If you are over 60 years old, eat more from this essential mineral could protect your brain
You can find it in crustaceans, dark leafy vegetables and nuts.
Longevity, in particular the health of the brain, is at the forefront of well-being trends. Science has linked HIIT coaches And Thermostat temperatures improvement of cognitive function and duration of attention. Even How fast does someone speak Can reveal a lot about brain health. But sometimes the protection of your brain simply requires eating more vitamins and minerals.
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Researchers think that copper can stimulate cognitive performance in the elderly.
Copper is an essential element that naturally derives from the ground of the earth, explains Cleveland clinic . But because the human body is not able to produce copper itself, we must find it through the foods we eat.
Research has linked copper to improvements in skin health, immunity, healthy red blood cells, bone health and other physiological functions. In addition, eating more copper can also help keep your brain lively, according to a new study published in the journal Nature .
Scientists have evaluated the diet and health data of 2,420 American participants over the age of 60. The results have shown that those with a daily consumption of higher copper have systematically obtained better schooling about cognitive examinations, compared to their peers who consumed lower quantities of copper.
Their results did not change even after adjusting age, sex, race, body mass index, smoking and alcohol habits, as well as health variables, such as hypertension, diabetes, history of cardiovascular disease and brain vascular accidents. In fact, the "high" copper intake has led to a "more pronounced increase" of the results of the tests in patients with stroke.
"This is aligned with the growing evidence that copper considerably affects health and brain diseases," the authors wrote.
So how many copper should you aim to consume per day? The answer depends on various factors, including age. But for adults over 60, researchers have found that 1.22 milligrams of food copper per day can stimulate brain health.
However, exceeding 1.22 milligrams per day was not associated with a greater gain.
"When copper consumption has exceeded these thresholds, the correlation between food copper intake and cognitive performance has lost statistical meaning, which indicates that cognitive scores do not continue to increase with an additional increase in copper consumption in the elderly," said the study.
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Monitor your copper intake, as extreme use can be toxic.
Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.
The toxicity of copper, although "rare" in healthy individuals, is possible. Having a significant amount of copper in the blood circulation has also been associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to the Office of NIH food supplements .
The signs of copper toxicity include:
- Damage caused by the liver
- Abdominal pain
- Cramps
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
"Although copper is necessary for proper functioning of the brain and deficiencies can cause neurological disorders, excessive copper can be toxic, resulting in oxidative stress and neurodegeneration," the researchers wrote.
In relation: Doctors warn that you don't get enough of this vitamin to protect against strokes and dementia .
How to naturally integrate more copper into your diet:
It turns out that many of our favorite foods (like a whole avocado toast!) Are naturally rich in copper. If you try to increase your copper intake, the Nih said that these foods are the highest in the essential mineral:
- Beef liver, 3 oz: 1,378% of daily value (DV)
- Oysters, 3 oz: 539% DV
- Potato, 1 middle with skin on: 75% DV
- Shiitake mushrooms, 1/2 cup: 72% DV
- Cashews, 1 oz: 70% DV
- Lannouche crab, 3 oz: 69% DV
- Sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup: 68% DV
- Dark chocolate, 1 oz: 56% DV
- Tofu, 1/2 cup: 53% DV
- Chickpeas, 1/2 cup: 32% DV
- Salmon, 3 oz: 30% DV
- Lawyer, 1/2 cup: 24% DV
- Figs, 1/2 cup: 24% DV
- Spinach, 1/2 cup: 17% DV
If you have a copper deficiency, your doctor may recommend taking an additional multivitamin or minerals that contains copper.
