Insight into your copper level.
Copper is a trace element with a role in connective tissue, iron metabolism, the nervous system and immune defence. A serum copper measurement gives insight into the amount of copper in your blood.
Also known as: Cu, copper
Personal assessment by our BIG-registered doctors
By the Bloodworks editorial team
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Background
What is copper?
Copper is an essential trace element. Essential means your body cannot make it and you obtain it through food. Trace element means you need only very small amounts. Copper forms part of a range of enzymes and therefore plays a role in building connective tissue such as collagen and elastin, in making iron available for the production of red blood cells, in the nervous system and in immune defence. Good sources include organ meats, shellfish, nuts, seeds, legumes, wholegrain cereal products and cocoa.
The measurement we perform is serum copper, the copper in the fluid part of your blood. By far the largest share of it is bound to the protein ceruloplasmin. That makes the result sensitive to circumstances which have nothing to do with your intake. Ceruloplasmin rises during inflammation or infection, and oestrogen raises it as well, for example with the contraceptive pill, hormone therapy or pregnancy. Serum copper then sits higher without anything having changed in your stores. A prolonged high zinc intake also plays a part, because zinc and copper influence each other's absorption in the gut. Our doctor takes that context into account, because a single measurement is not a diagnosis.
In brief
Trace element
Essential, obtained through food
Connective tissue
Involved in building collagen and elastin
Iron metabolism
Plays a role in making iron available
Protein-bound
Most copper in blood is attached to ceruloplasmin
Common reasons to test
When can insight into your Copper be valuable?
Below are some situations in which measuring Copper can provide insight.
Insight into your status
A test gives a snapshot of your serum copper.
With reduced absorption
In bowel disorders, after bariatric surgery or during long-term tube feeding, the body absorbs nutrients less well.
If you use zinc long-term
A high zinc intake over a longer period slows the absorption of copper in the gut. A measurement shows where you end up.
With questions about immune defence
Copper plays a role in the immune system. Within a broader work-up, the level can form part of the picture.
On the pill or during pregnancy
Oestrogen raises the protein that copper is bound to in the blood. Your serum copper then sits higher, even when nothing about your stores has changed.
During an ongoing inflammation
Inflammation or infection temporarily raises serum copper. Mention any symptoms during the intake so the doctor can weigh this up.
Tracking the effect of a change
If you have adjusted your diet or your supplements, a new measurement shows what has happened to your serum copper.
What your result means
How do we read your Copper level?
Copper is measured in micromoles per litre (µmol/L). Your result is reported with the reference values used by the laboratory, and those are the ones that apply. Serum copper is largely bound to ceruloplasmin, so inflammation and oestrogen push the value up. The result is therefore best interpreted alongside the rest of the picture.
A low value
A low serum copper fits with limited intake or with reduced absorption, for example in bowel disorders, after bariatric surgery or during long-term tube feeding. A prolonged high zinc intake can also slow copper absorption. Deficiency is rare in the Netherlands, because copper is present in many foods. Our doctor looks at the whole picture rather than this number alone.
A normal value
A serum copper within the laboratory's reference values is a reassuring result for this marker. Bear in mind that blood mainly shows the protein-bound copper and not the stores in your tissues. A single measurement is not a diagnosis.
An elevated value
An elevated serum copper often comes from circumstances unrelated to diet. Inflammation or infection raises the protein that copper is bound to, and oestrogen does the same, for example with the contraceptive pill, hormone therapy or pregnancy. Sometimes long-term supplement use plays a part, and rarely a disorder of copper metabolism. Our doctor will discuss what the result means in your situation and whether further testing is worthwhile.
How we interpret your result
Related tests
Often combined with Copper.
A single marker gives one perspective. For a broader picture you can combine Copper with a theme package or related markers.
+ €29 blood draw fee per orderFree from €225
Frequently asked questions
Everything you want to know
Do I need to fast for a copper test?
Fasting is not necessary for copper. A blood draw in the morning gives the most comparable result. If you combine the test with glucose or cholesterol, for example, the fasting instructions do apply to those tests.
Why do the pill and pregnancy affect my copper level?
Most of the copper in your blood is bound to the protein ceruloplasmin. Oestrogen increases the amount of that protein, so serum copper sits higher with the contraceptive pill, hormone therapy or pregnancy. In itself that says nothing about your intake. Please mention your situation during the intake.
Why does inflammation matter for the assessment?
Ceruloplasmin is one of the proteins that rise during inflammation or infection, and serum copper rises with it. By reading the result alongside an inflammatory marker such as CRP, our doctor can better judge what the number means in your situation.
Can a zinc supplement lower my copper level?
Zinc and copper compete for the same absorption route in the gut. A prolonged high-dose zinc intake can therefore slow copper absorption. If you take zinc, mention it during the intake so the doctor can factor it into the assessment.
Is copper deficiency common in the Netherlands?
No, it is rare. Copper is present in many foods, from nuts and legumes to wholegrain cereals and cocoa. Deficiency is mainly seen with clearly reduced absorption, for example after bariatric surgery or with a bowel disorder, and with long-term high-dose zinc use.
Which foods contain a lot of copper?
Organ meats and shellfish are the richest sources. Nuts, seeds, legumes, wholegrain cereal products, mushrooms and cocoa also make a substantial contribution.
Does serum copper tell me everything about my copper status?
No. It is a snapshot, and most of it is protein-bound, so inflammation and hormones carry strongly into the result. Ceruloplasmin is sometimes measured as well to complete the picture. Our doctor will indicate whether that is useful in your case.
What happens if my level is abnormal?
You receive your result with a personal explanation from our doctor, who explains what the value means in your situation and whether further testing is worthwhile. If you have symptoms, your GP remains the right starting point, because an assessment involves more than blood alone.
Ready for insight into your copper level?
You receive your copper level including a personal explanation from a doctor, usually within 2 working days. No referral needed.
Order Copper →Want to test multiple markers at once?
Combine Copper with other markers via Bloodworks Select. The blood draw and collection fee is charged once per order, and is waived from €225.
80,-
+ €29 blood draw fee+ €29 blood draw fee per order