Many people who undertake development programs eliminate excess copper from their bodies at some point in their healing and development process.??This occurs because most people have a copper imbalance.??It usually includes having excess,?biounavailable?and unusable copper in the body.??This must be removed to restore health.
The removal process usually causes symptoms that can be annoying and, in some cases, upsetting.??This article discusses copper elimination symptoms, and what can be done to minimize them.
THE GOAL OF A DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IS NEVER JUST COPPER ELIMINATION
Some practitioners make the error of setting up an entire program with the goal of removing copper.??This is not development science.
Instead, it is more like allopathic medicine or holistic medical care in that it is about symptom removal, and not balancing the entire body system.??It does not work well, and it is not as safe.
At one time, Dr. Eck tried the idea of a special program for copper.??However, he later abandoned the ?copper program?.
Development programs must attempt to balance ALL of the body chemistry at once.??When this is done, excess copper comes out of the body in its own time in a gentle way, often with few symptoms.
SYMPTOMS OF COPPER ELIMINATION
Elimination of any substance from the body requires that the substance first be moved from its tissue storage site into the blood.??From there it goes to the eliminative organs such as the liver, kidneys, or bowel for final elimination from the?body.
Common symptoms when copper pours into the blood stream on its way out of the body can include headaches and skin rashes such as acne, pimples and others.??The rash can be anywhere on the body, though the most common locations are the face, head, neck and trunk areas.
Other common symptoms are fatigue or its opposite, a kind of anxious, wound up feeling in which the mind can race and one has trouble sleeping, resting or even just slowing down.??One may also feel nausea, impaired appetite, and possibly some other digestive disturbances such as some diarrhea, constipation, gas or bloating.??Some also have a flare-up of an infection, a cold or flu symptoms.
An interesting symptom in men is testicular pain and/or tenderness.??It can come on suddenly and can be severe, so the man does not even want to sit down.??Fortunately, it usually passes in a few hours or perhaps a day.
Younger women may experience changes in their menstrual cycle, or they may have more menstrual symptoms as copper is removed.??Some women will have shorter cycles for a while, which will eventually even out again when the copper elimination is over.??An interesting observation is that if a young woman?s menstrual period does not coincide with the full moon, as copper becomes more balanced, the period will often change over a few months and begin to coincide with the moon cycle.
Candida?albicans.??Another possible symptom has to do with yeast or?candida?buildup in the body.??This is associated with copper toxicity in many cases.??As the copper is removed, usually the?candida?problem just goes away on its own without any other therapy.
If a lot of copper is eliminated quickly, it could cause a shift in?candida?symptoms, such as more gas and bloating, some brain fog or other physical or emotional symptoms associated with?candida?or other yeast infections.
Emotional and mental symptoms.??In some cases, emotional and mental changes are prominent because copper has to do with neurotransmitter secretion and is involved in the biochemical pathways that produce chemicals called the biogenic amines in the body.??These include dopamine, epinephrine and?norepinephrine.
Temporary symptoms can include fatigue, exhaustion, irritability, nervousness, mind racing, anxiety, brain fog,?spaciness, mood swings, depression, weepiness and/or emotional sensitivity.??Very rarely, a copper elimination could cause a panic attack, although I have seen this very few times.
????????????These symptoms are temporary, but can be annoying and they cause some people to discontinue their development program when, in fact, it is working perfectly well.??The rest of this article may help to explain the symptoms better and offer some ways to reduce their severity.
WHY COPPER REACTIONS OCCUR
????????????Development uses at least one dozen mechanisms to cause the body to eliminate excess copper.??Among these are balancing key mineral ratios and levels, making the body more yang, enhancing the organs of elimination, replenishing over three dozen vital nutrients the body requires, removing other toxic substances, reducing stress on the body caused by an improper diet, improper lifestyle and other factors, and the use of antagonists.
Please note that development does not use chelators of any kind to remove copper to any extent.??This is important.??Although they will remove copper, they are not needed, they do not work as well, and they much less safe for several reasons.??Copper chelators include penecillamine and some other products.
Removing copper may sound like a simple idea, but it is not simple.??Excess copper is quite poisonous for the body.??It is mainly a powerful oxidant, but it has other toxic qualities as well, such as its effect on neurotransmitter synthesis and the properties of copper as an electrical conductor.
The copper stored in the tissues must first be transported into the blood.??It then circulates through the blood for a while until?it is taken up by the liver and kidneys, primarily.??From there it must be removed through the feces, bile or some other route such as the skin or even in other body secretions.??This is a complex process.
Symptoms can arise for any of the following reasons, and often for a combination of the following reasons:
Many binding proteins contain sulfur, among other elements.??The sulfur-containing amino acids found in eggs and meats are helpful for removing copper, for example.??This is an important reason why vegetarians who do not eat much meat or eggs have much more problems eliminating copper in most cases.??Adequate adrenal glandular activity may also be required for the liver to produce enough copper binding proteins.
If a lot of copper is dumped into the blood at once, the body may not have enough binding proteins available to handle it.??As a result, free or unbound copper floats through the blood, damaging tissues and organs as it does.??A common symptom when this happens is a headache and perhaps a skin rash.??One could also feel?nauseaus,?spacy, irritable or even depressed for a few hours or even days if the copper elimination is intense.
SOLUTIONS
????????????To stop or reduce the symptoms of copper elimination, here are several options:
After a day or two, try resuming the program taking only one dose of supplements per day.??If one remains fairly symptom-free after two or three days, increase to two doses of supplements per day. If one remains symptom-free after a few more days, increase to three doses per day.??This will take care of many copper elimination symptoms.
?
Sauna therapy powerfully inhibits the sympathetic nervous system.??This will enhance liver and kidney activity.??It also enhances eliminative organ activity and one can sweat out some copper through the skin.??Short saunas are usually better during a copper elimination because longer saunas can dig out more toxins, which may not be beneficial during a copper elimination.
?
????????????Vitamin B6?(pyridoxine or pyridoxal-5-phosphate).??This is another copper antagonist that may be helpful during a copper elimination.??One can take up to 1000 mg daily for up to a week.
????????????Moly-Cu,?from?Endomet?Labs.?This product contains 100 mcg of molybdenum that binds with copper to reduce its toxic effects.??It also helps the liver eliminate copper. However,?molybdenum is slightly toxic, so it is not a preferred method to deal with copper elimination.
The product also contains Russian black radish, an herb high in sulfur.??Sulfur also binds with copper, reducing its toxic effects.??Sulfur is also important for liver detoxification. The product also contains parsley, an herb helpful for the kidneys.??An adult dosage is three to six tablets daily as needed.??Molybdenum is more likely to be helpful if one?s hair sodium/potassium ratio is low.??Hair must not be washed at the laboratory for accurate readings.
???????????Zinc.??While zinc is a major copper antagonist, taking more zinc during a copper elimination can cause the body to remove more copper from the liver.??Zinc can replace copper in the liver and elsewhere.??However, this might force more copper into the blood stream, aggravating copper elimination symptoms. Therefore, extra zinc is not usually the best answer.
Vitamin C. Vitamin C is an excellent copper?chelator, but by stimulating adrenal activity may cause more copper to be dumped into the blood stream.
OTHER PROCEDURES FOR COPPER SYMPTOMS
?
Slow walking and deep breathing?for at least one hour at a time can calm the nerves and promote activity of the parasympathetic nervous system. This system activates the liver, kidneys and intestines to help remove copper.
Acupressure or acupuncture needles?can balance the flow of?qi?or subtle energy through the liver and kidneys.??In some cases, this too will be helpful.
Quality chiropractic care, if needed, may clear nerve blockages that may be interfering with the activity of the liver and kidneys.??The?spinal twist?exercises can also be used at home.
Releasing fear?may also help to assist copper elimination.??Fear has a paralyzing effect on the body, affecting the activity of many organs.??Also, copper toxicity is associated with negative emotions.??Allowing oneself to give up these emotions frees up energy that assists all the organs that are involved with copper metabolism.
THE BENEFITS OF COPPER ELIMINATION
????????????Some people are tempted to quit a nutrition program due to copper elimination symptoms.??If this happens to you, try to recall the many benefits of getting rid of excess copper from the body.??These amazing benefits include:
????????????Copper elimination symptoms are temporary and disappear as the copper level decreases and the organs of elimination function better.??Staying on your development program is worth a little temporary discomfort in order to achieve and maintain excellent health.
COPPER ELIMINATION ON A HAIR MINERAL TEST
????????????Often the hair copper level will rise, but not always.??Another indicator is a rise in the calcium level on a retest.??However, at the same time, the magnesium, sodium and potassium levels decline somewhat.