ARE COPPER MUGS SAFE: WHAT’S THE TRUTH?

Copper, reddish-gold surface  carries a certain antique appeal. Many alternative medicine users advocates use of copper vessels for drinking water and other  beverage.  I have collected  and compiled medical opinions on it.   

Drinking anything with a pH below 6.0 from a copper vessel is highly unsafe. That would include anything with vinegar, fruit juice and wine. It’s undeniable that copper is a beautiful accent to any decorating scheme. 

Copper has made a comeback all over the home, but especially in the kitchen. Copper kettles, copper pots and pans, copper sinks, copper plating—this warm material evokes a feeling of belonging. It’s an essential part of that vintage aesthetic that brings communities together to share food and laughter over drinks.

But many adding to their drink ware collection, but beware too much copper can be toxic, after all. We’re past the days of Egyptian lead eyeliner and mercury thermometers.

It is true that copper exists naturally in small quantities in the human body,  and it’s necessary to help regulate oxygen in the blood stream, and is even found in minute amounts in our drinking water. But too much copper can cause major health problems.

While acute cases of copper poisoning can be treated, long-term overconsumption of copper can lead to copper toxicity, which affects multiple systems in the body, including the stomach, kidneys, liver, and brain. Heating copper to hot temperatures and cooking acidic food in copper cookware are especially likely to lead to ill effects.

For these reasons, the sale of pure copper kitchenware is often restricted to decorating purposes only. or otherwise it is lined with stainless steel / tin both of which are perfectly safe to drink. This interior lining prevents chemical reactions between copper and the ingredients of the drink and it also prevents copper from leaking into your cocktail.

While used less frequently, even unlined copper mugs are safe to drink from depending on a few factors.

1.   They must be filled only with cold or room-temperature beverages.

2.   They must not be filled with an acidic substance.

Not easy to control all the time as both heat and acidity react with copper, dissolving it and causing it to potentially leak into your drink. In my personal opinion trace metal are useful to our body growth if it is taken from natural plant diet. Iron deficiency can not be treated by drinking from iron pot  J In same way copper mug is not for copper deficiency. But copper do have anti bacterial property and can kill bacteria to certain extent.

Copper toxicity, can occur from eating acid foods cooked in uncoated copper cookware, or from exposure to excess copper in drinking water or other environmental sources.

Copper is a mineral that is found throughout the body. It helps your body make red blood cells and keeps nerve cells and your immune system healthy. It also helps form collagen, a key part of bones and connective tissue. Copper may also act as an antioxidant, reducing free radicals that can damage cells and DNA.

If you consume too much copper, the effect can be poisonous. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, headaches, dizziness, diarrhea, stomach pain and a metallic taste in your mouth. If you then develop a copper toxicity, this rare occurrence can lead to heart problems, jaundice, coma and potentially death.

As per The EPA guideline has established an "action level" for copper in drinking water. This action level is exceeded if the level of copper in more than 10 percent of the tap water samples collected by a water system is greater than 1,300 micrograms per liter (or 1,300 parts per billion).

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for adult men and women is 900 μg/day. To overcome copper deficiency it is better to eat fruit high in copper. Below are 15 fruits highest in copper, including guavas, durians, avocados, blackberries, pomegranates, litchis, starfruit, kiwifruit, grapes, green olives, persimmons, mangos, pineapples, bosc pears, and raspberries.

durwesh