lowered immunity, arthritis and fragile bones, neutropenia (low neutrophils), mood and nervous disorders.
Menke's disease is a rare problem of copper malabsorption in male infants.
Some people claim that Copper Bracelets help reduce the symptoms of arthritis, whereby measurements
do confirm an increase in intracellular copper from wearing these bracelets and bands. Since copper is anti-
inflammatory, positive effects can be real and attributable to copper salts being formed and absorbed as a
result of copper reacting with fatty acids in the skin. As long as copper is on the low side, this can be an
effective way to help increase copper levels, however in someone suffering from copper overload, the extra
copper absorbed from these bracelets can worsen medical symptoms resulting from copper levels that are
already too high, or they may over time create new medical problems in individuals whose copper levels were
previously normal.
Copper shares many attributes with calcium, whereby both can become bio-unavailable at high levels and
result in symptoms of deficiency! (see also Acu-Cell "Calcium & Magnesium"). Some practitioners, being
unaware of the underlying copper excess, and lacking the resources to test intracellular levels of copper, get
temporary results by having a patient supplement more copper. Despite the initial improvement, this can
have disastrous long-term effects on a patient's physical and mental health.
The correct approach consists of making copper (or calcium) more bioavailable by supplementing the proper
co-factors, with the best choice being those whose levels are lowest ratio-wise to copper - and as mentioned
above - may include Vitamin C, chromium, sulfur (MSM), molybdenum, nickel, or (rarely) zinc. Avoidance of
foods high in copper is of utmost importance as well.
This will take care of the medical conditions a practitioner was originally consulted for, and at the same time
prevents the potential development of new medical problems elsewhere related to excessive copper intake.
Chromium is the "Gold Standard" to help normalize elevated copper, since it is its associated trace element.
Many aches and pains, arthritis, slow-healing fractures, sciatica and other back problems, various infections,
etc, can be relieved with chelated chromium (not GTF), provided they conform to the side-specific (receptor)
requirements, provided that calcium and magnesium are close to normal, since they are also involved with
various disorders of the musculoskeletal system, and provided that potassium levels are not below normal,
since chromium is a potent potassium antagonist.
Following a close second is sulfur, usually supplemented in the form of MSM, whose main action in addition
to helping restore cartilage formation is the lowering of copper! So again, it is the high copper levels which
created a need for sulfur to help reverse joint degeneration. Originally, glucosamine sulfate (another copper-
lowering sulfur compound) had been the non-drug treatment of choice for joint problems, however its insulin-
depressing potential has considerably reduced its popularity in individuals with hyperglycemic (high blood
sugar) tendencies, so MSM has become the preferred choice instead. (see also Acu-Cell "Sulfur").
Copper works synergistically with potassium and calcium, so when patients do exhibit low copper levels,
then calcium and potassium are frequently on the low side as well. Taking a 3 mg copper pill for two to three
weeks, or less, is all that is needed for an adult to normalize any copper deficiency, and then it should usually
be discontinued, otherwise copper may go too high - being another reason why most people should avoid
multi-mineral formulations containing more than 1 mg of copper.
Chromium occurs in any oxidation state from -2 to +6. Trivalent chromium (Cr+3) is the biologically active
form, while hexavalent chromium (Cr+6) is potentially toxic to humans. GTF (Glucose Tolerance Factor)
chromium is essential in helping regulate carbohydrate metabolism by improving the uptake of glucose into
the cells so it can be metabolized to produce energy (ATP). It consists of chromium in the trivalent state -
nicotinic acid, and the three amino acids glycine, glutamic acid and cysteine.
Chromium is able to improve cholesterol and triglyceride status, however while small amounts are necessary
for normal carbohydrate metabolism and to help with blood sugar management in diabetics, supplementing
higher amounts of chromium will not reverse Type II diabetes, as some sources claim.
On a similar note, Chromium Picolinate (chromium + picolinic acid) does not increase lean muscle tissue
and decrease body fat, as advertised by other sources. In fact, in contrast to the control groups, some of the
participants in the chromium picolinate group actually gained weight (one of my patients took part in that research), and one published medical report stresses the implications of analogues of picolinic acid being
able to cause significant behavioral changes in those with an increased susceptibility for mood disorders.
Chromium picolinate is clearly the least desirable form to be used for supplementation (see below for more
adverse effects).
Tissue concentrations of chromium vary considerably in people from different parts of the world, with amounts
in people living in Asia for example being up to five times higher compared to those in people living in the US.
These higher chromium levels may be one reason for a lower incidence of bone loss, or sugar metabolism
disorders in these regions or countries. In addition, excessive sugar intake - prevalent in Western societies -
increases chromium loss and accelerates already declining levels due to increasing age, which worsens
medical conditions associated with lowered chromium levels.
There are also lower soil levels of chromium in North America, and the refining process of food (sugar cane,
whole grains) reduces sources of chromium as well. Exercise and trauma also contribute to chromium loss,
and it is interesting to note that in laboratory animals, extra chromium supplementation resulted in a life span
increase of up to 33%.
Uptake of various forms of chromium, including GTF chromium is in a low 1 - 3% range, with the absorption of
Chelated Chromium being usually closer to 25%, so chelated chromium is the preferable choice for specific
medical applications. For instance, when chromium is used for inflammatory conditions such as an acute
bladder infection (cystitis), taking 20,000 mcg of GTF chromium has little or no effect at all on improving the
symptoms, while 2 - 3,000 mcg / day of chelated chromium will rectify most cases of cystitis, or it can be used
to resolve chronic bladder infections by having patients take a lower, preventative maintenance amount.
Osteoporosis of trabecular bone (spine, or end-part of bone) is frequently caused by chromium being very
low in ratio to either copper, potassium, selenium, and/or rarely, vanadium. Chromium is required for proper
parathyroid functions, so any of these Cr antagonists can become responsible for bone loss if supplemented
needlessly, or if their levels remain too high too long for any other dietary or genetic reason. However, one
other major factor that is responsible for bone loss as a result of its chromium-lowering effect - particularly in
Western Societies - and which is being totally overlooked is Sugar, and all other Simple Carbohydrate
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