Copper, Brain Health, and Why Many Experts Recommend Avoiding Copper in Supplements
If you are:
- An individual with family history of Alzheimer’s
- Anyone with high serum copper or low zinc (especially those or who have a member with depression, anxiety, ADHD, Crohn’s, IBD, Autism, or Schizophrena
- People exposed to copper plumbing (drinking water source, nearly everyone!)
AVOID copper, especially if in any supplement, multivitamin/mineral formula, and never use copper pans in your kitchen!
Foods highest in copper include organ meats, oysters and shellfish, avoid if you are at high risk.
Copper is an essential trace mineral, but modern research shows that excess copper—especially the unbound “free copper” fraction—is neurotoxic and may contribute directly to Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Most adults already consume enough copper from food and plumbing, and supplemental copper may increase risk.
Copper and Neurotoxicity
Multiple studies now demonstrate that elevated copper can:
- Promote amyloid-β aggregation and plaque formation (1)
- Increase oxidative stress in neurons (2)
- Damage the blood–brain barrier and accelerate cognitive decline (3)
- Increase tau phosphorylation and neuroinflammation (4)
In older adults, even modest copper intake can become neurotoxic, especially when dietary antioxidants are low.
Why multivitamins still contain copper
Copper was originally added to multivitamins decades ago when deficiency was a concern. Today, however:
- Copper deficiency is rare
- Most adults receive copper from diet + copper plumbing + fortified foods
- Excess copper is increasingly linked with neurodegeneration
Regulatory RDAs have not yet caught up to newer evidence, so many supplement companies continue using outdated formulas.
I use and recommend Life Extension Two-per-Day Multis, because they are free of copper and iron (another neurotoxin!) and have healthy levels of zinc, real folate and B12.
References
- Sparks DL. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006;83(6):1256S–1262S. doi:10.1093/ajcn/83.6.1256S
(2) Gaetke LM, Chow CK. Toxicol Lett. 2003;137(1-2):3–10. doi:10.1016/S0378-4274(02)00381-1
(3) Singh I et al. Sci Rep. 2018;8:686. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-18963-7
(4) Kitazawa M et al. J Biol Chem. 2006;281(3):1797–1804. doi:10.1074/jbc.M510127200