Over the time, Copper was the first element known to man. The copper age saw man progress from using stones as weapons to replacing them with copper. Ancient societies like Indians, Ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece, Somalia used copper in various forms, from currency for trade to household products. Various Ayurvedic texts mention the use of copper vessels for drinking water. Copper is the only metal with anti-bacterial properties. Over the centuries copper has been used in various forms to boost immune system, aid digestion, decrease wound healing times, treat various illnesses including cuts, headaches, even varicose veins. Other claimed health benefits of copper include fighting cancer, balance hypertension, Weight loss, improved joint health, iron absorption, thyroid health, and better digestion. The rise of ayurvedic usage and indigenous medicines has seen a rise in the use of copper products in household items, especially copper vessels, bottles and cups.
There’s no problem for people getting their copper from their diet because its main form is Cu2+, which is soluble in water unlike iron.
A study carried out by the University of South Carolina reported that Copper killed 97% of the bacteria present in ICUs, reducing the risk of contracting hospital-acquired infections by 40%. In June 2016, Natural Chemical Biology published another study, proving that copper’s key role in burning fat in the human body. In 2017, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency registered Copper as the only natural metal with properties to kill harmful microbes.
Here are some of the amazing health benefits of a copper bottles and vessels.
- Negates Infection:Copper a natural antibiotic, water stored in copper bottles for more than 8 hours is free of all such microbial. Copper is effective against E.Coli, S. aureus and Cholera Bacillus among other common waterborne disease-causing agents.
- Fights off Cancer:Copper is a known antioxidant, which means it fights off all the free radicals and negates their negative effects. Free radicals and their harmful effects have been major causes of cancer in the human body. Copper also helps in the production of Melanin which gives color to one’s skin and eyes, as well protects one from the harmful UV rays of the sun.
- Weight Loss: Copper plays an instrumental role in dissolving the excess fat deposits in the human body and helps reduce weight. Copper keeps the body in a fat-burning situation even when the individual is resting.
- Helps Cardiovascular System: Copper helps clean plaque as well as dilate the blood vessels to increase the blood flow to the heart. Studies have proved that Copper deficiency can result in the dysfunction of the heart muscles, leading to insufficient pumping of the blood, impaired circulation of blood in the body and the inability to respond correctly to stress.
- Aids the Functioning of Thyroid Gland: According to the experts, the most common feature between patients of the thyroid is copper. Copper balances the inconsistencies of the thyroid gland, that is it energizes the thyroid gland to function well, but it also fights off the damaging effects of too much secretion from the thyroid gland. While lack of copper leads to thyroid gland malfunction, it is also true that too much copper also makes thyroid gland dysfunction causing hyper or hypothyroidism among patients.
- Assists in Digestion: Ancient Roman texts talk about prescribing copper-based medicine to kill off germs in the stomach. Ayurveda claims that drinking “Tamra Jal” detoxifies and cleanses the stomach. Copper also has properties that stimulate peristalsis (rhythmic expansion and contraction of the stomach lining), reduces the inflammation of the stomach lining, and assists in better digestion. Copper is an excellent remedy for stomach ulcers, indigestion, and stomach infections.
- Balances Hypertension: According to the American Cancer Society, Copper is known to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels. If the Copper deficiency has set on since childhood, it leads to the development of hypotension however, if adults suffer from copper deficiency, they develop hypertension. Therefore, trace amounts of copper are critical for the regulation of blood pressure in a person.
- Prevents Anemia: Copper assists in the breakdown of food to make hemoglobin, it helps the body in absorbing iron, the deficiency of which causes anemia. Copper deficiency in the human body can lead to rare hematological disorders which also results in low white blood cells.
- Cures Arthritis and Inflamed Joints: Copper has anti-inflammatory properties which provide great relief to patients suffering from arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Additionally, copper has bone-strengthening properties, which makes it a perfect cure for arthritis.
- Controls Ageing: Ancient Egyptians used a lot of copper-based beautifying agents, several skincare products these days are copper-based because copper is not only an antioxidant, but it also assists cell regeneration, negating the harmful effects of free agents on the skin.
- Increases Brain Efficiency: The human brain interacts with the rest of the body through electrical impulses. Copper helps the cells in communicating with each other by carrying out these impulses, making the brain work much efficiently.
- Prevents Stroke: Copper also has anti-convulsive properties which mean copper is an effective means to prevent seizures. Copper also has antioxidant properties, meaning that a lack of copper would enable oxidants in working faster and better, increasing the risk of a stroke.
Now that we briefly read about the advantages of drinking water from Copper bottle, lets see how we need to use it.
- Water should be ideally stored for 6-8 hours in a copper bottle to gain maximum benefits from it.
- It is suggested that the water stored in the copper bottle must be room temperature, neither too hot nor too cold. Temperature can play an inverse role on copper.
- Pure copper oxidizes when exposed to oxygen and liquids. The best way to clean a copper vessel is to scrub it with lemon juice and salt, to remove the oxidation stains.
Disadvantages of using Plastic water bottle:
- Bottled Water Often contains toxins from the Plastic
- Drinking Bottled Water can cause development and fertility Issues
- Drinking from Plastic water bottles can also lead to weight gain
- You might be drinking Microplastics regularly
- Reusing Plastic Water Bottles also poses a danger
- Plastic water bottles contain a sizable amount of Bisphenol A (BPA), a substance that has been classified as an endocrine disruptor, meaning it bears a toxic effect on a human’s ability to reproduce. Plastic water bottles also contain plastic softeners known as phthalates which can also be toxic to the health of the consumer.
There are various reasons why plastic water bottles are specifically harmful to the environment. Plastic water bottles are made from petroleum products such as polyethylene terephthalate which requires a substantial amount of fossil fuels to create and transport the substance. Recycling plastic bottles is also a difficult process and in many cases waste from plastic bottles ends up being discarded in landfills where they ultimately make their ways to rivers, and oceans. Further, the process of manufacturing plastic requires a large amount of water, averaging 2 gallons of water per bottle created.
Humans globally purchase 1 million plastic water bottles per minute, 91% of which are not recycled. This means that per day plastic water bottle consumption currently rests at an incredible rate of nearly 1.5 billion per day.
In summary, assuming the daily consumption of 64 oz of water for the average drinker, the annual use of one reusable water bottle would therefore save approximately 1,460 plastic bottles per year. This would lead to a sizable impact on the environment and more over moving to a copper water bottle can also get you all the above benefits at the cost of saving environment.
Disclaimer: The information included on this article is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional.