Ecological Textile Products

Theraputic Copper

Copper has been used through the ages to alleviate a variety of health related problems, on all continents and throughout most cultures. Although the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties of copper have been recognized since ancient times, modern science is now expressing an increased interest into the function of copper in human health.

"Copper is necessary for the formation of red blood cells and other components of the blood system, and for the healthy growth, development, and maintenance of bone, connective tissue, brain, heart, and many other body organs. Copper is involved in the formation, synthesis, and release of life-sustaining proteins and enzymes which produce cellular energy, regulate body functions such as nerve transmission, blood clotting, oxygen transport, and stimulate the immune system to fight infections, repair injured tissues, and promote healing. Copper also functions to neutralize Afree-radicals@, which are unstable oxygen byproducts that are formed as a result of normal body processes or exposure to environmental pollutants and can cause severe damage to cells.  Scientists are continually identifying new essential functions for copper." (Bonnie Ransom Stern is an independent consultant with expertise in the assessment of complex problems related to public health and the environment.   She has a Ph.D. and a Masters in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley)

Current research shows that elevated levels of copper are found in the blood plasma of individuals suffering from a variety of diseased conditions, including arthritis, cancers, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.  The same is true for patients suffering from wounds of various kinds.  These findings suggest that the redistribution of copper within the body is a natural occurrence, playing a significant role in the bodies’ own healing response to diseased states and physiological stress. Based on these findings it has now been suggested that copper complexes have additional medicinal properties that are fundamental to the healing process.  Chelated copper complexes have been approved for a number of anti-inflammatory oral medications and copper metallo-organic complexes have been used  successfully to treat arthritis and other chronic degenerative diseases.

Although only small amounts of copper are necessary for normal bodily functions, we  can no longer can be assured that our nutritional requirements are met through the foods that we eat.  Modern farming methods have depleted the soils of essential micronutrients and over processing of our foods s essentially eliminate whatever residual nutrients that may still be present.
                   
It has now been recognized that copper deficiency is becoming a serious health concern in all countries and all age groups. Symptoms of copper deficiency include general weakness, impaired respiration; skin sores, decreased immune function, elevated LDL cholesterol and reduced HDL cholesteabsorption. Copper deficiency may play a role in arteriosclerosis and aortic aneurysms, affects the cardiovascular system, causing extensive damage to the heart and arteries and can cause early graying of the hair and loss of skin color, as the pigment melanin is  copper- dependent.   Concern about copper deficiency has been expressed by a panel of health experts meeting under the auspices of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS),  particularly among children and the elderly even in developed areas such as the US and Western Europe.

Copper is not produced by the body and must be provided for by ingestion or absorption.   The routes of exposure to consider for copper in human health are drinking water, food, skin contact and inhalation. Additional research into the intricate ways in which copper interacts with the body will add to our knowledge and understanding of how this element supports human life. (International Copper Association)

Since the early 1950's, modern research has clearly demonstrated the health benefits of cu properties. (1) Our research establishes that when woven into a fabric and worn next to the skin, amino acid copper complexes are absorbed into the body. 

Cellulose is a polymeric derivative of sugar, which when allowed to react with certain compounds gives substituted celluloses that then contain substituents with chelating reactivity that bond Cu. 

When this fiber is placed in contact with the skin,amino acids and other chelating agents in the stratum corneum form Cu complexes by ligand exchange and these complexes are absorbed through the skin, producing many useful pharmacological effects as a result. These include, but are not limited to, relief from rheumatism, arthritis and stress.

Copper containing fibers can protect the human body
from harmful electromagnetic frequencies and facilitate the recovery form harmful electromagnetic radiation. (2)

(1)      Sorenson, J.R.J.:  Copper Complexes for Therapy of Cancer and Autoimmune Diseases.    In:  Copper and Zinc in Inflammatory and Degenerative Diseases.  Rainsford, K.D., Milanino, R., and Sorenson, J.R.J., eds., Kluer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands, pp 113-124(1998).

            Sorenson, J.R.J.:   Pharmacological Activities of Copper Compounds.  In:   Handbook of Metal-Ligand Interactions in Biological Fluids:  Bioinorganic Medicine Volume 2.  (G. Berthon, Ed.).    Marcel Dekker, NY, pp. 1128-1139 (1995)

.Sorenson, J.R.J.:  Antiarthritic, Antiulcer, and Analgesic Activities of Copper Complexes.  In: Proceedings of the Second International Society For  Trace Element Research in Humans, Tomita, H. Ed., Springer-Verlag, Tokyo, pp. 261-268 (1990).  (Invited)

(2)        Sorenson, J.R.J.:    Essential Metalloelement Metabolism and Radiation Protection and Recovery.  Radiation Research 132:19-29 (1992).

           Sorenson, J.R.J., Soderberg, L.S.F., Barnett, J.B., Baker, M.L., Salari, H., and Bond, K.B.:  Radiation Protection With Cu(II)(3,5-DIPS)  Rec. Trav. Chim. 106(6-7):391, (1987).  (Invited)

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