Dr Pickart:
The skin biology link comparing copper peptides says that copper gluconate is toxic. What form of copper should our multi-vitamin contain? Many multi vitamins contain copper sulfate or copper gluconate.

Try to find a copper peptide or copper glycinate product. This is what the body uses from food and works the best.

Studies on copper gluconate have found that it is not effectively absorbed from the intestines.

Dr Pickart:
If the supplement label reads "copper(chelate)" or "copper(amino acid chelate)" is that a copper peptide supplement?

I have been reading the labels of many supplements online and even the most expensive ones don't say "copper peptide" or "copper glycinate". I know that glycine is an amino acid, but is any copper-amino acid supplement just as good?

I currently take 4mg of an individual copper-amino acid chelate at a different time than I take my multi, which contains 2mg of copper gluconate. I was concerned that the zinc and vitamin C in my multi would interfere with the absorption of the copper, but as it turns out, the copper gluconate was not being absorbed well.

I have always known that cupric oxide is poorly absorbed, but I was not aware that copper gluconate was also poorly absorbed

Copper amino acid chelate or copper glycinate ( an amino acid) are OK.

Am J Clin Nutr. 1985 Oct;42(4):681-2. Links
Lack of effects of copper gluconate supplementation.

Pratt WB, Omdahl JL, Sorenson JR.
A double-blind study was done giving 10 mg of copper/day as copper gluconate or placebo capsules for 12 wk. The seven subjects receiving copper gluconate had no change in the level of copper in the serum, urine, or hair. There was also no change in the levels of zinc or magnesium. There was also no significant change in levels of hematocrit, triglyceride, SGOT, GGT, LDH, cholesterol, or alkaline phosphatase. The side effects of nausea, diarrhea, and heartburn were the same in the subjects receiving copper gluconate and subjects receiving placebo capsules.

See http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/42/4/681.pdf for full article.

Ugh, I already ordered from Vitacost, and it's copper gluconate.

Dr. P. is this going to *hurt* me if I take it? Is there a chance it will be absorbed? I hate doing returns by mail lol.

Well I went ahead an bought the right copper at the HFS yesterday, so I don't know what I will do with that wrong one, it will cost more to send it back and it was just a few dollars.

P.S. I emailed Vitacost to request they carry the right kind of copper, and maybe if we all asked them, they would. Then we would have sort of one stop shopping for those of us who order from there