Benefits & Side Effects Of Drinking Water From Copper Vessel or Jug
Copper, although a trace mineral, is certainly one of the most important elements for the normal functioning of our bodies. Just like oxygen, iron, and vitamins, copper also has its own significance in the normal functioning of the human body. Copper is an important mineral in the formation of red blood cells and other blood components like clotting factors, promotes the formation of collagen and maintains the normal functioning of the nervous system.
Apart from copper being an essential micronutrient, having microbe-free drinking water is still a major concern in India and many other developing countries in the world. Developing countries bear the brunt of the highest number of deaths per year due to diarrhea from contaminated food and water.
In A Study Done in 1996-2207, Statistics Revealed That
- Millions of people die worldwide due to toxicity of food and water with E.coli, Shigella and Vibrio cholera species.
- In India, during the given study period, nearly 222,038 individuals were infected with cholera.
- About 10% of the cases of diarrhea occurred in children less than 5 years of age due to infection with Shigella toxin.
- In Asia, about 45% of cases of diarrhea require hospitalization due to infection with the rotavirus Vibrio Cholera.
Surprisingly in India, only 28% of the population received piped water. Infections with microbes are a major cause of epidemics in India.
Why Should We Drink Water in A Copper Vessel?
Ancient Ayurvedic Texts mention the importance of storing water in copper vessels. Copper has antibacterial activity against bacteria and other micro organisms which cause diarrhea. Ayurveda also mentions that storing water overnight in a copper jug and drinking it the next morning has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic effects on the body.
An experiment conducted by a reputed medical college in India proved the antibacterial effect of water stored in a copper pot against strains of Vibrio Cholera, Shigella, E.Coli and Salmonella typhi, and paratyphi. When these organisms were again placed on culture media, they failed to regrow. This means copper has been effective in completely killing these organisms from a given sample of water.
In other laboratory experiments, it was found that copper could kill Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and Campylobacter. With this documented evidence, it is quite clear that copper has anti-microbial effects against various bacteria under different circumstances. These studies also indicate that in the absence of piped and purified water, copper vessels can be used as an effective method to prevent diarrhea due to contaminated water. It is a feasible and cost-effective method to provide microbe-free drinking water in rural areas in developing countries.
Storing water in copper vessels also doesn’t require any use of electricity or sunlight making it relatively easy access to clean drinking water. Since there are two sides to the same coin. Similarly, we can observe both the effects and side effects of drinking water from a copper jug.
1. Copper is an important co-factor for a lot of enzymes in the body. It influences enzyme activity inside the human body.
2. It is an important mineral in plenty of biochemical activities within the body. It works as a catalyst for these activities.
3. Copper is also essential for the following bodily functions
- Cellular Respiration
- Free Radical Defense – Anti Oxidant Activity
- Formation of Melanin and Collagen
- Cellular Iron Metabolism
- Synthesis of Adenosine and Homocysteine.
4. Cellular transport of iron and albumin.
5. Clotting factors in the blood are responsible for the formation of a clot at injured sites to prevent of blood loss. Out of all 12 clotting factors, factor V and factor VIII contain copper.
Benefits of Drinking Water From A Copper Jug/Vessel
Coper vessels have been rendered as the only solid surface to completely kill bacteria by the U.S Environment Protection Agency. Copper vessels are being increasingly used in hospital settings for patients to avoid the spread of hospital-acquired infections.
Continuous Research Work has Supported Health Benefits of Drinking Water From A Copper Jug/Vessel
- Copper Is A Natural Anti Oxidant – It has an anti-aging effect on the body. Therefore copper works as an immunity booster by fighting against free radicals and also slows down the process of aging. Plaque formation is automatically prevented due to the anti-oxidant effect. This means that copper has a positive role in maintaining cardiovascular health also.
- To Maintain Normal Hemoglobin – People who have a copper deficiency, suffer from poor production and maturation of red blood cells. Therefore copper is important for maintaining normal hemoglobin levels.
- Copper Is Anti Inflammatory – Copper is essential for normal production of white blood cells. It has potential anti-infective properties against a lot of microbes.
- Nervous System – Copper is essential for the synthesis of neurotransmitters.
Side Effects of Drinking Water from A Copper Jug
Although copper is an essential nutrient, the excess is known to have the following harmful effects
- Excess copper in cells causes an increase in oxidation and generation of hydrogen peroxide.
- Excess copper has a negative effect on the cell membranes. This leads to leakage of cell nutrients and electrolytes. This process damages the cell and leads to cell death.
- Copper is usually required for a lot of protein functions in the body. In excess, copper binds to proteins leads to either loss of function of proteins or breakdown of these unnecessarily bound proteins.
- Copper is metabolized in the liver. If copper accumulates excessively in the liver, it results in inflammation and eventually cirrhosis of the liver.
- Copper deposition in the brain is irreversible and has a life-threatening effect. In the presence of copper deposits, nerve conduction is hampered. Therefore both, deficiency and excess of copper results in degeneration of the nervous system.
Even though a lot may have been stressed upon the importance of dietary copper and drinking water from a copper jug. It is equally important to understand that excess of anything can also be harmful. Drinking water from a copper jug is advised usually in the morning but not throughout the day and certainly not over a long duration of time like several years. A break of a month or so must be observed so that the body can get rid of copper. Excess of copper in the body is known to have some serious, irreversible and fatal effects on the human body.
Certain Limitations Which Support The Facts For Side Effects of Drinking Water From Copper Jug Are
- It is difficult to ascertain the purity of the copper vessel.
- Microbes may develop resistance to the copper vessel in the long-run.
- The safety of drinking different types of water from the same copper vessel is questionable.
- The effect of drinking water from a copper vessel has not yet been ascertained against protozoan species.
- Each person’s reaction to certain minerals is different. While some people may have no effect, some people may notice immediate side effects of drinking water from a copper jug.
