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Long-term high copper intake: effects on copper absorption, retention, and homeostasis in men^1,2,3

¹ From the US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Western Human Nutrition Research Center, Davis, California (JRT, WRK, and JMD), and the Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Soonchunhyang University, Asan City, Chungcheongnamdo, Korea (SKK).

Background: Numerous studies have examined the effect of low and adequate intakes of copper on absorption and retention, but little information is available on the regulation of absorption and retention of copper when intake is high.

Objective: A study was conducted in men to determine the effect of long-term high copper intake on copper absorption, retention, and homeostasis.

Design: Nine men were confined to a metabolic research unit (MRU) for 18 d and were fed a 3-d rotating menu containing an average of 1.6 mg Cu/d. They continued the study under free-living conditions for 129 d, supplementing their usual diets with 7 mg Cu/d. They then returned to the MRU for 18 d and consumed the same diet as during the first period, except that copper intake was 7.8 mg/d. The stable isotope ⁶³Cu was fed to 3 subjects and infused into the other 6 on day 7 of each MRU period, and complete urine and stool collections were made throughout the study. Total copper and ⁶³Cu were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Copper absorption, excretion, and retention were calculated on the basis of dietary, urinary, and fecal copper and ⁶³Cu.

Results: Results were as follows when comparing the high copper intake with the usual intake: fractional copper absorption was significantly lower, but the amount absorbed was significantly higher; excretion of the infused ⁶³Cu was significantly faster; and total retention was significantly higher.

Conclusions: Homeostatic regulation of copper absorption and retention helped to minimize the amount of copper retained with high copper intake but was not sufficient to prevent retention of >0.6 mg Cu/d.

Key Words: Copper • absorption • retention • homeostasis • stable isotope • high copper intake

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