Can Zinc Offset Too Much Copper?
Consuming too much copper can cause adverse effects, including vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and yellow skin. While you shouldn’t attempt to treat an overdose of copper on your own by taking large doses of zinc, zinc can decrease the amount of copper you absorb.
Effect of Zinc on Copper
Taking large doses of zinc for an extended period of time can interfere with copper absorption and cause a copper deficiency. This effect can sometimes be useful, such as with Wilson’s disease, where copper can build up in your blood if you don’t take some type of medication to limit its absorption. A form of zinc called zinc acetate is sometimes used for this purpose.
People absorb between 12 percent and 60 percent of the copper they consume. The exact percentage is affected by the amount of copper already in the blood and how much copper is consumed, and by whether any inhibitors to absorption, such as zinc, are present in the body, according to an article published in January 2011 in the "Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology." Zinc causes the production of a detoxification protein called metallothionein, which binds copper, making it unavailable for absorption, according to an article in “Brain and Development” published in April 2006. The protein also blocks the transport of copper, since zinc and copper require the same carrier.
Recommended Amount of Zinc
The Institute of Medicine has established a recommended dietary allowance of 8 milligrams of zinc a day for women and 11 milligrams for men. Copper absorption isn’t likely to be greatly affected by zinc unless you consume more zinc than the tolerable upper intake level, which is 40 milligrams a day for adults. According to Drugs.com, the usual dosage of zinc acetate for an adult suffering from Wilson’s disease is 50 milligrams taken three times a day, for a total of 150 milligrams daily.
Other Potentially Beneficial Nutrients
Histidine can bind to both zinc and copper, but it binds more strongly to copper, according to a study published in the "Journal of Alzheimer's Disease" in 2010. Taking zinc and histidine together may increase the amount of copper removed from the body. Other potentially beneficial nutrients for either reducing copper levels or limiting the damage from high copper levels include vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene and polyphenols, which are a type of antioxidant, according to an article published in "Toxicology" in July 2003.
- Drugs.com: Zinc Acetate Dosage
- MayoClinic.com: Wilson’s Disease
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Zinc
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: The Essential Toxin: Impact of Zinc on Human Health
- Biological Trace Element Research: Copper Absorption in Young Med Fed Adequate and Low Zinc Diets
- Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology: Risks and Benefits of Copper in Light of New Insights of Copper Homeostasis
- Toxicology: Copper Toxicity, Oxidative Stress, and Antioxidant Nutrients
- Brain and Development: Paradigm Shift in Treatment of Wilson's Disease: Zinc Therapy Now Treatment of Choice
- Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics: Diagnosis and Current Therapy of Wilson's Disease
- Journal of Alzheimer's Disease: NMR Studies of Zinc, Copper, and Iron Binding to Histidine, the Principal Metal Ion Complexing Site of Amyloid-Beta Peptide
Based in Massachusetts, Jessica Bruso has been writing since 2008. She holds a master of science degree in food policy and applied nutrition and a bachelor of arts degree in international relations, both from Tufts University.