Posted on 11/11/2013 11:13:28 AM PST by Armen Hareyan
Baby Boomers might not be aware of the harm to their health that could come from high levels of copper and iron in the blood stream. Of course, that's because you haven't seen any public health messages and probably haven't been warned by your doctor that you could be ingesting either of the two from unknown sources that can put you at risk for a variety of common health problems that we shrug off as inevitable with aging.
Iron is necessary to carry oxygen throughout the body. Copper helps our body use iron, protects our nerve cells and is important for thyroid and bone and cartilage health. But too much of a good thing can accelerate oxidation that ages us faster at a cellular level, which mean higher likelihood of chronic disease.
Women store less iron than do men. Their rates of heart disease, cancer and diabetes are also lower compared to men.
Once we mature, iron accumulates in the blood.
According to the American Chemical Society (ACS), copper can also pose problems for baby boomers who ingest it from copper pipes in the home. The result of high copper levels could lead to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease in addition to heart problems and other diseases of aging.
But there isn't a lot of focus on protecting health as we get older because not much focus is placed on getting too much copper and iron. Public education is lacking about the potential problem.
Dr. George Brewer who has studied genetics for decades at the University of Michigan Medical School said: "This story of copper and iron toxicity, which I think is reaching the level of public health significance, is virtually unknown to the media or the general public.
Three years later and not much still being said
The study that was published three-years ago garnered some attention at the time, but seems to have gone by the wayside.
I'm willing to bet your doctor or nurse has never discussed controlling your copper and iron intake to lower your risk of diseases - with the exception of diseases that are known to be caused by extremely high levels of the metals.
Dr. Brewer tells us about "...the more subtle toxicity of copper and iron that does not just affect a limited number of us, but may affect almost all of us as we age."
After we reach age 50 the metals begin to accumulate in the bloodstream and damage cells, Brewer says.
He believes both copper and iron are contributing to Alzheimer's disease that has become an epidemic.
Sources of copper are from plumbing, our high intake of meat in the Western diet and from dietary supplements.
How to avoid copper and iron health risks
Here are Dr. Brewer's tips for protecting your health. If you're a Baby Boomer concerned about aging diseases:
The hidden danger of copper and iron to Baby Boomer health isn't being discussed by the medical profession. Few health professionals have the issue in their radar.
Controlling copper and iron levels as we age could help eliminate or at least delay onset of common diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and heart disease that don't have to be inevitable just because we are getting older.
Au contraire, my doctor has told me I’m mildly anemic.
I’ve often wondered about the use of copper to move water through houses. It’s used almost exclusively.
A couple of my family members have filters on their kitchen sink outlet that you can switch on for drinking and cooking.
I’m going to look into getting one.
Me, too. Only not mildly.
Also low on thyroid and I take a B12 shot every week.
The only thing good about growing old is it beats the alternative. Also, you have a little money. AT least until retirement.
Taking Vitamin C helps with increasing iron levels in the blood.
I thought the article was going to be about ObamaCare.
because it is not a valid cause for alarm
The author is attempting to parlay lead fears into copper fears.
In adults, low copper levels can result in anemia and low white blood cell counts. Low copper levels in adults have been reported to cause muscle spasms in the legs and trouble walking.
Not buying this. Obama-level “science” alert.
**Caution**
I’ve heard that redheads have more copper in their systems then those with different colored hair.
Is that true?
Or are you an ex-redhead...?
My doctor is always to busy wanting to know how many guns i have where they are kept and how much ammo do i have
I disagree: it is an accepted risk the question is does it affect you personally or not.
This is why iron and maybe copper have been removed from senior vitamin/mineral supplements for a long time.
Many doctors are pharmaceutical salesmen. they wouldn’t dream of teaching patients how to take care of themselves. They don’t even allow patients to take care of themselves.
The system is flawed, financially based on an interest in sick people.
It’s why BO and even Hillary, could move in to take it ove, like parasites.
People are increasingly obese.
BO care is based on young, healthy people, footing the bill for people who have been so removed from any semblance of nutritional awareness, activity, responsibility, self-sufficiency and/or taking care of their families that it is simply bound to fail in short order.
It’s also interesting that one alternate cancer therapy, with at least some clinical indication of potential benefit, involves deliberately reducing copper in the body just shy of inducing anemia. Reducing copper reputedly inhibits angiogenesis, meaning generation of new blood supply, crucial to the growth of neoplasms.
If you have ever done plumbing work in a house you will find most pipes have a layer of build up inside of them so the water never touches the metal after a few months of use. I have had to replace piping because it was so clogged with calcium build up water would hardly flow at all. There is more lead, copper, iron, and other things in your water from its source then from the plumbing in your house.
For B vitamins I drink one of those “5 hour energy drinks” each morning. It’s amazing the amount of B vitamins one of those little plastic bottles carries (and not being a coffee drinker, I have good use for the caffeine).
Guess I should stop eating pennies.
I just want to be sure I understand you correctly, stanne.
You assert that doctors CAN give you advice to make you healthy, but withold that advice so that you become sick and make money, and also make even more money by taking cuts of the drugs they sell to you?
Am I accurate in that understanding of your post?
Enterohepatic circulation is the recirculation of bile in the digestive system. However, bile tends to include several metals that also recirculate. For this reason it is important to consume water soluble fiber that binds with bile to flush it out of your system.
So much for excess copper. Excess iron, mostly in males, is even easier to deal with: donate a pint of blood.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.