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    Copper Sulfate: The Truth About

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    MwagaVumbi
    Copper Sulfate fact and fiction sheet, outlining chemistry and nutritional uses as well as safety issues.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Copper Sulfate: The Truth About

    Uploaded by

    MwagaVumbi
    125 views4 pages
    Copper Sulfate fact and fiction sheet, outlining chemistry and nutritional uses as well as safety issues.

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    Copper Sulfate

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    Copper Sulfate fact and fiction sheet, outlining chemistry and nutritional uses as well as safety issues.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    125 views4 pages

    Copper Sulfate: The Truth About

    Uploaded by

    MwagaVumbi
    Copper Sulfate fact and fiction sheet, outlining chemistry and nutritional uses as well as safety issues.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 4

    Number 1, Reprinted February, 2004

    WHY FACT VS FICTION?


    We are frequently asked why we
    use or do not use certain
    ingredients or forms of nutrients in
    our multi-vitamin formulas.
    Fact
    Vs
    Fiction
    provides
    information on how we choose
    specific forms of nutrients.
    Scientific references are cited and
    text from abstracts is included to
    provide research details.
    We evaluate nutritional ingredients
    by the following criteria:
    1) Is it natural and normal to
    the human body?
    2) Has it had a long history of
    safe use in humans?
    3) Is it supported by science
    and/or traditional herbal
    wisdom?
    4) Is it nutritionally effective?
    5) Is it cost-effective for our
    customers?
    6) Is it concentrated enough
    that we can provide
    optimal levels to our
    customers in a reasonable
    amount of tablets?
    We have no vested interest in any
    form of nutrient. Our selections
    are based on what is best for our
    customers health and their
    pocketbook.

    The Truth About

    Copper Sulfate
    Fiction:

    Copper sulfate is toxic.

    Fact:

    There have been no reports of


    toxicity in 50 years of the use of
    copper sulfate at nutritional doses
    in dietary supplements.
    At nutritional doses copper is only
    a beneficial nutrient.

    Range of Safety
    Copper Sulfate
    Reduces Atherosclerosis

    Is Copper Sulfate in Dietary Supplements Toxic?


    In response to an unsubstantiated rumor that copper sulfate in dietary supplements is toxic, we reviewed the
    worlds scientific literature and the toxic and hazardous materials data files.
    The results: We can find no reports in the National Library of Medicine or any of the medical databases that
    the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of copper sulfate, which is 2 mg, has ever been associated with
    side effects (toxicity). Below are two studies verifying safety.
    Chierici R, et al. Dietary supplements for the lactating mother: influence on the trace element content of milk.
    Acta Paediatr Suppl 1999 Aug;88(430):7-13.
    Comment: In this study, healthy lactating mothers were studied comparing their diet to a dietary supplement
    that provided 20 mg of zinc sulfate, 2 mg of copper sulfate, and 116 mcg of potassium iodide. No adverse
    effects were seen.
    Rock E, et al. The effect of copper supplementation on red blood cell oxidizability and plasma antioxidants in
    healthy volunteers. Free Radic Biol Med 2000 Feb 1;28(3):3294-329.
    Comment: Seniors, 50 to 70 years old, were studied for the effect of copper sulfate supplementation on red
    blood cell oxidation. Copper sulfate at doses up to 7 mg per day (3.5 times greater than the RDA) caused no
    damage to red blood cells, and the authors noted, [copper sulfate] may rather result in protection of red
    blood cells against oxidation.
    As a nutritional supplement, copper sulfate has an unblemished record of safety and effectiveness
    for well over 50 years.

    Effectiveness of Copper Sulfate


    Copper sulfate is one of the forms of copper that has been shown to provide the most benefit. For instance,
    the following question and answer appears at the web site of The Salt Institute, which provides scientific
    data related to animal nutrition. http://www.saltinstitute.org/stmfaqs.html
    Question: Do high levels of copper have the same growth promoting effects in poultry as in swine?
    Answer:

    Recent research in Egypt showed that feeding copper sulfate at 150 ppm improved daily weight
    gain and feed efficiency in broilers. However, when copper carbonate or copper oxide was fed
    at the same concentration there was no response. Histological examination of the small
    intestine suggests that copper sulfate resulted in a healthier intestinal lining with a more
    absorptive surface. [Bold added.]

    Additionally, the study below found that copper sulfate reduced cardiovascular risk factors that can promote
    atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
    Vlad M, et al. Effect of copper sulfate on experimental atherosclerosis. Biological Trace Element Research
    Magazine 1993 Jul;38(1):47-54.
    Comment: This study looked at two groups of rats with atherosclerosis who ate a high cholesterol diet over
    100 days. The group that was given copper sulfate experienced a decrease in serum cholesterol.
    Copper concentrations in the aorta of the heart increased as cell damage and the accumulation of
    cholesterol plaque decreased.

    The Hazardous Chemicals Desk Reference


    There have been rumors about copper sulfate toxicity in dietary supplements based on a misunderstanding
    of a reference in the Hazardous Chemicals Desk Reference.
    There are three very broad classifications for all the types of toxicity of the 5,050 entries in the Hazardous
    Chemicals Desk Reference. Copper sulfate is listed in Level 3. Level 3 specifies that toxicity has been
    reported at doses somewhere less than 2,800 mg. It is important to note that 2,800 mg is 1,400 times
    greater than the 2 mg RDA dose contained in daily vitamin formulas. The Hazardous Chemicals Desk
    Reference does not specify safe levels for the chemicals it covers.
    The Level 3 classification in The Hazardous Chemicals Desk Reference lists a number of other nutrients
    commonly found in dietary supplements, even including several very safe essential nutrients: Coenzyme Q10, Folic acid, Papain, Silica, Vitamin B-1, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin B-12, Vitamin B-2 Vitamin D2 and Zinc
    Oxide.
    All these nutrients have been used safely in dietary supplements for many years.

    Extoxnet - Toxic Information Internet Data Base


    We also performed an Internet search that located data at Extoxnet, which is the toxicology database for
    Cornell University, Michigan State University, Oregon State University, and the University of California at
    Davis. We found our answer on their web page:
    http://ace.orst.edu/cgi-bin/mfs/01/pips/coppersu.htm?76#mfs.

    Copper Sulfate Begins To Be Toxic At 750 mg - 375 times The RDA Dose
    The Extoxnet data show that copper sulfate will not exhibit toxicity until you reach a dose of 750 mg for a
    150-pound person. Thats 375 times higher than the 2 mg RDA dose that is contained in most multi-vitamin
    formulas sold throughout the United States.
    Extoxnet states, "The lowest dose of copper sulfate that has been toxic when ingested by humans is 11
    mg/kg (750 mg for a 150 pound person), according to the National Research Council publication Drinking
    Water and Health, published by National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1977, on pages 10-22.
    While Extoxnet states that 750 mg is the approximate starting toxic dose for a 150 pound person, they also
    state that copper sulfate is not actually lethal until it is ingested in the 10,000 to 11,000 milligram range,
    which is about 5,000 times higher than the 2 mg RDA. At the 2 mg RDA dose, copper sulfate is simply an
    essential nutrient, not a toxin or poison.

    Toxicity Levels
    Anything can be toxic if you get enough of it. As to copper sulfates potential for toxicity, the scientific
    literature shows that its toxicity is much like spring water, sea salt, cayenne pepper and olive oil. Any of
    these can be toxic if you ingest a high enough dose. Like copper sulfate, each of these healthy, harmless
    nutritional items are also highly beneficial at a nutritional dose.

    Isnt Copper Sulfate Used As Snail Poison?


    While copper sulfate is used as poison at very high doses relative to the physical size of these small
    creatures, saying it is poison to humans at the 2 mg RDA dose is like saying that you will drown swallowing a
    glass of water in your kitchen because you can drown if you are caught in the middle of the ocean.
    Water can be poison to a swimmer in the middle of the ocean (who gets too tired to swim any longer), but it
    isnt to someone whos just having a glass of water in their kitchen.

    Compared To Cayenne Pepper Or Water


    If you ate 375 times the amount of cayenne pepper that you would normally use in a gourmet natural foods
    meal, you would probably experience extreme heat and side effects, such as stomach and intestinal
    problems or worse. At 5,000 times a nutritional dose, cayenne pepper could also be lethal.
    However, at a nutritional dose, we all know that cayenne pepper can be highly beneficial to the circulatory
    system and overall health.

    Like cayenne pepper or water, copper sulfate at a 2 mg nutritional dose has been shown to
    be a safe and valuable addition to a healthy diet.

    Is copper sulfate acceptable in our dietary supplements? We


    rate copper sulfate in six evaluation categories as acceptable
    or not acceptable.

    Score

    1. Is it natural to the human body?


    Copper is an essential nutrient. Sulfate is found throughout the human body and has
    many roles in metabolism.

    Acceptable

    2. Has it had a long history of safe use in humans?


    Copper sulfate has been used for over 50 years in nutritional supplements with no
    reports of toxicity or side effects.

    Acceptable

    3. Is it supported by science and/or traditional herbal wisdom?


    See the studies cited.

    Acceptable

    4. Is it nutritionally effective?
    Studies indicate nutritional effectiveness.

    Acceptable

    5. Is it cost-effective for our customers?


    Copper sulfate is one of the least expensive forms of copper.

    Acceptable

    6. Is it a concentrated enough form that we can provide optimal levels to our


    customers in a reasonable amount of tablets?
    The amount of copper sulfate in our formulas (2 mg) occupies minimal space in a
    tablet

    Acceptable

    We find copper sulfate to be an excellent nutritional supplement with a top score.

    Acceptable

    The above statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug
    Administration. They are not intended to diagnose, cure or prevent any disease.
    To receive free SuperNutrition Email Updates, send your full name, city, and the store you work in to:
    [email protected]. If you do not work in a health food store, please indicate that you are a retail
    customer.

    2001 SuperNutrition Author: Michael Mooney


    1925 Brush Street, Oakland, CA 94612
    Tel: 800-262-2116
    FAX 510-446-7994
    www.supernutritionusa.com
    Email: [email protected]

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