Copper Conscious Eating

Copper conscious eating is all about balance. It is important to still eat healthy, nutrient-dense foods while moderating copper intake. If copper is restricted too much, you could be missing out on other important nutrients. Also, if copper is excessively restricted, the body could start to increase the amount of copper it absorbs from food more than it normally would.

A diet for Wilson disease (WD) needs an individualized approach since the severity of the disease and its effects on hepatic and neurological function may change throughout one’s life. For example, someone might need to be more mindful of copper intake when first diagnosed with WD but could be more lenient once the disease is managed with the help of medications and regular testing with a doctor.

High vs low copper foods

Food and drinks can be categorized as high, medium and low in copper content. Remember that eating a large amount of a low copper food could quickly add up and become a higher dose of copper.

Therefore, balancing the diet with a variety of nutritious foods will be important.

The general limit for copper is about 1mg per day however, as mentioned earlier, this limit can be more lenient with time based on symptoms and disease management.

We encourage each individual to work one-on-one with a registered dietitian to understand the right balance of copper for them. For most individuals, it is best to make “low” copper foods the base of their diet. There are many nutritious foods in the “moderate” column, so continue to choose moderate copper foods every day, while remaining aware of the listed portion sizes. As for “high” copper foods, choose them infrequently, especially those that are starred* below as being very high copper.

Unfortunately, copper isn’t listed on a nutrition facts label so it can be difficult to assess how much copper you are consuming. Here is a helpful list showing foods that are low, medium and high in copper:

Low Copper Foods (<.08mg per serving)

Vegetables – brussels sprouts, broccoli, bok choy, boxed mashed potatoes, carrots, cabbage, celery, cucumbers, cauliflower, collard greens, green beans, eggplant, lettuce, onions, green peppers, fresh tomatoes, fresh spinach, jicama, mixed frozen vegetables, shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, olives, pickles

Fruits – apples, applesauce, blueberries, cherries, canned fruit, dried cranberries (up to ¾ cup), grapefruits, oranges, peaches, plums, melons, strawberries, watermelon

Breads and Grains –  white bread, white pasta, white rice, wheat farina (such as Cream of Wheat) oat cereals (such as Cheerios), corn cereals (such as Kix), or rice cereals (such as Rice Krispies)

Dairy –  almond milk (non-chocolate), cow’s milk (non-chocolate), cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, frozen yogurt (non-chocolate), ice cream (non-chocolate), sour cream, cream, non-dairy creamers

Proteins – eggs, white meat chicken and turkey, bacon, all beef hot dogs, cod, scallops, sole, orange roughy, halibut, tuna, trout, haddock, flounder

Fats, Oils, Condiments –  butter, margarine, mayonnaise, oils (olive, avocado, canola, etc.), salad dressings, commercially made pesto sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, mustard

Sweets – jam, jelly, carob, honey, maple syrup, flavoring extracts

Beverages –  coffee, tea, fruit juices (cranberry, apple, grape), lemonade, carbonated beverages

Medium Copper Foods (0.08mg – 0.2mg per serving)

Vegetables – artichokes (½ cup), bean sprouts (1 cup), cooked spinach/kale/broccoli rabe/okra (½ cup), canned tomato products such tomato sauce, pasta sauce, tomato juice (½ cup), asparagus (½ cup), green peas (½ cup), all squash (½ cup), pumpkin (¾ cup), potato without skin (1 medium), sauerkraut (½ cup), turnips/parsnips (1 cup), all other mushrooms (½ cup)

Fruits – mango (½ cup), pineapple (1 cup), blackberries (½ cup), raspberries (½ cup), grapes (½ cup), avocado (½ each), 1 pear, 1 nectarine, 1 kiwi, 1 banana

Breads and Grains –  wheat bread (1 slice), wheat spaghetti (½ cup), whole wheat crackers (about 6), brown/wild rice (½ cup), instant or old fashionable oatmeal (1 cup), shredded wheat cereal (1 cup), quinoa/barley/millet (½ cup cooked), wheat germ (3 tablespoons)

Dairy –  chocolate almond milk (1 cup), chocolate cow’s milk (1 cup), chocolate frozen yogurt (1 cup), chocolate ice cream (½ cup), hot cocoa mix (3 tsp)

Proteins – canned beans/chickpeas (½ cup), peanut butter (2 tbsp), hummus (1 tbsp), beef (3oz), pork (3oz), dark meat turkey/chicken (3oz), shrimp (4 large), mussels (3oz), swordfish (3oz), salmon (3oz)

Fats, Oils, Condiments –  fresh pesto sauce

Sweets – gummy bears (1.5oz), molasses (1 tbsp), milk chocolate candy (1.5oz)

Beverages –  prune/orange/grapefruit/pineapple juice (1 cup)

High Copper Foods (>0.2mg per serving)

Vegetables – vegetable juices, lima beans, sweet potatoes, potatoes with skin

Fruits – dried fruits (except cranberries)

Breads and Grains –  soy flour, soy grits, bran cereals

Dairy –  soy milk, nutrition shakes such as Boost, Ensure, Carnation Breakfast Essentials, etc.

Proteins – dried beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, soy protein, soy beans, tofu, hot dogs with pork/turkey/chicken, organ meats* (liver, kidney, heart, brain), lamb, goose, duck, quail, squid, clams, crab, oysters*, shrimp*, prawns*, lobster*

Fats, Oils, Condiments –  none

Sweets – trail mix, dessert or candy with nuts, cocoa, or dark chocolate

Beverages – mineral water (such as San Pelligrino, Perrier)