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Health See other Health Articles Title: Doctor warns of toxic levels of copper lurking in kale, avocado and coconut Could YOUR salad be contaminated? Doctor warns of toxic levels of copper lurking in kale, avocado and coconut Copper is an important nutrient that helps with neurodevelopment and growth But too much copper in diets could be making you sick, an expert claims Dr Svetlana Kogan says 'copper toxicity' could be coming from an increase in vegetable based diets The risk from copper water pipes and estrogen pills could also be contributing It is the most popular option for a healthy lunch. But salads - filled with kale, coconut, and avocado - could actually be making us sick. These foods are often loaded with copper, an expert warns Daily Mail Online. An important nutrient, copper helps with the formation of collagen, increases the absorption of iron and supports neurodevelopment and growth. But consuming too much could leave you at risk for 'copper toxicity' - leaving you feeling as jittery as if you drank six cups of coffee. An expert says leafy greens such as kale are loaded with copper that could be making us sick - a condition known as 'copper toxicity' Internist Dr Svetlana Kogan explained that she sees scores of her patients coming in with very non-specific symptoms - shakes, jitters, sleeplessness. But they may not realize that it could all be coming from something they believed to be healthy. She told Daily Mail Online: 'They feel anxious, depressed, they can't fall asleep. So we look at different environmental factors and often we find that their body has high amounts of copper. 'The feeling of copper toxicity is the same as having six cups of coffee and you're feeling jittery.' High amounts of copper continues the body's conversion of dopamine into norepinephrine. That means you have a constant adrenaline rush, making you unable to settle down. WHAT IS COPPER TOXICITY? Copper toxicity occurs from an excess of copper in the body. Copper has many health benefits from supporting neurodevelopment and growth to reducing arthritis symptoms. High amounts of copper in the body continue the body's conversion of dopamine into norepinephrine - you have a constant adrenaline rush and can't settle down. Signs and symptoms: Anemia Anxiety Fatigue or insomnia Irritability Depression Headaches or migraines Several environmental factors contribute to copper toxicity: Eating a copper-rich diet Drinking water from copper pipes Estrogen pills or a copper IUD How to treat copper toxicity: Infrared sauna Eating a zinc rich diet Switch to industrial grade silver pipes Stress management A high copper burden can cause: Dementia Hypertension Heart disease Postpartum depression Paranoid and hallucinatory schizophrenia Dr Kogan suggested that an increase in vegetable-based diets and other diet fads may be contributing to copper overload. She said: 'If you look for example at coconut and how big of a fad it's become, it's easy to see how it can contribute to copper toxicity. 'There's coconut water, coconut oil, coconut chips. I love coconut and eat it too. But taking it to the extreme could be dangerous.' Certain foods like shellfish, leafy greens, lentils and almonds are naturally high in copper. The nutrient does have its benefits - regulating heart rhythm, reducing symptoms of arthritis, and increasing red blood cell formation. However, too much can be debilitating. Copper toxicity is hard to diagnose because often it is only through tissue or a blood/urine analysis that the condition is detected. To treat copper toxicity, Dr Kogan recommends an infrared sauna to 'literally sweat out the toxins'. Another way is what the internist calls a feet detox water vat. The feet are submerged in a vat of hot water that an electric current ionizes. A discoloration will appear in the water as the copper exits the body. But even more importantly Dr Kogan - as she explains in her book Diet Slave No More! - says to eat foods that are balanced. One way is to switch to a zinc-rich diet as zinc naturally replaces copper. Dr Kogan recommends foods such as chicken, grass-fed beef and eggs, or a zinc supplement for vegetarians. She added: 'Don't go crazy on avocados or coconuts. Eat a well-balanced diet of fruits and vegetables. Don't focus on one thing.' Another factor in copper toxicity could be water, which often runs through copper pipes. If the PH of the water is not within a safe range, the lining of the pipes could deteriorate (stock) Another way of ingesting copper comes from our drinking water supply which often runs through copper piping, particularly in areas where the water is soft and acidic. Rod Zadotti, with Gold Medal Plumbing, told CBS NY that the lining of your copper pipes could deteriorate if the PH of your water is not within a safe range. He recommends having your water tested because you might not be able to taste the copper in the water. Additionally, oral contraceptives are known to raising the body's copper level due to estrogen's effects on the kidneys. Studies have shown that daily exposure to copper can lead to Alzheimer's Disease and other forms of dementia. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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