Their studies show that giving copper supplements to mice eased the stress on their over-worked hearts by preventing heart enlargement. The study will be published online on March 5th in The Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Insufficient copper intake is associated with increases in cholesterol levels, clot formation, and heart disease. The new study found that feeding mice copper relieved heart disease and restored proper heart function, even when the animals' hearts were continually stressed. Stressed mice that were not given copper supplements suffered heart failure. The copper-rich diet increased the production of a protein that promotes the growth of new blood vessels, although exactly how this protein might aid heart recovery is not yet clear.

The human equivalent of the beneficial dose of copper used in this study is about 3.0 mg/day. The current recommended daily intake for humans, however, is only 0.9 mg/day. Increasing copper intake, especially in those pre-disposed to heart disease, might thus be an easy way to reduce the mortality rate associated with this condition.

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Despite being essential for life, not a lot is known about the metabolism of copper generally, let alone during pregnancy.

"Not many people know that without copper the human body cannot survive," Dr Ackland explained. "Copper is particularly necessary for brain and skin development. And while it is essential for life, too much can be deadly. For the most part people get enough copper in their diet so we do not believe that severe copper deficiency is a problem in the general population. However in pregnancy, when the needs of the mother change and there are the demands of the foetus, this is a critical time to understand copper metabolism."

"The foetus can face a range of problems without enough copper such as aneurysms, connective tissue disorders and mental retardation."

While her study does not provide all the answers, Ms Hardman said it was an important step in better understanding copper metabolism and opened up opportunities for further research.

"My research does not go all the way to explaining the impact of copper metabolism in certain diseases. However, it is important because we need to understand the normal state before we can look further at the implications in copper-related diseases," she said.

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