Copper's Cascade of Mineral System Changes ~[Guest article by Dr. Robert Selig]
Dr. Robert Selig traces the relationship of copper, Hashimoto’s, estrogen, a viral load of Epstein Barr, and a health journey full of fatigue, low thyroid, and brain fog.
This is a lot to break down but let's start with toxins, and most of us have been hit hard with xenoestrogens.
Most of these symptoms including Hashimoto's, chronic fatigue, copper excess, and a compromised immune system, can all be linked to an estrogen dominant syndrome so prevalent today.
What is clear today that we have all been exposed to these chemicals all of our lives, not just in the womb.
These fake estrogens are cumulative over time increasing the quantity as we get older. One of the effects of xenoestrogens is to reduce the excretion rate of copper from the body.
All estrogens cause copper accumulation. Xenoestrogens look like estrogen to our biochemistry and hence magnify copper retention.
Copper retention antagonizes zinc especially in the gut, predisposing us to low stomach acid, increasing the likelihood of infections, making us more prone to EBV and all the alike.
Then we go on antibiotics, compounding the problem even further with gut dysbiosis, increasing beta-glucuronidase, a dangerous enzyme marker that enhances the re-uptake of estrogens in the tissues.
Zinc is secreted into all body fluids as an antiseptic. That is why low zinc in relationship to a high copper will predispose you or anyone to throat infections, lung infections, gastroenteritis, ulcers, urinary tract infections, and thrush.
Zinc is needed for the feel-good brain chemicals serotonin, as well as melatonin, in which a deficiency will make us prone to sleep disturbances, leading to fatigue and all the mental symptoms under the sun.
With a continued low level of zinc, the immune system then becomes compromised, and next come the frequent colds, sore throats, ear infections, and skin stuff, including eczema warts and moles.
A zinc deficiency can manifest as asthma in the lungs, and the continuation of this cycle can manifests more chronicity, leading to glandular fevers, leading to chronic fatigue.
Then come to the insidious diseases later in life we call our diabetes, arthritis, depression and cancers.
Now, back to the copper overload problem as it relates to fatigue.
Copper excess is probably the number one cause of an iron deficiency. Once iron is in the cells, copper blocks the effect of iron, most notably in the mitochondria, our energy producing factory.
Copper blocks magnesium and 12 out of the 22 steps in the process of making energy, ATP is magnesium dependent.
Copper blocks the production of carnitine, which is a vitamin needed for the metabolism of fatty acids, most notably in the muscles decreasing the metabolism function of muscles.
Copper leads to hypoglycemia because of several mechanisms and faulty insulin metabolism.
High total estrogens retain copper, increasing insulin reducing DHEA, the longevity hormone.
Poor sleep patterns and depression are a direct result of copper blocking serotonin and melatonin production.
Also to make thyroid hormone, the pituitary releases TSH, which requires vitamin E and Vitamin A, and copper blocks Vitamin E.
The amino acid to make Thyroid hormone comes from tyrosine.
Low zinc means low stomach acid, which means we will have compromised digestion and can't break down the proteins efficiently to get the raw materials to make our hormones such as the amino acid tyrosine.
Then the thyroid needs selenium, vanadium, Vitamin C, B2 and iodine to make T4 the inactive form of thyroid hormone. Furthermore, to activate T4 to T3, we need selenium and progesterone.
The effect of copper oxidizes vitamin E and C, promoting the back conversion from T3 to T4 and blocks T3 in the cells. Secondly, high copper will decrease molybdenum, which is one of the primary nutrients that opposes copper.
No coincidence that many studies link a molybdenum deficiency to cancer of the breast, stomach, colon, and esophagus.
At normal levels, copper is a superhero, but in copper overload, it blocks zinc, iron, magnesium, and oxidizes vitamin C, E, folic acid, and thiamine.
Vitamin C deficiencies are notoriously linked to cancers of the larynx, prostate, breast, cervix, uterus, bladder, stomach, and pancreas
"Copper Excess (Toxicity): Psychological Implications for Children, Adolescents, and Adults" ~[Guest Article by Dr. Malter, PhD]
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