Copper

Copper is essential for various human vital functions. Like iron, copper contributes to the production of red blood cells, the circulatory system, nerves, the immune system, and bone formation. Plants absorb it from the soil, and humans obtain it through food. A person needs ~0.9-2 mg of copper per day. Legumes, beets, leafy vegetables, seafood, and nuts are rich in copper. In cells, copper binds with proteins, some organic acids, and is a component of some enzymes important for oxygen metabolism, promoting hematopoiesis in the bone marrow. A lack of copper in the human body disrupts iron metabolism and some other physiological functions. Large doses of copper cause diarrhea, disrupt breathing, heart, and liver function, and cause anemia. Copper can be a cause of cirrhosis of the liver, nausea, lung and kidney diseases, and nervous system disorders.