Coffee’s Copper Content: Does It Contain Much?

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Coffee does contain a small amount of copper. However, drinking coffee can reduce the effects of copper toxicity naturally found in the body. 

We all are habitual of drinking coffee every day of our lives. Some drink for the caffeine and some drink it just for the joy. The aroma and flavors that coffee offers are unmatched. The thought must have crossed your mind sometime when you were sipping on your coffee, whether it contains any metals like copper etc in it?

So, in this article, we’ll discuss everything that is related to coffee and copper.

Let’s begin, shall we?

Does Coffee Have Copper?

pipes of copper coiled up

Coffee contains a small level of copper. But, it was discovered that coffee can help reduce the levels of copper found in the human body.

Naturally, coffee is a very healthy drink, to begin with. It has a lot of goodies that are very good for the human body. Plus, coffee is easily accessible in every part of the world, so almost anyone can enjoy a lovely chocker.

Coffee contains the largest number of antioxidants for a westerner’s diet. And antioxidants help your body in getting rid of toxins, which if left untreated can cause cancer, life-threatening illnesses, and tumors, etc.

Coffee is known to prevent liver cancer. Also, coffee protects against many diseases like Dementia, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and heart-related issues. Coffee has a lot of known benefits, and you can read about them more in my other article here.

One thing to keep in mind here is that you get to enjoy these benefits only if you consume coffee in limited amounts. The American Food and Drug Administration suggests not consuming more than 400 mg of caffeine in a day. Which is about three to four 8 oz cups of coffee in a day.  Otherwise, you can face negative effects like;

  • Tremors
  • Restlessness
  • Nausea
  • Muscle Weakness
  • Migraines
  • High Cholesterol
  • High Blood pressure
  • Dizziness
  • Depletion Of Iron
  • Depletion of Calcium
  • Dehydration

But what about copper?

There’s evidence found that coffee contains traces of copper in it. This may sound very dangerous but it actually isn’t. You would have to douse in coffee for the copper levels in it to become dangerous for your health.

Plus, if someone is suffering from copper toxicity, coffee intake actually reduces the concentration of copper absorbed in the blood.

What Foods Are Naturally High In Copper?

There are many foods that are high in copper naturally like liver, beef, oysters, nuts, dark chocolate, and leafy greens. Our body needs copper to maintain the immune system, development of the brain.

Our body is a machine. But unlike any other machines, it doesn’t need petrol to operate. The fuel that our bodies need is food. Food contains lots of nutrients like carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals along with many other things.

One such essential nutrient is copper which is required in only small amounts but is necessary. Copper is needed by our body for many things. Copper is used by our body to maintain the immune system, keep the genes activated, and for proper development of the brain.

It’s also required to produce energy for the body, help maintain the connective tissues and blood vessels. For an average adult, the copper intake on a daily basis should be 900 micrograms and for children is 400 to 700 micrograms.

a platter of oyster ready to eat with caviar

Furthermore, copper deficiency is very rare in humans but it’s equally possible to suffer from one. Some symptoms may include, increased cholesterol, white patches or lightened skin, extreme fatigue, disorders of connective tissues, inability to balance, and weak bones.

Also, people who have genetic disorders and have a high intake of zinc or are suffering from diseases like Menkes and Celiac are likely to suffer from copper deficiency. This is because all these interfere with the absorption of copper in the body.

Now that’s out of the way, let’s talk about the foods that are high in copper naturally.

Here is the table of the top 7 foods that are high in copper per 100-gram serving.

Foods Rich In CopperCopper AmountsCalories
Liver15.05 mg193
Beef14.5 mg175
Oysters4.3 mg199
Nuts4.2 mg586
Dark Chocolate1.2 mg580
Leafy Greens4.6 mg50

Is Coffee High In Metals?

Coffee contains tons of heavy metals which are transferred from the soil into the growing plant. These metals include mercury, copper, zinc, nickel, cadmium, and lead.

It’s very strange to think that coffee can contain metals. Right? But it does.

Coffee plant while growing from the seeds in the soil absorbs heavy metals like mercury, copper, zinc, nickel, cadmium, and lead. These metals get in the soil from human activities.

Such as when big industry wastes are deposited in water and on land, pollution, plastic waste, and much more. These deteriorate in the soil which turns into harmful gases and these metals.

When coffee is brewed and filtered, a lot of these metals don’t make their way into your fresh cup of joe. But some metals like cadmium and lead were found in mocha by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). They also found that some of our favorite coffees may be filled with contaminants.

There were 13 contaminants in flat whites, while 12 contaminants were found in cappuccinos. There were fewer in instant and plunger coffees, 11 and 8, respectively. But these metals are not to be so tensed about. They’re helpful for our body in small amounts. Zinc and copper are used for bodily functions and the maintenance of many organs.

Plus, coffee is imported from all over the globe like Brazil, Asia, and Central America. This means that these contaminants like the heavy metals can easily make their way from the cleaning products used to clean coffee grounds roasting machines, coffee making machines, or the milk products used.

Does Coffee Deplete Copper In Humans and Drinking Water?

Coffee is found to deplete the levels of copper in humans and in drinking water. Therefore, copper toxicity is reduced with regular intake of coffee in humans and coffee solution in drinking water.

As we’ve discussed earlier, coffee contains small amounts of copper. Even though coffee itself contains it, it helps with copper toxicity. Copper toxicity is when there is a high number of copper concentrations found. This is common for drinking water. But Why?

You see, copper is used as a raw material in many modern industries, and copper byproducts are discharged into the water. And when this gets mixed into the drinking water, coffee ground solutions are used to mix to reduce the copper concentration.

a cup of coffee

Moreover, if you’re a coffee aficionado you are pretty much safe from copper toxicity. Though this as well is very uncommon for humans to go through, one should know about it anyway.

Coffee contains copper-binding ligands which absorb copper and secreter it through your kidneys. So, in conclusion, coffee depletes copper concentration in humans and drinking water.

Do check out this video for more clarity.

awesome video

So, What Are My Thoughts?

Coffee is a very important part of many people’s lives. Most people rely on coffee for their daily caffeine fix. But this all-natural beverage contains many unwanted contaminants like heavy metals. Though these metals are required by our body to run efficiently so their presence in our daily caffeine fix is not harmful.

Moreover, copper is one such metal that is used by our body to keep it healthy. But it’s not required in large amounts. It’s only required in small levels like 900 mcg on a daily basis for adults and 400 in children. Though copper deficiency is unlikely to happen, you should intake foods in moderate quantities that are high in copper like red meats and nuts, and even dark chocolate.

Lastly, drinking coffee regularly depletes the levels of copper in the human body and in drinking water. It’s pretty cool if you ask me. Anyways, just be mindful while eating copper-enriched foods and enjoy your morning chocker because you’ll have to consume a lot of coffee to reach the dangerous levels of copper toxicity.

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