Copper Toxicity and Hair Testing

Copper Toxicity and Hair Testing

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See List Of Health Issues Associated With Copper Toxicity

Copper is a cofactor in the synthesis of norepinephrine, and neurotransmitter associated with several mental illnesses. Copper overloads tend to lower dopamine levels and increase norepinephrine in the brain.


Purpose of Copper in the Body

  • Imbalances of these neurotransmitters have been associated with paranoid schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, ADHD, autism and violent behaviors.
  • Most people with elevated copper exhibit low zinc and excessive oxidative stress. 
  • Many people diagnosed with mental illness have an inborn tendency for elevated copper levels and this predisposes them to psychiatric disorders.
  • Nutrient therapies to normalize copper levels is effective in balancing dopamine and norepinephrine levels for these persons.

Hair Testing For Assessing Low Zinc and High Copper

  • Hair testing can be done for determining heavy metal burdens but blood testing is considered more accurate for the above testing.

  • Hair testing helps to target the heavy metal burdens and mineral levels in the body through hair.

Hair Testing and ADHD

  • Hair mineral copper is very valuable for behavior disorders and ADHD, autism, bipolar and schizophrenia.

Hair Testing and Copper:

  • Hair testing confirms high copper levels when done at labs that do not wash the hair.
  • Hair copper values can provide information of clinical significance.

Hair Testing and Zinc:

  • Low hair zinc correlates very well with low plasma levels. 
  • Very elevated zinc in hair nearly always means a zinc deficiency and loss of plasma zinc levels.
  • Most of the time this involves a pyrrole disorder which results in very high zinc excretion in urine (and in hair). 
  • In a healthy person without metal-metabolism problem, only about 4 percent of excreted zinc leaves through the kidneys.