Can water from copper pipes make you sick? (2023)

Can copper water make you feel sick?

Consumption of high levels of copper can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, gastric (stomach) complaints and headaches. A high level of copper in your drinking water will leave a metallic or bitter taste.

Short-term exposure to high levels of copper can cause gastrointestinal distress. Long-term exposure and severe cases of copper poisoning can cause anemia and disrupt liver and kidney functions.

If you have been drinking water that has been constantly stored in copper bottle or vessel, chances are high that you might be at the risk of copper toxicity. It can cause severe nausea, dizziness, abdominal pain and can result in liver and kidney failure.

Copper corrosion in internal household plumbing may occur when water is standing still in copper pipes for a long period of time. Consumption of high levels of copper can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and headaches. Excess copper is eliminated from your body within a few days.

Copper water is simply water that has been stored in a copper container. This allows for safe amounts of copper to leach into the water. While most of the practice's purported benefits aren't backed by scientific studies, it exerts an antibacterial effect that may kill diarrhea-causing bacteria in contaminated water.

Copper poisoning must be considered as a possible cause of chronic gastrointestinal diseases in those countries in which copper plumbing is common.

Copper is a mineral that you need to stay healthy. Your body uses copper to carry out many important functions, including making energy, connective tissues, and blood vessels. Copper also helps maintain the nervous and immune systems, and activates genes. Your body also needs copper for brain development.

The result: redness, itching, swelling or a rash, with skin blistering or scaling at the site. The symptoms of a metal allergy range from mild to severe. Each time you're re-exposed to the offending metal, your skin reacts in the same way.

What does copper do to the brain?

Copper (Cu) is required for the development, maturation, and function of human brain - as a cofactor of key metabolic enzymes and a signaling and regulatory molecule. In enzymes, Cu is most often used for electron transfer as well as binging and activation of oxygen.

Too much copper can be fatal. You could get severe toxicity from ingesting large amounts of copper salts through your skin. Copper can work its way through your internal organs and build up in your brain, liver, and lungs. People who have copper toxicity can become very unwell.

The buildup of copper interferes with the function of hormones like thyroid and adrenal. It robs energy causing chronic and adrenal fatigue.

Make a paste of two parts cream of tartar and one part white vinegar. If you prefer, you can replace the vinegar with lemon juice. Apply this acidic paste to some kitchen roll or a stiff brush and use it to scrub away the alkaline deposits on your copper pipe.

Copper has properties that help in killing harmful bacteria and reduce inflammation within the stomach, making it a great remedy for ulcers, acidity, gas, indigestion and infections. Copper also helps cleanse and detox stomach and also regulates the working of liver and kidneys.

Copper is an important mineral that the body needs at the proper levels to prevent certain haematological disorders. Copper allows the brain to work more efficiently by facilitating cell communication by carrying out these impulses. Thus copper water benefits in boosting your brain health.

Copper is essential for good health. However, exposure to higher doses can be harmful. Long- term exposure to copper dust can irritate your nose, mouth, and eyes, and cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, and diarrhea.

Chronic exposure to high levels of copper can result in liver damage and gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g., abdominal pain, cramps, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting) [10,38]. Copper toxicity is rare in healthy individuals who do not have a hereditary copper homeostasis defect.

Studies have shown that elevated concentrations of copper can be found near the sites of infection. Other studies have shown that copper deficiency in the host can be linked to increased susceptibility to infection (and improved immune response when the host is provided with a copper supplement).

We conclude that copper is a very weak sensitizer as compared with other metal compounds. However, in a few and selected cases, copper can result in clinically relevant allergic reactions.

How can I remove copper from my body naturally?

Other great ways to support copper removal, according to Coates, include drinking filtered water and eating foods which can give you a good balance of copper and zinc, such as lamb, pork, poultry, soy milk, nuts, seeds, dried beans, and wheat germ.

Making food choices

Eat vegetables, but avoid vegetable juice cocktails (such as V-8 juice), mushrooms, and potatoes with skin. Canned sweet potatoes are OK, but avoid fresh sweet potatoes. Avoid beans (including peas, lentils, and lima, garbanzo, pinto, red, black, and soy beans). Don't eat tofu.

D-Penicillamine is the primary chelator used in copper toxicity, although EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) and DMPS (dimercaptopropanesulfonic acid) may also be used for heavy metal toxicity with copper.