recommendation for daily intake is only 900 micrograms per day.

When you drink from a copper vessel you get trace amounts of copper from them. The water draws only a fraction of the recommended daily value of copper. This is why there is least possibility of toxicity.

Here's the guideline values for copper in drinking water:

US Environmental Protection Agency  recommends 1.3 mg  per liter

The World Health Organization recommends 2 mg per liter

For healthy individuals, doses of up to 10 mg per day did not result in liver damage. So, the safe upper intake level is at 10 milligram per day.

Few tips for daily use

Cleaning: It's best to clean your vessel everyday. Clean both outside and inside of the vessel everyday with fresh water. When not in use, dry it completely and store in a dry place.

Maintaining your copper vessel:  Use a special polish from manufacturers to clean the vessel. Another way is to soak a soft sponge in lemon juice and fine salt and wipe the surface.

Using a copper vessel is an easy way to get trace amounts of this important mineral in your diet. It is also an easy way to incorporate a touch of holistic living to your day.

Yours in Health,

Danette May

P.S. Please share this with your friends and I always love hearing from you in the comments below.