Copper Sources

Food sources

Copper is found in a wide variety of foods and is most plentiful in organ meats, shellfish, nuts, and seeds. Wheat bran cereals and whole grain products are also good sources of copper. According to national surveys, the average dietary intake of copper in the U.S. is approximately 1.0 to 1.1 mg (1,000 to 1,100 mcg)/day for adult women and 1.2 to 1.6 mg (1,200 to 1,600 mg)/day for adult men. The copper content of some foods that are relatively rich in copper is listed in micrograms (mcg) in the table below. For more information on the nutrient content of foods you eat frequently, search the USDA food composition database.

Food	Serving	Copper (mcg)
Liver (beef), cooked	1 ounce	1,265
Oysters, cooked	1 medium oyster	670
Clams, cooked	3 ounces	585
Crab meat, cooked	3 ounces	624
Cashews	1 ounce	629
Sunflower seeds	1 ounce	519
Hazelnuts	1 ounce	496
Almonds	1 ounce	332
Peanut butter (chunky)	2 tablespoons	165
Lentils, cooked	1 cup	497
Mushrooms, raw	1 cup (sliced)	344
Shredded wheat cereal	2 biscuits	143
Chocolate (semisweet)	1 ounce	198
Hot cocoa mix	1 ounce (1 packet)	169

Supplements

Copper supplements are available as cupric oxide, copper gluconate, copper sulfate, and copper amino acid chelates.

See also: