The Truth About Copper and Its Role in Immune Health

When people talk about immune support, zinc, vitamin C, or maybe iron usually come up. Copper? Almost never. Yet your body depends on it. Without enough copper, defenses weaken, energy falls flat, and mental health can even start to slide.

I’ve seen it over and over again. In clients. In my own healing. Copper can be the difference between dragging through the day and actually thriving.

Copper and Parasites

I tell my students something simple: if you’re alive, you’ve got parasites. It doesn’t matter how clean you eat or if you avoid raw foods. They sneak in through water, air, food, and even from pets. The real question isn’t if, it’s whether your body is an easy host.

Copper steps in here. It strengthens both the defenses you’re born with and the ones you build over time. It also helps enzymes form reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hydrogen peroxide and superoxide. Your immune cells use these to fight off parasites, bacteria, fungi, and viruses. When copper is too low, that defense doesn’t fire the way it should.

That’s why long-standing parasite problems almost always show copper depletion. Parasites are clever; they even pull copper away to weaken you.

Watch my webinar on copper, parasites, and immune health here

Copper and Anemia

Copper is also tied to iron. Many people are told they’re anemic and handed iron pills. But iron isn’t always the problem. Often, it’s copper.

There’s a protein called ceruloplasmin. It carries copper through the blood and also makes iron usable for red blood cells. If copper is too low, ceruloplasmin can’t form properly. Then iron just sits in storage spots like the liver instead of moving into circulation.

That’s why some people keep taking iron and never feel better. Parasites add fuel to the fire by eating iron. Sometimes the body even hides iron away on purpose, starving the parasites. On a lab test, it looks like anemia. In reality, it’s self-protection.

In my practice, I’ve never once met a chronically anemic patient who didn’t also have parasites and a copper imbalance.

Copper and Immune Health

Copper’s role goes further than parasites and iron. It actually keeps the whole immune system in balance.

• It plays a part in helping white blood cells form in the bone marrow.
• It also takes part in IL-2 signaling, a process that activates helper T-cells.
• Copper also influences how macrophages, neutrophils, and natural killer cells work; the immune system’s main infection fighters.

Here’s the key: copper doesn’t just crank immunity up or down. It fine-tunes it. Without copper, that regulation breaks. This is one reason copper deficiency often shows up with autoimmune issues.

There’s also an enzyme called superoxide dismutase (SOD1). It runs on copper. That enzyme’s role is to break down harmful byproducts of everyday metabolism. Without enough copper, SOD levels fall, oxidative stress builds, and even immune cells can take a hit.

This is the most common reason that people who are low in copper often complain of slow healing, constant sickness, or infections that just won’t leave.

Copper and Energy

Within mitochondria, the enzyme cytochrome c oxidase, the last step in the energy chain, requires copper as a cofactor to drive ATP production. Without copper, this crucial enzyme can’t function efficiently, and the cell’s energy output drops.

No copper, no flow. The chain stalls, cells turn acidic, and energy tanks.

That’s when you see fatigue, brain fog, and detox pathways that don’t move well. You can eat clean, take electrolytes, and still feel flat if copper is missing.

Why Copper Deficiency Happens

You don’t need huge doses of copper. Just enough. Yet so many people are deficient today. Why?

• Too much zinc, iron, or vitamin C blocks copper from being absorbed.
• Parasites and infections steal it.
• When the liver slows down, ceruloplasmin drops, and copper can’t move properly through the blood.
• Today’s diets often fall short in copper-rich foods such as pumpkin seeds, tahini, spirulina, and seaweed.
• Toxins such as fluoride, pesticides, and mold can also disrupt copper balance.

Learn more in our Institute of Regenerative Health courses

When Copper Is Too High

On the flip side, copper can build up too. Usually, when the liver or bile flow slows down.

This happens often after pregnancy. Estrogen rises during pregnancy and pushes copper higher. After birth, it doesn’t always come down. Birth control pills and copper IUDs can have a similar effect.

The signs? Mood swings. Anxiety. Postpartum depression. Headaches. Brain fog. Estrogen dominance.

There’s also “unbound” copper, copper not tied to ceruloplasmin. This form has been linked with issues like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Other reasons copper overload happens:

• Not enough zinc (zinc keeps copper in check).
• Chronic stress that wears down the adrenals.
• Exposure from copper cookware, pipes, or medical devices.

The real problem isn’t copper itself. It’s whether your body can regulate it.

Finding Balance

So the goal isn’t simply “raise copper” or “lower copper.” It’s a balance.

What works best:

• Get copper from whole foods: sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, tahini, spirulina, sea moss.
• Don’t overdo isolated supplements like zinc, iron, or vitamin C. Use whole-food forms instead.
• Keep liver and bile flow healthy so the body can naturally clear excess copper.
• Make sure zinc is steady. Low zinc almost always makes copper issues worse.
• Use supplements only short-term, for acute needs, not as a daily crutch.

And most important: don’t just throw supplements at the problem. Copper imbalance is a terrain issue. If you support the liver, adrenals, mineral balance, and detox pathways, your body knows how to fix itself.

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Final Thoughts

Copper may not get much attention, but it matters deeply. It arms immune cells, balances iron, fuels energy production, and steadies immunity.

Low copper means your infections drag on, fatigue sets in, and wounds heal slowly. On the other hand, high copper often shows up as anxiety, mood swings, or hormone issues. The solution isn’t just numbers on a test. It’s restoring balance through food, mineral support, and healthy liver and adrenal function.

That’s what regenerative health really means. It’s not about masking symptoms, it’s about giving the body the right conditions to do what it’s built to do: repair itself.

If you want to learn more about minerals and step into real healing, join us at the Institute of Regenerative Health.