Copper Directly Associated to Alzheimer's Disease

Too much copper in human's diets may contribute to Alzheimer's disease, according to a recent study.

The study which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that high levels of copper left the brain struggling to get rid of a type of protein thought to cause dementia.

According to the BBC News, copper is a vital part of our diet and it also necessary for a healthy body.

Some examples of dietary copper include water coming through copper pipes, red meat and shellfish.

The research study conducted by a team at the University of Rochester in New York suggested that copper interfered with the brain's shielding or the blood brain barrier.

Mice that were used as main subjects for the research were fed with more copper in their water which resulted to a greater build-up of metal in the brain's blood vessels.

The team of researchers said "this interfered with the way the barrier functioned and made it harder for the brain to get rid of a protein called beta amyloid."

"It is clear that over time, copper's cumulative effect is to impair the system by which amyloid beta is removed from the brain," said Dr. Rashid Deane, lead researcher.

He told the BBC News that copper also led to more protein being produced. "It's a double whammy of increased production and decreased clearance of amyloid protein."