Copper, a metallic element, which is abundantly present in many things such as drinking water, food supplements, chocolates, and shellfish, is strongly linked to the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease, a report on the 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences confirmed Monday.
The researchers of the study have concluded that there is a strong connection or correlation between the copper content of drinking water and the development of Alzheimer's disease in mice, lead author of the study and a research professor in the University of Rochester Medical Center department of neurosurgery Rashid Deane explained.
"It is clear that, over time, copper's cumulative effect is to impair the systems by which amyloid beta is removed from the brain," Rashid added. "This impairment is one of the key factors that cause the protein to accumulate in the brain and form the plaques that are the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease."
While the element plays a very vital role in healthy nerve transmission, growth and development of bones and other tissues, as well as hormone secretion, this new research claimed that obtaining too much of it can be "pretty scary," Rashid said, continuing into discussing how the mineral can weaken the blood brain barrier; thus, allowing unwanted toxins to pass through.
Moreover, the study has proven that the amount of copper in the brain is quite proportional to the amount of beta-amyloid produced, which is not cleared off from the meninges because of the brain's incapacity to regulate the proteins that processes the said compound.
Copper is a highly abundant mineral, present in drinking water and in an array of foods such as shellfish, red meat, fruits, and vegetables, and in most if not all of the vitamin supplements available to date.
However, a statement from WebMD opined that although the proceedings' latest study could have proven that the mineral is correlated to the development of Alzheimer's among animals, it is still unlikely for the theory to apply to humans, since many animal study results before were found out later on to be inapplicable to human beings.
The researchers of the study also countered their own statements by saying that people should interpret their data with caution, since the report they have published does not really prove anything close to calling the study a cause-and-effect relationship between the mineral and the disease.
"Copper is an essential metal and it is clear that these effects are due to exposure over a long period of time," Deane maintained. "The key will be striking the right balance between too little and too much copper consumption. Right now we cannot say what the right level will be, but diet may ultimately play an important role in regulating this process."
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