Copper Anemia
A very common type of anemia that is not well understood by doctors is due to copper imbalance.
It is usually mild, and on tests it looks exactly like iron deficiency anemia. Doctors give iron for it. However, taking iron does not correct it completely.
It is much more common in women, and not because of blood loss due to menstruation. Women have more copper imbalance than men. To correct it, one must correct the copper imbalance. This requires a development program, in most cases.
Copper Imbalance.
Anemia due to a copper imbalance is the most common type of anemia in the industrialized world. This is due to widespread copper imbalance in the population. Many, if not most apparent iron deficiency anemias are really due to copper imbalance.
Instead, these individuals require a development program to correct the copper imbalance.
Biologically available copper is required for the conversion of iron from the ferric to the ferrous form, and back again, to produce hemoglobin. Bioavailable copper is also required to incorporate iron into the hemoglobin molecule.
Copper Anemia Confusing
Copper Anemia is confusing because:
Copper anemia is usually a mild, chronic, microcytic, microchromic anemia. It is most common in teenage and adult women, although it can occur in anyone.
NOTE: While anemia due to copper imbalance appears identical on blood tests to iron deficiency anemia, the cause and correction is very different. A hair mineral analysis may help distinguish these two causes of anemia.
Taking iron is not helpful for a copper imbalance anemia! In fact, taking iron supplements is very harmful when not needed and poisons the body. So does eating a lot of red meat and eggs “to keep up one's energy and supply iron”.
We take a lot of young women, in particular, off iron supplements when their anemia is due to copper imbalance, and they recover fully. For details, read Copper And Copper Imbalance.
It is usually mild, and on tests it looks exactly like iron deficiency anemia. Doctors give iron for it. However, taking iron does not correct it completely.
It is much more common in women, and not because of blood loss due to menstruation. Women have more copper imbalance than men. To correct it, one must correct the copper imbalance. This requires a development program, in most cases.
Copper Imbalance.
Anemia due to a copper imbalance is the most common type of anemia in the industrialized world. This is due to widespread copper imbalance in the population. Many, if not most apparent iron deficiency anemias are really due to copper imbalance.
Instead, these individuals require a development program to correct the copper imbalance.
Biologically available copper is required for the conversion of iron from the ferric to the ferrous form, and back again, to produce hemoglobin. Bioavailable copper is also required to incorporate iron into the hemoglobin molecule.
Copper Anemia Confusing
Copper Anemia is confusing because:
- It is associated with a deficiency of bioavailable copper, but the hair and perhaps the blood level of copper may be high due to excess biounavailable copper.
- It looks just like iron deficiency anemia on a blood test, so physicians routinely confuse the two conditions. If one visits any type of physician, he or she often recommends taking iron, but this does not work well and tends to worsen one's health!
- Blood, urine and other tests for copper, ceruloplasm, ferritin and other factors may be normal.
Copper anemia is usually a mild, chronic, microcytic, microchromic anemia. It is most common in teenage and adult women, although it can occur in anyone.
NOTE: While anemia due to copper imbalance appears identical on blood tests to iron deficiency anemia, the cause and correction is very different. A hair mineral analysis may help distinguish these two causes of anemia.
Taking iron is not helpful for a copper imbalance anemia! In fact, taking iron supplements is very harmful when not needed and poisons the body. So does eating a lot of red meat and eggs “to keep up one's energy and supply iron”.
We take a lot of young women, in particular, off iron supplements when their anemia is due to copper imbalance, and they recover fully. For details, read Copper And Copper Imbalance.
How To Tell If You Have Copper Anemia
Often, answering a few simple questions is helpful. These are:
The development program is one of the few ways to corrects this condition. It is one reason people feel better when they follow the development program. One needs to follow the development program for at least six months and perhaps a year or longer to restore the copper balance and end the anemia. For details, read Anemia and Copper And Copper Imbalance.
NOTE: Dr. Mercola just wrote a confusing article about this topic. It says that that one should take vitamin C to increase copper in the body. It is true that vitamin C can assist adrenal gland activity. However, vitamin C also chelates copper and can lower its level in the body.
Often, answering a few simple questions is helpful. These are:
- Do you eat 5 ounces of red meat at least twice a week and do you eat 3 or more eggs per week? If the answer is yes, you probably are getting enough iron.
- Do you have very heavy menstrual periods? If you do, you could be low in iron. If not, most likely your anemia is not due to low iron, especially if you eat some red meat and eggs.
- Have you tried taking iron pills? If so, and if they did not work, most likely your anemia is due to copper imbalance.
The development program is one of the few ways to corrects this condition. It is one reason people feel better when they follow the development program. One needs to follow the development program for at least six months and perhaps a year or longer to restore the copper balance and end the anemia. For details, read Anemia and Copper And Copper Imbalance.
NOTE: Dr. Mercola just wrote a confusing article about this topic. It says that that one should take vitamin C to increase copper in the body. It is true that vitamin C can assist adrenal gland activity. However, vitamin C also chelates copper and can lower its level in the body.