Is Your Anxiety From High Copper? | Ep. 13

In this episode, we explore copper overload — a little-known root cause of anxiety, emotional overwhelm, depression, and even hormonal imbalances. You’ll learn what copper does in the body, how it becomes imbalanced, and why it’s such a common (and overlooked) issue in sensitive, intuitive, and anxious individuals.

Inside this episode:

• How excess copper is one of the main drivers for anxiety, ADHD, sensitivity, hyperactivity and even postpartum depression
• What causes high copper in the body
• How to accurately test for copper and the correct lab ranges to look for
• How vitamin C, zinc, B6 and other minerals can help the body detox copper
• How I approach this in my Root + Rise healing program

If you’ve tried everything for your anxiety and nothing sticks — this episode might be your missing piece!

Book with Annika at: nourishedbynature.co
Instagram: @annika_taylor_ntp



IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:
 This podcast episode is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. 

You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. 

Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation. For my full Disclaimer, please go to https://www.nourishedbynature.co/disclaimer

Transcript

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Introduction to Copper Overload

Annika 0:45

Today we're going to explore how this mineral can become toxic in the body , how it impacts our nervous system , and also how I use the Walsh protocol in my practice and what I do with my clients to help them rebalance their biochemistry when we find that their copper is too high . So this episode will be helpful for you if you or someone that you love is struggling with anxiety , emotional sensitivity , hormonal issues , so things like excess estrogen , because copper and estrogen are so linked and intertwined in what they do in the body . Um . Or even if you're just feeling overstimulated , wired but tired . Um , because what copper does in the body is it really activates the nervous system and it can keep your nervous system and that stress response . And I do like to say , you know , copper is not the only cause for anxiety . There are a few main causes and I always help my clients figure out what that is for them . Um , but this episode , I think , is very helpful because it will break down for you what copper does in the body , what it does when it goes wrong and then how we can support our body when there is that copper overload picture .

Annika 2:06

Okay , so let's talk about what copper is and then we'll go over what can happen when things go wrong in the body . Copper is an essential trace mineral , so I don't want to paint the picture that copper is bad . There are toxic types of copper , especially when we're talking about copper that comes from pesticides , copper that can come from our copper piping , because a lot of our houses along the way there's copper piping for the tap water to get into our showers , into our sinks and taps , and so that is something to be aware of . But copper is important . It's needed in the body . It's needed for neurotransmitter production , like dopamine and norepinephrine . It's needed for energy metabolism , immune function , our blood health and connective tissue . So it's very beneficial , but only in balance and we find that again and again in the body , right Like it's always about balance . So too much unbound or free copper in the body which is not being properly balanced by zinc is what copper overload is , and so this is what happens .

Annika 3:26

Oftentimes we are starting with low zinc levels , which I see all the time , and so I'm testing for this with all my clients . We test their plasma zinc , we test their serum copper and we look at their ceruloplasmin and by looking at the zinc to copper ratio , that helps me understand what copper is doing in your body . Is it overloaded , um , is it too low , as it was in my case , and is zinc too low ? So we want to balance copper and zinc . But you're probably wondering why does copper even get high in the body ? So if you have very low zinc , which

Understanding Copper's Role in Health

Annika 4:02

most of us do now that I'm testing everyone's zinc , all of my clients think I'm finding that most of us are very low in zinc and , apart from affecting our brain health and our mood health and our neurotransmitters , having low zinc will also make the opportunity for high copper . One goes up , the other goes down . They are like it's like a seesaw . So it's kind of funny . But if we don't have enough zinc , then our copper will get out of balance . Zinc helps keep copper in balance . It helps our body to detox out extra excess copper and so it just keeps everything in a lovely balance . So the second main cause for high copper in the body will be birth control pills and because that's affecting estrogen , and if you have estrogen dominance , that's linked to high copper in the body . Um , another thing , of course , is copper iuds , because that is just physically putting copper into the body . Another thing that can affect copper overload is poor liver detox .

Annika 5:01

So we went over just a few reasons that there can be copper overload . Some people just don't detox it out properly , and so that can just be . You know , I just , genetically , for whatever reason , it's hard for my body to detox it out , and so over my lifetime I'm storing copper . So those copper pipes um , you know bringing in copper if people don't have a shower filter , um , there is a lot of copper in the water and , depending on where you live , but you know it's mostly coming from pipes . Um , like I mentioned , from pesticides and things like that . So , eating as organic as much as you can , um , and you know , using filters for water for showers is ideal If copper is an issue for you , okay .

Annika 5:51

So let's go over some of the top symptoms of copper overload . If someone you know or yourself may have high bio unavailable copper in the body , cause again copper is copper in the body because again , copper is good in the body , we do need it . It's a trace mineral but when it is unbound to ceruloplasmin and it is just floating around and unavailable and that's when it can build up in the liver and build up in the brain and cause all kinds of mischief . So one of the top things of course is anxiety and panic attacks , symptoms of high cortisol and high adrenaline . All of those would fall under having high copper , since it is overstimulating the nervous system and keeping us in that stress response . Racing thoughts or overstimulation can happen .

Annika 6:39

Emotional sensitivity or mood swings , sensitivity to light , sound or smells . Sometimes that can include sensitivity to or intolerance to , like rough fabrics or tags or even cheap metal . It can also include sensitivities to food dyes and a lot of kiddos nowadays have just really bad reactions to food dyes . And apart from just the food dyes not being good for the brain and the body , sometimes when there's high copper that can intensify those reactions . Also , we might see depression with high inner tension , and that includes postpartum depression , severe PMS or hormonal imbalances . So copper is closely linked , as I mentioned before , to estrogen and it can even things can feel worse in your cycle when there are higher estrogen phases because it's just pushing estrogen way too high . So when copper goes up , estrogen goes up and vice versa . So that is really linked to problems with excess estrogen and all the symptoms that come with that .

Annika 7:50

There can just be an overall poor stress tolerance , brain fog , difficulty concentrating , and then we come into some of the interesting pieces , especially if you have kids , young kids or teens . This applies to adults as well . But we'll see hyperactivity , inability to like , stop talking , it's hard to just , you know , you know kids that just keep fidgeting . Autism is related to high copper . It can really contribute to high copper . It can really um , contribute to autistic symptoms , um . So hyperactivity , adhd problems , focusing problems , learning and reading also for kids can be high copper , all right . So a couple other

Symptoms of Copper Imbalance

Annika 8:35

little things to look for could be acne , because of the low zinc . It might be hard to tan because copper is needed to make melanin . There can be ringing in the ears with high copper sleep problems , like we mentioned before . Sometimes it can also affect us hormonally with endometriosis , fibroids , pcos , abnormal periods , and again , those are often linked to that high estrogen and high copper picture . So those are some of the things to look for for if you have high bio unavailable copper in the body .

Annika 9:13

One of the main things that I like to talk about with high copper , too , is having postpartum depression . Now , this isn't going to be the root cause for everyone with postpartum depression , but it is a really big one . So what normally happens in pregnancy is that the body holds onto more copper so that the baby can have that copper to build its vasculature system , and so copper is needed for that , and that is very important . And then after pregnancy , once the baby's born , the body normally goes back to releasing any excess copper and it's not a problem . But for some women who have an issue with detoxing copper , then it's harder for them to get rid of that excess copper after pregnancy . They are now stuck with all of this copper and that is a big cause for low moods , just feeling mood swings and all of the problems with high copper as these women are going through , and it's because there's just been too much copper in the body and after a couple months , if the body's able to deal with that and release that copper slowly , their symptoms can get better . But so I like to mention that because I think it's really important and maybe not talked about . For , yeah , postpartum depression , it's quite common , okay , and let's also really quickly just get the testing out of the way .

Annika 10:39

For those of you who are curious or who want to ask their doctor or health practitioner to test this for them , now , not every lab does this correctly . Labcorp is a good one to go through , but you want to get your plasma zinc tested . You should be above 90 micrograms per deciliter , and between 90 to like 130 is ideal for zinc and that's plasma zinc . We want to look at your ceruloplasmin as well . Ceruloplasmin is what binds copper . It's the main protein that helps carry it through the body , and so if that's low , that's a good indicator that there's some issues with copper .

Annika 11:21

We want to look at your serum copper . Of course we want to look at copper , but we want to look at the serum copper and ideally that is below 100 micrograms per deciliter . If we see it above 100 , 110 micrograms per deciliter , that is much too high and would warrant support , especially if you're having symptoms , and then I also will do . Looking at the free copper , so the percent free copper is above 25% , we'll know that the free copper that's just unbound and it's floating around in the body , then that's too high . So those are our testing , those are our , what we're looking for as far as levels . Now let's get down to how we can support you , if you have high copper , with nutrient therapy .

Annika 12:12

So number one thing is to add in zinc . We want to do this very slowly .

Testing for Copper Overload

Annika 12:19

I have people who have very high copper , very high percent free copper in the blood , and we need to go very slow with those people . There's nothing worse than already feeling bad from high copper and then adding in zinc , which is important and needed by the body . But it can start to detox the copper so fast that it gets into your bloodstream and then you just feel more overstimulated , you can't sleep , your thoughts might be racing more and we don't need that .

Annika 12:45

So my view on the body is everything , gently everything and balance everything , just to support the body and what the body's actually already doing . And so adding in zinc , you can start at like around . For an adult , 15 milligrams is a nice low dose working your way up , and I generally will be working up . If they are depleted in zinc , um , we'll usually be working up to around 75 milligrams to sometimes a hundred milligrams um for a couple months until the zinc gets back up to the correct level . But I cannot emphasize how slow I will go with people because the zinc it can act really quick in releasing that copper into the body . So we want to be gentle with that .

Annika 13:32

Another thing that I'd like to add for people with high copper is making sure that they have enough vitamin A , and vitamin A is important for building that ceruloplasmin . So that is important as well , um to help mobilize the copper , help it to move . We want to also have things like B6 for neurotransmitter balance Um sometimes . Molybdenum and manganese are important too , because that can help move the copper and mobilize the copper out of the body . But really , you know , on a nutrient therapy perspective , we're also thinking about how can we support your liver and your gallbladder , because your liver is doing all that detoxifying and the gallbladder is making the bile . The bile is what helps to hold on to that copper and pull it out of the body . So if you have like a sluggish gallbladder if you have a liver that's stressed , and most of our livers are under some form of stress just with all the amount of toxins in the world . But it's important to to always support the liver and the gallbladder in that way .

Annika 14:42

Um , and you know , sometimes if your copper is really high , there's some foods you might want to reduce for a while . Um , things like chocolate , I hate to say , are high , is high in copper . Um , there's certain foods . So if you just do a quick , you know online search what foods are high in copper , that might be something that I would tell a client to do if they were really high , um , but for the most part , that's not too much of a problem . Okay , and then another thing to think about here , because I am a somatic coach and I do very , very much believe in supporting the nervous system through all the nutrient therapy that we're doing .

Annika 15:25

So why would the body sometimes , why would the nervous system , be holding on

Balancing Copper with Nutrient Therapy

Annika 15:30

to copper ? Sometimes that's because it's wanting to stay in a stress response and it's not feeling safe enough to go into the parasympathetic state . So , if you'll remember , there's three main modes of the nervous system . The parasympathetic is your rest and digest . That's where we want to operate most of the time . That's where we co-regulate with other people , we have connection and we are not feeling activated when we are in that stress response . That's that high activation of the nervous system . And that can be when there's anxiety and a lot of just overstimulation and stress . So if the body is feeling like it's , the nervous system is not feeling safe . If there's stored emotions , stored charge , stored trauma , that can be a reason that the body might be wanting to stay in that stress response . And so that's where I like to not just give the body what it needs nutritionally , although that might completely fix the problem I like to also address the nervous system and make sure that the nervous system has that felt sense of safety , has that foundation , so that it knows like , as we're working on supporting getting that copper out , it can go back down into that parasympathetic state and feel safe there .

Annika 16:46

It's not having to hold on to that stress response and keep us there right . So that's where somatic work , energy medicine , biofield tuning , all of that can help to accelerate this process . And those are all things that I offer in my root and rise program , which I guess now is a really good time to bring that up , since we're talking about all the testing and how to support copper overload . So the root and rise program is my new new program . I'm so , so excited to actually be offering this . I've been working behind the scenes for a couple weeks to get this put together .

Annika 17:24

What I love about this program is that it's not just focused on the biochemistry and nutrient therapy , it's also combining somatic and energy medicine and it's definitely not a one-size-fits-all fix . It's completely custom to you . So we get the testing done at the first beginning of the package the zinc , the copper . We'll check you for pyrrole if your pyrroles are too high . So we're getting all of that information . I'll have you do the assessment so

Root + Rise Program for Mood and Energy Balance

Annika 17:57

I can look and see which neurotransmitters are too low for you .

Annika 18:01

And the whole idea is that very first month , even before we've started the protocols , you're actually starting to feel better because we're using amino acid therapy and somatic healing to downregulate your nervous system . So that first month is all about just regulating and feeling better . You know , if you're feeling anxious , depleted , depressed , stuck in a cycle of burnout , if you're just feeling like you've got hormone imbalances leaving you exhausted , if you're feeling brain fog , you know , or just maybe just emotionally off-center . This program will support you . It's all about just bringing you back to balance , because that's what I believe health is about is just finding what balance means for you , so that you are able to just go out there into life and just be that authentic , beautiful , vibrant version that you were meant to be .

Annika 18:55

So if the root and rise program sounds like something that you would love to be a part of , you can go ahead and actually get started by booking your new client consultation on my website . That button is on every page of my website . It will say book your new client call or your intro session and that's all the same thing . So , yeah , that's where you'll start . And after that call it's a whole health consultation . So it's a whole new client intake with me , really getting to understand your goals and your needs . And then if we decide , yeah , the Root + Rise program is perfect for you , then we'll go ahead and get started with that . I also have some other custom programs and packages that might even be a better fit for you . So it all starts with that new client consultation . Go ahead and book that right there on my website , which is nourishedbynatureco . That's nourished by nature dot co .

Annika 19:48

And my friend, I will leave you here . I hope today was helpful , I hope it was fun learning about copper with me and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week , wonderful rest of your day and I'll see you in the next episode .