“ Mom! should I throw this old and withered copper pot? “Self-proclaimed decluttering expert Leena asked her mother.
“ Not at any cost, Are You Mad? This is your granny’s favorite water pot.” Leena’s Mom replied angrily.
“ hmpf, what good is this ancient withered pot” let me enlighten granny that it doesn’t spark joy!
So here we are elaborating with evidence what Leena’s Granny said and you can decide who got enlightened in the end!
Table of Contents
The humble copper pots are now extinct, fondly known as ‘lota’ in Indian households. It used to be the only way to store water at the bedside along with some earthen pots. Our ancestors always had logical reasons behind using a specific metal or alloy or earthen pot for a specific purpose. Without further adieu…
Here are Some Scientifically Proven Copper Water Benefits –
1. A study (1) published in NCBI has proven that keeping the water in a copper vessel for about 24 hours leads to the inactivation of many harmful bacteria in it. Some of them are Salmonella Typhi, Salmonella typhimurium and Vibrio Cholerae, etc. These bacteria are responsible for causing typhoid and cholera. The humble copper vessel prevents you from getting these nasty diseases. You see,
this is the reason why our ancestors never needed water purifiers.
2. It keeps the water cool. This is why they used to be the most chosen utensil other than earthen pots. The copper pots were more durable than the earthen ones and also easy to clean. Which is why they were preferred over the other metals.
As most of the copper-rich food sources are non-veg except spinach and nuts etc. The copper pots were believed to provide some copper traces to fulfill the body’s need for copper and thus balance all the doshas in the body.
3. Copper helps in the production of collagen in our body. Collagen in turn boosts the skin elasticity and stops aging. Thus we can say that copper is our friend in defying those signs of aging by boosting collagen production.
Let’s Find Out Why Exactly Copper is that Important?
1. Another study (2) found that copper deficiency can be the leading cause of Ischemic heart disease, otherwise known as a heart attack. So copper saves you from heart attack along with other minerals.
2. Copper also saves us from many other digestive system disorders. It is believed that it improves the peristalsis (the movement of the intestine to push food forward). So if the food remains stagnant in your intestine, it can lead to indigestion, acidity, gas, etc.
By keeping the food moving at a good pace, copper saves you from those farts and burps. Pretty Nice, isn’t it!
3. The same study showed that the deficiency of copper can lead to fatty liver, cholesterol problems, neuropathy, anemia, blood pressure issues and reduction in skin elasticity, etc.
4. Copper also plays a significant role in the prevention of cancer and accelerating wound healing. (3)
5. Copper deficiency can lead to some weird effects as well, such as loss of skin and hair color, mental retardation, diarrhea, anemia, etc. (4)
6. It is an essential nutrient for the proper development of the baby in the mother’s womb.
How much Copper is enough to get the benefits?
As per WHO guidelines, the amount of copper in drinking water should not exceed 2.0 mg/L. (5) Ingestion of more than the recommended amount can lead to symptoms of copper toxicity.
Some classic symptoms of copper toxicity are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and metallic taste in mouth.
Copper toxicity occurs mostly due to eating the copper pesticide sprayed fruits. This is why we recommend washing fruits and vegetables with this trick to save your family from harmful chemicals.
Vegetarian Sources of Copper to Reap Copper Benefits
- Nuts and seeds – are the most important sources of copper, protein, and minerals. The star of the copper show are almonds, cashews, and sesame seeds. Just Develop a habit of eating a handful of mixed nuts every day and you will never fall short of these much-loved minerals.
- Leafy Greens – The greens such as spinach and kale are rich in copper, calcium, vitamins, and all the green health in them. you can add baby spinach to your salad or make the famous ‘palak-paneer’ curry or ‘spinach-corn’ curry. Spinach and potato sandwiches are a deliciously healthy option.
- Dark Chocolate – Heavens Be Praised! You have got one more great reason to eat dark cocoa. Not just the mood booster and heart health provider, these dark melt-in-mouth chunks are a huge source of copper. More than your daily requirement, which is 900 mcg per day.
- Potatoes – This is the main reason why copper deficiency is not common. As everyone loves all things potatoes. This is why potatoes n spinach sandwiches with a hint of garlic are a win-win!
- Beans and black pepper are also rich in copper.
What about Copper water bottles and Copper Utensils?
As much as they are hyped, we couldn’t find any studies related to their effectiveness.
Copper bottles provide you disinfected water that is cooler than room temperature and is said to balance your three doshas. For copper consumption, you need to eat seeds n greens!
Copper Utensils used to be the utensil of choice because the food doesn’t stick so easily in them. Also it used to remain fresh for long hours due to copper’s bacteria-killing property. We are still a fan of copper utensils.
Clean the copper utensils or bottles with lime, vinegar, tamarind, or anything sour to keep them as good as new!
Don’t forget to subscribe to the notifications by pressing the bell icon! Thanks for Connecting with us 🙂
