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Woman’s World - Brenda Kearns March 2, 1999

We call them superwomen, and most of us know one. She works all day, keeps spotless home, volunteers at the kids’ school and still gets home-cooked meals on the table. And to the 144 million of us who report feeling tired most of the time, she seems like an impossible dream.

But now doctors are learning her secret. After analyzing countless studies and working with hundreds of patients, researcher Ann Louise Gittleman has discovered that the difference between the energized and the weary may be two little nutrients. “As many as fifty percent of today’s chronically tired women suffer from a simple mineral imbalance,” says Gittleman, author of Why Am I Always So Tired? “They’ve got too much copper and not enough zinc in their systems.”

But now doctors are learning her secret. After analyzing countless studies and working with hundreds of patients, researcher Ann Louise Gittleman has discovered that the difference between the energized and the weary may be two little nutrients. “As many as fifty percent of today’s chronically tired women suffer from a simple mineral imbalance,” says Gittleman, author of Why Am I Always So Tired? “They’ve got too much copper and not enough zinc in their systems.”

Fortunately, doctors report you can rebalance out-of-whack copper and zinc levels by slightly altering your diet. Following their advice could supercharge your stamina (and your health) in as little as two weeks.

WEEDING OUT THE COPPER CUPLPRITS

Doctors say we need 1 ? to 3 mg. of copper to make everything from red blood cells to bone-strengthening collage. But “the average American now gets up to five milligrams daily,” says Gittleman. And studies show that over time, copper builds up in our tissues, interfering with nutrients that would otherwise prompt our cells to turn the food we eat into energy. Besides limiting your intake of high-copper culprits like shellfish and tofu, here’s how to flush out the excess fast:

-Installing a filter. If you live in copper-rich mining areas such as Colorado and Montana, your tap water may be loaded with the mineral.

“But even if yours isn’t, water that’s soft or acidic can leach copper from your pipes,” says nutrition expert Erika Schwartz, M.D., author of Natural Energy.

Also troublesome, says the pros, are water coolers and the automatic ice and water dispensers in refrigerators, since water can sit in these units for hours, absorbing copper from the tubing, “And you could be getting up to 5 mg. of copper a day from drinking it,” says Gittleman.

Experts recommend picking up the copper-sensitive PurTest Iron Hardness Plus test kit from your hardware store. If your water tests high for copper (more than 1 part per million), contact the American Water Service at 800-788-4825.

“They can recommend a filter for your water type and copper levels,” says Gittleman. “The best take out almost 100 percent of copper.”

-Attacking it with ascorbic acid. Experts say 500 to 2,000 mg. of vitamin C daily can purge your copper stockpile within weeks.

“Vitamin C binds to copper in the blood, speeding its excretion,” says Gittleman. And a study reports that even at high doses, vitamin C has no impact on the absorption of energy-boosting zinc.

-Choosing your cookware carefully. Scientist have long known that cooking foods in cast-iron pots increases their iron content, and now they know foods also absorb copper from copper cookware.

“So stick with stainless steel, ceramic or glass,” Gittleman recommends.

PUMPING UP YOUR ZINC

“Studies have shown that the more zinc you get in your diet, the less copper you’ll absorb,” says internal health specialist Robert Black, M.D., of Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Research reveals zinc also plays a critical role in supporting our adrenal and thyroid glands – the engines that boost our metabolism and energy level. But almost 70% of us don’t get the 15 mg. of zinc we need daily. You can shore up your supply by:

-Treating yourself to meat. Millions of us are eating high-carb, low-fat diets for better health these days. But experts say they can cause zinc deficiencies, since they’re low in animal protein.

“Meat is a rich source of zinc,” says Dr. Black, and studies show we absorb four times more of it when we get it from meat as opposed to plant sources such as soybeans and pumpkin seeds. Adding 2 oz. of red meat, fish, eggs or poultry to each meal could boost your zinc intake by 35%.

-Stocking up on supplements. “The safest way to make sure you’re getting your daily value of zinc is to take a 25-mg. supplement each day,” says Gittleman. Just don’t take more than 150 mg. since too much zinc can suppress the immune system. And don’t take it with bread or cereal; research report grains are loaded with phytic acid, which binds to zinc and cuts the amount we absorb to less than 8%.

-Going easy on the zinc-zappers. Studies show coffee, alcohol, may diuretics and some acid reflux medications slow zinc absorption. “And a high-sugar diet forces you to excrete zinc in your urine,” adds Dr. Schwartz. So consider making sweets a weekly treat instead of a daily one.