What Happens If Your Body Is Low on Copper?

November 22, 2025 •

4 min read

Though relatively rare, up to 25% of people in North America may not be meeting their recommended copper intake, which can lead to various health issues. When your body is low on copper, a critical trace mineral, it can no longer support key enzymatic functions, potentially impacting everything from your nervous system to your immune health.

Quick Summary

A lack of sufficient copper, a trace mineral essential for numerous bodily functions, can result in fatigue, weakened immunity, nerve damage, and brittle bones. It often stems from malabsorption issues, excessive zinc intake, or genetic factors. Timely diagnosis and supplementation are vital, especially for reversing potentially irreversible neurological effects.

Key Points

Anemia and Neutropenia: Copper deficiency often causes anemia that may not respond to iron therapy and a low white blood cell count (neutropenia), increasing infection risk.
Nervous System Damage: A lack of copper can lead to myelopathy and peripheral neuropathy, causing issues with coordination, gait, numbness, and tingling.
Bone Health and Weakness: Low copper levels can compromise bone strength, potentially causing osteoporosis and making bones more brittle.
Cognitive Impairment: Copper plays a key role in brain function, and a deficiency can manifest as problems with memory, learning, and mood.
Absorption Issues: Malabsorption from bariatric surgery, certain diseases like celiac disease, and long-term, high-dose zinc supplementation are common causes of deficiency.
Diagnosis and Treatment: Diagnosis is typically based on symptoms and blood tests for copper and ceruloplasmin levels, with treatment involving supplements and addressing the root cause.
Dietary Sources: Increasing intake of copper-rich foods like shellfish, nuts, seeds, and liver can help manage levels.

The Role of Copper in the Body

Copper is a vital trace mineral that serves as a cofactor for several critical enzymes, meaning it helps these proteins function correctly. These copper-dependent enzymes are involved in a wide array of physiological processes, including:

Energy Production: Copper is a component of cytochrome c oxidase, a key enzyme in the mitochondria that generates cellular energy.
Connective Tissue Formation: The enzyme lysyl oxidase, which requires copper, is crucial for cross-linking collagen and elastin, providing strength and structure to bones and tissues.
Iron Metabolism: Copper is needed for ceruloplasmin, a protein that helps transport iron and make it available to the body for red blood cell formation.
Nervous System Function: Copper is essential for maintaining the myelin sheath that insulates nerve fibers and for the synthesis of neurotransmitters.
Immune Health: Copper is important for the production of white blood cells, particularly neutrophils, which are a frontline defense against infection.

Health Effects of Low Copper Levels

When your body is low on copper, these essential functions falter, leading to a cascade of health problems. The effects can vary from subtle symptoms to severe, progressive neurological damage.

Hematological Manifestations

One of the most well-documented consequences of copper deficiency is its effect on blood cell production. Because copper is crucial for iron absorption and utilization, a deficiency can lead to anemia that may not respond to iron supplements alone.

Anemia: Can present as microcytic (small red blood cells), normocytic (normal size), or macrocytic (large) anemia. Symptoms include fatigue, weakness, and paleness.
Neutropenia: A reduction in a type of white blood cell called neutrophils, which are essential for fighting off bacterial infections. This can lead to frequent or persistent illness.

Neurological Complications

Long-term copper deficiency can cause severe and sometimes irreversible neurological problems due to its role in maintaining the nervous system.

Myelopathy: This involves degeneration of the spinal cord's dorsal columns, leading to a spastic gait and prominent sensory ataxia (loss of coordination). This can be easily mistaken for a vitamin B12 deficiency.
Peripheral Neuropathy: Nerve damage can cause numbness and tingling in the hands and feet.
Optic Neuropathy: In some cases, prolonged deficiency can result in gradual vision loss.
Cognitive Issues: Impaired brain function can lead to memory and learning difficulties, confusion, and irritability.

Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue Disorders

Proper copper levels are essential for bone strength and the integrity of connective tissues. Low levels can compromise the cross-linking of collagen and elastin.

Osteoporosis: Weak and brittle bones can occur, especially with long-term deficiency, increasing the risk of fractures.
Joint Issues: Defective connective tissue can lead to joint hyperflexibility and fragility.

Other Systemic Effects

Copper deficiency can also affect other bodily systems in various ways.

Increased Cold Sensitivity: The thyroid gland's function, which helps regulate body temperature, can be impaired, making one feel colder than usual.
Skin and Hair Changes: Pale skin and premature gray hair can result from copper's role in melanin production.
High Cholesterol: Altered lipid metabolism can lead to elevated cholesterol levels.

Common Causes of Copper Deficiency

While dietary deficiency is rare in healthy individuals, certain conditions and factors can lead to dangerously low copper levels.


Table: Common Causes of Copper Deficiency	Cause	Mechanism	At-Risk Population
Bariatric Surgery	Alters the digestive tract, significantly reducing the surface area for copper absorption.	Post-gastric bypass and other weight-loss surgery patients.
Excessive Zinc Intake	Zinc competes directly with copper for absorption pathways in the small intestine. Long-term, high-dose zinc supplementation is a common cause.	Individuals taking high-dose zinc supplements or using large quantities of zinc-containing denture creams.
Malabsorption Syndromes	Diseases like Celiac disease and Crohn's disease can impair nutrient absorption across the intestinal lining.	Patients with chronic digestive disorders.
Long-Term TPN	Total Parenteral Nutrition (intravenous feeding) that is not properly supplemented with copper can lead to deficiency over time.	Hospitalized patients requiring long-term IV feeding.
Genetic Disorders	Rare inherited conditions like Menkes disease disrupt copper transport and metabolism within the body.	Male infants with the Menkes gene mutation.

Conclusion

Being low on copper can initiate a complex and wide-ranging set of health problems, from anemia and a weakened immune system to debilitating neurological and bone issues. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical, especially for neurological symptoms, which may only partially reverse with supplementation. If you have risk factors such as previous gastrointestinal surgery or long-term high zinc intake, discussing your copper levels with a healthcare provider is essential for prevention and early intervention. By understanding the symptoms and causes, you can take proactive steps to maintain this vital trace mineral's balance and protect your overall health. For information on daily copper recommendations, you can consult the National Institutes of Health..

What to Do If You Suspect Low Copper

If you experience persistent fatigue, tingling, or unexplained neurological symptoms and have a history of bariatric surgery or high zinc intake, consult a healthcare professional. A simple blood test measuring serum copper and ceruloplasmin levels can often confirm a deficiency. Treatment typically involves oral or intravenous copper supplements, and addressing the underlying cause (like stopping zinc supplements) is also necessary. Dietary adjustments to include more copper-rich foods, such as shellfish, nuts, and legumes, are also recommended.

Frequently Asked Questions

The most common causes of acquired copper deficiency in adults are malabsorption issues resulting from gastrointestinal surgeries, such as gastric bypass, and excessive intake of zinc, which interferes with copper absorption.

Early signs can be subtle and include unexplained fatigue, weakness, pale skin, frequent infections due to a weakened immune system, and possibly cold sensitivity.

Yes, the neurological symptoms of copper deficiency, such as myelopathy and sensory ataxia, are often misdiagnosed as other conditions, most commonly vitamin B12 deficiency.

While hematological issues like anemia and neutropenia often reverse quickly with copper supplementation, neurological deficits may only partially improve or not at all, especially if the deficiency has been long-standing.

You can increase your copper intake by consuming foods rich in the mineral, such as organ meats (liver), shellfish (oysters, crab), nuts (cashews), seeds (sunflower, sesame), and dark chocolate.

Copper deficiency is typically diagnosed through blood tests that measure serum copper and ceruloplasmin levels. A low 24-hour urine copper level may also be used.

True dietary copper deficiency is rare in healthy individuals but can occur in specific populations, such as infants with genetic conditions, malnourished individuals, and those with gastrointestinal issues or excessive zinc intake.