Can Copper Help Increase Energy?
Why Do You Feel Like You’re Dragging Through the Day?
You ever feel like you move slowly all day and can't get your energy back? A cup of coffee might help for a bit, but there is more to having energy than drinking a lot of it. Making energy in your body needs you to be well-fed and to have enough minerals. This is important. A hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) can show that your body needs several nutrients to make energy. Copper is one of the important ones you need in your diet.
What Role Does Copper Play in Energy Production?
Copper is a trace mineral that helps the body make energy. You only need a small amount of copper. Still, it is important for the work of many enzymes. These are proteins that help speed up chemical reactions. One big job that copper does is help make ATP. ATP is the molecule that works as the body's main energy source. Cells use ATP for tasks like muscle movement, sending signals through nerves, and keeping body temperature steady. Without ATP, the cells do not have the fuel they need for everyday jobs.
How Do Mitochondria and Copper Work Together?
Inside your cells, most of the energy is made in the mitochondria. People call mitochondria the powerhouses of the cell. Copper helps the mitochondria do their job well. It works by helping some important enzymes in the energy process. One main enzyme is cytochrome c oxidase. This enzyme needs copper to work right. It is a key part of the electron transport chain. This is the last step of cellular respiration. Most ATP, which is used for energy, is formed there. If cytochrome c oxidase cannot do its work, your body cannot make enough energy.
Why Is Copper Essential for the Electron Transport Chain?
The electron transport chain is a system in the body that passes electrons from one protein to the next. These proteins are found in the wall of the mitochondria. Copper is needed for the last part of this chain. This is where oxygen helps make energy. When there is enough copper, the chain works well, and ATP is made as it should. If copper is low, electrons do not move the way they need to. Energy is made more slowly and cells do not work as well.
How Does Copper Support Iron Metabolism and Oxygen Transport?
Copper helps the body handle iron, and this can affect how much energy you feel. The body needs copper to turn iron into a type that helps make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a part of red blood cells, and it carries oxygen. Your body needs enough oxygen to make energy, because cells use oxygen to make ATP. If you do not have enough copper, even taking iron might not help. The body may have a hard time using iron, and you may feel tired and have low energy.
Can Copper Protect Mitochondria from Damage?
Copper does more than just help make energy. It also protects the mitochondria from harm. When the body makes ATP, free radicals come up as by-products. A small number of free radicals is okay. But too many of them can damage cells. Copper is part of antioxidant enzymes, like superoxide dismutase (SOD). These enzymes help the body get rid of extra free radicals. This keeps the mitochondria working well and helps them keep making energy.
Does Copper Influence Mood, Motivation, and Brain Function?
Copper also helps make connective tissue, brain chemicals, and some hormones. All these can play a role in your energy levels. For example, brain chemicals help control mood, drive, and how the brain works. If the enzymes that use copper and make these chemicals do not work right, a person can feel tired in their mind, slow, or less able to get things done. This can happen even if the body makes enough energy.
What Happens If You Have Too Little or Too Much Copper?
The body works hard to keep the right amount of copper. Having too little can make you feel tired and weak. You might feel cold, or have a hard time focusing. These signs show that the body does not work the way it should. But having too much copper is not good for you either. It can get in the way of how other important minerals work. It may also hurt your body’s energy system.
Why Is Copper Supplementation Important for Energy?
Copper is important for the body’s way of making energy. It helps the mitochondria make ATP, helps move oxygen by being part of iron work, and keeps energy-making cells safe from damage. A small amount of copper can really help, and you should keep good levels of it to feel active, healthy, and clear-headed. That’s why taking a nano mineral supplement like Upgraded Copper could be helpful if you feel tired or low on energy.
Want to see it for yourself? Take a look at our Upgraded Copper today!