Plants that have a natural high zinc to low copper content?

butterfly · October 2017

Are there any??? Almost all foods I look at that are known for zinc have too high of copper to ever get me over the hump of having enough zinc. In other words if I eat a food that has zinc, my ratio never gets okay because it ALSO has too much copper.

So are there any foods that are high in zinc and low in copper? Especially plant based because I don't eat meat. If I find any myself I'll post them here. (The problem is when you google it you mainly find lists just showing foods high in zinc, but not taking into account the ratio with copper). Thanks

Susan_RD_101 · October 2017

@butterfly

Your question is very timely as I'm just wrapping up a blog post on the zinc : copper ratio. Without giving too much away, I'm less concerned about someone's zinc to copper ratio, provided that minimum levels of zinc are met (which, for vegans, may be 50% higher than what is listed due to the presence of phytates in plant foods).

The literature shows that copper doesn't really interfere with absorption of zinc, unless zinc intake is low.

One food that I like to recommend that is high in zinc, while being low in copper is hemp seed and hemp hearts. It's also high in protein and includes a source of omega 3.

Hope this answers your question!

butterfly · November 2017

Hemp seeds and hearts is really good to know. I was wondering if there is a maximum level of copper that is safe then? In food of course. Or if you eat a days calories in a balanced diet whatever amount of copper in there is okay?
Also, may I get the link to your blog? I haven't been on here lately so sorry if you posted it somewhere else. Or if you can message on here please can you message it to me? Thank you

Susan_RD_101 · November 2017

@butterfly

Here is the link to the blog: https://cronometer.com/blog/nutrient-ratios-zinccopper/

You would have a difficult time reaching the upper limit for copper through food alone. Total intake should not exceed 10 mg or 10,000 mcg. Your body does a good job of regulating copper absorption to excretion to keep things in check.

Kind regards,

butterfly · November 2017

Oh thanks. That's reassuring about copper. I started getting paranoid about it because my proportional thing at the bottom was always showing I needed more zinc but then I kept getting more copper, lol. But I also think if most plants have higher copper to zinc ratio then we must, as you explain, be adapted to that right? I try and eat a lot of vegetables and rotate what I'm eating a bit so I think it must balance out.

Susan_RD_101 · November 2017

@butterfly

Exactly! There is still so much we don't know about nutrition and an important question to ask is: "what is the clinical outcome of this?". Currently, there doesn't seem to be any negative outcome of having a ratio more in favour of copper, provided minimum zinc is met.

Kind regards,

mike · December 2017

@Susan_RD_101

"what is the clinical outcome of this" that's exactly it!

Is the field of nutrition an evidence based "science"? When will it become one? I understand that, unlike the pharmaceutical field, it is impossible to ingest a certain item then at set time intervals we may check serum levels, stool, urine, or other bio markers; however, there must be some reproducible methodologies!

Some of us who have been following nutrition for quite some times will remember the buzz created by Dr Dean Ornish ( he is still around) with his zero-fat treatment and reversal of heart diseases, now we have the opposite, the Mercola phenomenon; what is next, and when is the "next" going to take place.

Could it be that the human body is unlike an engine regarding which input and output are predictable with certainty and are measurable? Is it possible that the human body, like particle physics, the more we get closer to it, the more it hides itself from us?

Some of us have their feet on the ground, and dislike roller coasters.

Meanwhile, we cannot fault individuals like yourself who are trying , and are doing an exceptional job, deciphering all of this!

Susan_RD_101 · December 2017

Hi @mike !

I think you hit the nail on the head. I'm always amazed at how certain everyone is about nutrition, when in reality, studying nutrition is probably the most challenging thing to do. The human body can't be studied like a piece of machinery; it's adaptability and desire to maintain homeostasis causes the body to work in ways that we don't always expect.

While I am a promoter of plant-based diets for the therapeutic effects I see with my clients (along with the environmental sustainability), there seem to be other dietary patterns that are also beneficial. However, the longevity of these benefits still needs to be evaluated.

Thanks for your kind words!

jabandmove · July 2023

I'm a bit confused about the suggestion of Hemp Seeds being high in Zinc but low in Copper. 10 grams Hulled Hemp Seeds is 9% of daily target of Zinc but 18% of Copper. 10 grams of Unhulled Hemp Seeds is 6% of target Zinc and 22% of Copper. So they are not High Zinc, Low Copper as suggested.

MR_P_955 · July 2023

I have a question on RDA (minimum required not to get a deficiency disease) and the amount/range of zinc (copper, & other trace minerals) required for optimal health. I seem to recall that post-partum depression was linked to distorted zinc/copper ratios because zinc is the 2nd highest concentration of trace element (r was it metal) needed in the brain. Low zinc = brain function issues. So if people were having mood/cognitive dysfunction and were just making the RDA . . . is there a more optimal range and form of zinc to get thru diet?

MR_P_955 · July 2023

My Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts (shelled hemp seeds) don't list any copper or zinc on the nutritional facts . . . .tons of manganese and phosphorous. Is that the processing method do you think? Or the manufacturer just choosing not to list them b/c they've already got 11 nutrients filling up the label?

Plants that have a natural high zinc to low copper content?

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