Copper Fact Sheet

Copper is a metallic element that is essential to human health. Too little is unhealthy and too much can lead to copper poisoning. The body cannot synthesize copper so the human diet must supply regular amounts for absorption. The daily requirement is about 2 mg of copper intake per day to maintain a balance of 75-100mg in the adult body2. In the UK, it is now recommended that the daily intake should range from 0.4 mg/day for 1-3 year old children to 1.2 mg/day for adults4. Maximum intake of copper should not exceed 12 mg/day for adult males and 10 mg/day for adult females4. Recent surveys show only 25% of the US population consume the amount of copper per day estimated to be adequate by the US Food and Nutritional Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Ironically, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has reported cases of copper poisoning.