Copper in diet may prevent heart disease
Y. James Kang, Ph.D., found that copper supplements ease heart stress in mice.
Including more copper in your everyday diet could be good for your heart, says a study led by University of Louisville professor Y. James Kang, Ph.D.
The study, published online in March in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, shows that giving copper supplements to mice eases stress on their overworked hearts by preventing heart enlargement.
Copper deficiency is associated with increases in cholesterol levels, clot formation and heart disease.
The team, made up of researchers from UofL and the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center, found that feeding mice copper relieved heart disease and restored proper heart function, even when the animals' hearts were continually stressed.
Stressed mice that did not receive copper supplements suffered heart failure.
The copper-rich diet also increased the body's production of a protein that promotes the growth of new blood vessels, although exactly how the protein may aid heart recovery is not yet clear.
The human equivalent of the beneficial dose of copper used in the study is about 3 mg per day.
The maximum level recommended for humans is 10 mg per day, but the current recommended daily intake is only 0.9 mg daily.
Foods rich in copper include liver, shellfish, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, chocolate and some fruits.
"Increasing copper intake, especially for those who are at risk for heart disease, may be a relatively easy and inexpensive way to reduce mortality," Kang said.
