Copper: How it Impacts Energy, Hormones, and Mood

Copper is a trace mineral, meaning the body only needs it in small amounts, but it plays an enormous role in overall health. It supports energy production, iron metabolism, hormone balance, immune health, nervous system function and so much more. When copper is balanced and bioavailable (more on this below), it helps the body produce energy efficiently and regulate key physiological systems.

However, over the past few decades, copper dysregulation has become increasingly common in women and understanding how copper works in the body can help explain why.

What Copper Does in the Body

As mentioned above, copper is required for numerous enzymes and biological processes. Some of its most important roles include:

Energy production- Copper is required for cytochrome c oxidase, an enzyme in the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Which is just a fancy way of saying it is essential for producing energy (ATP, the body’s primary energy currency).

Iron metabolism- Copper helps regulate iron transport and utilization through enzymes like ceruloplasmin. Without adequate copper function, iron can not be properly mobilized, which can contribute to fatigue & inflammation even when iron intake is sufficient. For a deeper dive into iron and anemia, read my in depth blog post on iron here.

Brain chemistry and nervous system function- Copper provides powerful antioxidant capabilities (like superoxide dismutase or SOD), development of nervous system tissues, synthesis of neurotransmitters like dopamine- supporting mood, focus, and stress response.

Hormone balance- Copper interacts closely with estrogen. When one rises, so does the other. This can influence hormonal balance when either level becomes dysregulated.

The Estrogen–Copper Connection

One reason copper imbalance is commonly discussed in women’s health is its relationship with estrogen.

Estrogen and copper tend to increase together in the body. Research and clinical observations have shown that estrogen exposure can raise copper levels, which is why copper imbalance is often associated with hormonal fluctuations.

Its no wonder that copper dysregulation has more and more common over the decades, since the sheer amount of young women being put on hormonal contraceptives (HC). HC contain synthetic estrogens, therefore increasing copper concentration even more over time.

During pregnancy, copper levels from the mother will leave the tissues, enter the blood and pass the placenta and reach the fetus. This is a normal process! However, if the mother is experiencing an excess of copper in her body, the amount of copper being "downloaded" to the fetus is greater. If the fetus turns out to be a baby girl, her normal estrogen levels and possible use of HC in the future will perpetuate excess copper being stored in her tissues.

Several other factors contributing to to copper accumulation include:

• Copper water pipes

• Copper IUDs

• Pregnancy and postpartum hormone shifts

• Chronic stress

• Nutrient deficiencies that impair copper metabolism

• Chronic bacterial infections

Symptoms of Copper Dysregulation

When copper becomes imbalanced — particularly when it accumulates in tissues, this is known as "biounavailable" copper (more on this below). A wide range of symptoms may appear, including:

Hormonal symptoms

• PMS

• Estrogen dominance, relative to progesterone

• Breast tenderness

• Irregular menstrual cycles (heavy, painful and prolonged)

Mental and emotional symptoms

• Anxiety

• Mood swings

• Feeling overstimulated or “wired but tired”

• Brain fog

• Emotional sensitivity

Physical symptoms

• Fatigue

• Headaches

• Digestive disturbances

• Skin issues

Of course, these symptoms can overlap with many other health conditions, but often dysregulated copper is part of the mechanism.

Biounavailable Copper: When Copper Is Present but Not Usable

An important concept mentioned above is biounavailable and bioavailable copper.

Copper on its own can not be used by the body, it must be bound to a protein called ceruloplasmin (CP). When copper is bound to CP, it is known as bioavailable and is able to conduct all of the important bodily processes listed above.

Ceruloplasmin acts like a bus, shuttling copper around in the blood, bringing it to all the sites in the body it is needed. When copper is not properly regulated (or not bound to CP), it can build up in tissues, this is known as biounavailable copper. There is copper present, but it can't be used because it is not bound to CP. This can lead to a functional copper deficiency, causing symptoms like fatigue, anemia, hormone imbalances, high cholesterol, and increased susceptibility to infections. This excess copper building up in tissues leads to increased inflammation and stress on the body.

Copper issues often stem from impaired mineral balance, external hormonal factors and poor copper transport rather than simply “too much copper intake.” This is why simply avoiding copper foods rarely solves the issue.

How You Can Support Copper Regulation In Your Body

Like any bodily process, copper regulation doe snot happen in isolation. It is impacted by several other body systems and other nutrients.

The body produces ceruloplasmin in the liver, and this process is influenced by both thyroid and adrenal hormones.

The active thyroid hormone, T3, stimulates the liver to produce CP, while the adrenal hormone DHEA also helps. If thyroid or adrenal function is impaired, the body may struggle to produce adequate ceruloplasmin and regulate copper effectively.

Several nutrients are also required for this process. For example:

• Vitamin A (as retinol) is vital for loading copper into ceruloplasmin.

• Vitamin C supports enzymes involved in energy production and assists the liver in producing ceruloplasmin.

• Other nutrients important in copper regulation are zinc, magnesium, B vitamins and iron

The liver is also important for eliminating excess copper. Copper (as well as estrogen and many other compounds in the body) is eliminated through our bile, a substance made in the liver and stored in the gallbladder. If liver function or bile flow is impaired, copper may not be eliminated efficiently.

Because of these relationships, supporting the liver, bile, thyroid, adrenals, and overall nutrient intake can help improve copper metabolism.

How Can You Tell If You Have Copper Dysregulation?

If you are experiencing symptoms listed above, a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) is a useful tools for assessing copper patterns. It can show high or low levels of tissue copper, and provide additional insights from other mineral ratios and patterns. The HTMA also provides a deeper understanding of how your thyroid and adrenals are functioning and how your body is dealing with stress.

Unlike blood tests, which reflect a moment in time, HTMA looks at mineral patterns stored in the tissues over several months. This provides a more accurate picture of how your body is doing over time. However, an HTMA coupled with specific blood work can provide additional benefits.

The Takeaway

Copper is an essential mineral that supports energy production, iron metabolism, brain chemistry, and hormone balance.

But for many women today, modern stressors, hormone exposure, and nutrient imbalances may lead to copper dysregulation — particularly copper stored in tissues rather than properly utilized.

Understanding copper’s role in the body — and using tools like HTMA to assess mineral patterns — can help uncover root causes behind symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, and hormonal imbalance.

Mineral balance, thyroid & adrenal health, plus liver & bile functioning are foundational to ensuring copper is functioning as it should in your body. If these symptoms resonate with you, these are all areas I support with 1:1 clients.

To order your HTMA now, and start to experience symptom relief, go to my HTMA Services page here.

References (APA)

Montalvo, A. (2022). Mineral balance and hormone health. Hormone Healing RD.

Malter, R. (1996). The Strands of Health: A Guide to Understanding Hair Mineral Analysis. Malter Institute.

Watts, D. L. (1990). Trace Elements and Other Essential Nutrients: Clinical Application of Tissue Mineral Analysis. Trace Elements Inc.

Linder, M. C., & Hazegh-Azam, M. (1996). Copper biochemistry and molecular biology. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 63(5), 797S–811S.

Tapiero, H., Townsend, D., & Tew, K. (2003). Trace elements in human physiology and pathology: Copper. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 57(9–10), 386–398.