Many people e-mail me to ask what I did specifically to heal my gut so completely?

I’ve been pretty transparent about most of it. I spent a year eating a strict Paleo diet that excluded nuts, dried fruit, and ALL sugar except for fresh fruit. But there’s a little bit more to the story. So I’ll get really specific about what I did.

I’ve been hesitant to discuss this because, in the last few years, I’ve had a few doubts about my diagnosis. But I decided to share my story because there may be something to it, and it may hold the missing piece of the healing puzzle for someone out there.

When I met my nutritionist, she asked me a few questions and then told me I had copper toxicity (also known as copper overload or copper imbalance).  She also suffered from the same issue and had healed herself. She said both of us got it from taking the birth control pill, as well as being a bit prone to retaining copper.

I took a lab hair sample test to confirm her theory. It came back showing extremely low levels of copper. My nutritionist said it confirmed the diagnosis.  Levels show up as low when copper is being stored in the liver instead of circulating freely in blood to be excreted.

Copper toxicity is not recognized by mainstream medicine and few people in the alternative health world discuss it. But I trusted my nutritionist because the protocol she put me on worked beautifully. After years of searching I finally found something that worked.

Looking back, there may have been other reasons why the Paleo protocol healed my gut, even without copper issues.

Yet there still might be some validity to copper zinc imbalance. And it is part of my story.

The people who should pay attention to this blog post are former or current vegetarians or vegans who are likely deficient in zinc.  Vegetarians who eat eggs are at lesser risk.

Also at high risk are women who’ve been on the birth control pill or taken estrogen raising medications or who’ve had a history of eating disorders or chronic dieting/calorie restriction.

I want to emphasize that I had IBS before going on the birth control pill and becoming a raw food vegan. But after doing these two things my symptoms got so much worse! A whole new level of pain and misery.

What is copper overload/imbalance?

Copper is a mineral that’s in our food and vitamins (mostly from vegetarian sources) and in our environment (copper pipes,  unfiltered drinking water, pesticides, copper IUDs).

Copper isn’t a problem if it’s naturally balanced by abundant levels of zinc in the body. There must be a higher ratio of zinc to copper to prevent copper from accumulating.

When zinc get depleted and copper levels rise, the body stores excess copper in the liver so it doesn’t overwhelm blood levels. Copper stored in the liver can cause digestive issues, hormonal imbalance or headaches. But the most prevalent symptom of copper overload is anxiety. This can manifest as a racing mind and fatigued body, insomnia or full blown panic attacks.

Zinc is lowered by:

Not eating enough animal protein
Drinking alcohol
Chronic stress or trauma
Eating sugar and grains
Taking medications like antacids, Zantac, Tagamet and cortisone.

Copper is raised by:

Not enough zinc to balance it
Eating too many copper rich foods, like beans, nuts, soy, chocolate, avocados, black tea/coffee and shell fish
Taking medications that raise estrogen or slow the liver’s detox function.
Drinking unfiltered water, eating produce with pesticides and chronic dieting (which slows metabolism and detox function)

Other causes of copper imbalance

One of the biggest trends I’ve seen in the IBS population is how many former vegetarians develop IBS. Almost as common in the IBS population are people with former eating disorders. When I hear about this I can’t help but think about copper imbalance.

There’s also a close relationship between copper overload and adrenal fatigue, since stress can deplete zinc and burn out the adrenal glands. Luckily, both adrenal fatigue and copper toxicity are treated in a similar fashion. More animal protein and healthy fats, rest, no grain and refined sugar consumption, and eating regularly.

Some people are more prone to retaining copper than others. The characteristics of a copper retaining type includes reddish hair/skin or copper highlights (that’s me) as well as being highly creative with a tendency towards mood swings, anxiety and living in your head.

And then there are those who have genetic issues that prevents them from properly processing copper in the body due to methylation issues. When copper retention gets extreme it’s recognized by modern medicine as Wilson’s disease.

You can test for copper toxicity by getting a hair sample analysis test or taking a 24 hour urine sample test.

Or if you’re a DIY experimental type, like me, you can remove copper-rich foods from your diet to see if you feel any better. Also try increasing zinc-rich foods like red meat and pumpkin seeds. And managing stress is important for not depleting zinc levels.

Do this for a minimum of 3 weeks to gauge accurate results. It takes time for the body to adjust to something that’s working.

These days, I can eat high copper foods like chocolate, avocados and crab without a problem. But I also avoid refined sugar, eat plenty of lamb/beef  and manage my stress with chi gong, yoga nidra and walking my dogs. Copper imbalance is no longer an issue or concern for me.

But if you fit one of the high risk groups above and this rings an intuitive bell for you,  you might want to read up on the topic.

“Why Am I Always So Tired?” is a great book about Copper overload by Ann Louise Gittleman.

She says in her book that copper imbalance is the underlying issue of health conditions like yeast overgrowth (candida), PMS, and a run down immune system (the immune system needs zinc to function properly).

How to balance copper in the body

As I mentioned, healing copper imbalance takes a similar approach as healing digestion and the adrenals (low sugar, high protein, lots of rest). You can heal all three systems in one swoop, with a bit of extra attention to avoiding copper containing foods.

Nuts are one of those foods that are legal on Paleo but would have prevented me from healing. Copper or not, I just know nuts are not great for my body.

Now that I am healed, I do eat shrimp, oysters, clams, lobster and crab, but not a lot. Oysters, are the highest source of copper there is, but I can handle them in moderation.

Because liver health is central in releasing copper from the body, lots of rest, lemon juice and bitter greens can help support the liver to work better. I took chlorella for a year to support my liver, but getting rest was just as important.

Cilantro is a miracle herb that removes heavy metals from the body. One of my healing staples was cilantro and pumpkin seed pesto. Leave out the raw garlic if you are FODMAP intolerant.

Infrared saunas are one of the best way to detoxify heavy metals, like copper, from the body. Look around for a spa near you that offers half hour sessions.

And though I have never tried this myself, coffee enemas are effective at clearing the body of heavy metals. You can do coffee enemas at home in the shower. They can help with fatigue, liver detox and even constipation. This is not a personal recommendation, just passing on info I’ve learned from others.

How common is copper overload?

I’m not sure how many people suffer from copper overload, and I’m not suggesting you have it. But it may be an issue for some. If you fit the copper type and highest risk group, and this hits home for you, I suggest you research it further.

So now you know EXACTLY what I did to heal myself. I went Paleo, I avoided copper-rich foods, I rested and took supplements for a whole year. I was very focused and strict.

I put my health first and envisioned total recovery. This was the foundation of why I healed so completely and have never had digestive issues again.

Happy to respond to any questions in the comments below.

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