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The Best Ways to Chelate Copper

Copper chelation is the process of reducing the amount of copper within the human body to reduce the risks and effects of excess copper building up in the cells of the body. The reduction of copper levels is important in human health to avoid medical issues including the growth of tumors, and the physical and brain damage caused by Wilson's disease.

  1. Copper

    • Copper is required to maintain health; between 50 and 120 mg of copper is an average level stored in the liver, Oregon State University reports. Excessive amounts of copper in the human body can lead to health problems, including damage to the liver. Copper chelation is the reduction of heavy metals within the human body; supplements and medications are often used to reduce a number of heavy metals.

    Tetrathiomolybdate

    • The medical supplement tetrathiomolybdate (TM) is commonly used to chelate copper that is causing the growth of cancerous tumors and other conditions linked to high copper levels. TM was discovered to have copper-reducing qualities by researchers in Australia and New Zealand who were researching medications to aid the treatment of Wilson's disease. Copper reduction was found to reduce the formation of natural ions that bind copper to other molecules within the body. TM is administered until the level of copper reaches a lower level within the 50 to 120 mg range, Oregon State University reports.

    NAC

    • A supplement that does not need to be obtained through prescription is N-acetyl cysteine); this supplement can be used to chelate copper in the body and reduce the level of other heavy metals. NAC can also be used following the use of another supplement, such as TM, to maintain the levels of copper within the body at a required level. Supplements like NAC and TM are often used because they are nontoxic to humans, NAC is also used to increase the levels of antioxidants such as glutathione that occur in the cells of the human body.

    Thioctic Acid

    • Another copper-chelating supplement is lipoid acid, also known as thioctic acid, that is also known to reduce the levels of other heavy metals within the human body, according to the Cancer Research Institute of West Tennessee. Thioctic acid is administered in doses of between 100 to 400 mg to users who have an empty stomach at the time the supplement is taken.

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