Copper Metabolism in Human Health and Nutrition
Summary
Copper is an essential trace element that underpins numerous physiological processes, acting as a catalytic cofactor in redox enzymes, cytochrome c oxidase and superoxide dismutase, and contributing to iron metabolism, connective‐tissue synthesis and neurotransmitter production. Dietary copper is absorbed primarily in the small intestine via transporter proteins and is subsequently bound to albumin and transported to the liver. Hepatic export into the circulation is mediated by ceruloplasmin and specific ATPase pumps, ensuring cellular delivery and excretion. Homeostatic control is achieved through regulation of uptake, storage by metallothioneins and biliary elimination. Both deficiency and excess carry clinical consequences: insufficient copper impairs haematopoiesis and neural development, whereas overload can induce oxidative damage and hepatic injury, exemplified by Menkes and Wilson diseases. Understanding the finely tuned balance of copper flux is central to addressing nutritional deficits, genetic disorders and environmental exposures on a global scale.
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Copper Metabolism in Human Health and Nutrition publication trend
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Technical terms
Ceruloplasmin: A copper‐containing plasma protein that oxidises ferrous iron and transports copper in the circulation.
ATP7A and ATP7B: Copper‐transporting P‐type ATPases responsible for cellular export and biliary excretion of copper, mutations of which cause Menkes and Wilson diseases, respectively.
Metallothionein: A family of low‐molecular‐weight, cysteine‐rich proteins that bind copper (and other metals), regulating intracellular storage and mitigating oxidative stress.
Cuproprotein: Any protein that incorporates copper as a cofactor, crucial for diverse enzymatic functions.
Homeostasis: The dynamic equilibrium of absorption, distribution, storage and excretion that maintains optimal copper levels in the body.
References
- Copper, Iron, Cadmium, and Arsenic, All Generated in the Universe: Elucidating Their Environmental Impact Risk on Human Health Including Clinical Liver Injury. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2024).
- Critical Review of Exposure and Effects: Implications for Setting Regulatory Health Criteria for Ingested Copper. Environmental Management (2019).
- Copper – a scoping review for Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023. Food & Nutrition Research (2023).
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