From fashion to wellness, current trends are all about throwbacks, be it '90s outfits or home remedies. If you scroll through your social media apps, you will probably notice the popularity of copper water vessels, from advertisements to people talking about the health benefits of drinking water in copper bottles. But what might seem like a sudden trend is not sudden at all—in fact, drinking water from copper containers is an age-old practice. According to Ayurveda, the ancient medicinal system, “copper water” has many benefits, including bringing balance in the three doshas in the body, Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Storing water in a copper vessel overnight allows the mineral to leach into the water, which then supposedly offers health benefits.

 

Copper is a trace mineral that is essential to maintain body functions, as it is key for your heart health, bone health, and a range of other processes such as energy production. Copper is usually available adequately through your regular diet in foods such as nuts, seeds, potatoes, and shellfish. Copper deficiency is generally uncommon, but individuals with coeliac disease, Menkes disease (a genetic disorder), or those who are taking zinc supplements in high doses, which can interfere with copper absorption, may have problems with getting enough copper. The required daily intake amount for the mineral for adults is 900 micrograms. Copper can also be detrimental to your health in excessive amounts—causing issues such as liver damage, diarrhoea, cramps, and vomiting. The daily upper limit for copper intake in adults is 10 mg per day.

 

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Benefits of Drinking Water in Copper Vessels

1. Antimicrobial Quality: Research shows that storing drinking water in copper vessels can have a sterilising effect due to the antibacterial quality exhibited, and ancient civilisations have historically used copper to purify water and sterilise wounds. An article published in AYU presents that using copper pot for water purification has been recommended by Ayurveda, and science shows that copper pot has antibacterial effect against important diarrhoeagenic bacteria such as Vibrio cholerae, Shigella flexneri, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica typhi. A study article published in the Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition showed that storing microbially contaminated drinking water in copper pots helped kill the test pathogens.
2. Aids in Maintaining Heart Health: Although there is not enough concrete research about the claimed benefits of copper water, copper itself is an important nutrient. An article published in Pharmacology & Therapeutics suggested that copper supplementation may help in reversing heart enlargement caused by copper deficiency.
3. Can Improve Bone Health: Copper is associated with bone density levels. A study published in Clinical Cases in Mineral and Bone Metabolism showed that in post-menopausal women with low bone density, the levels of copper (along with other minerals such as magnesium, zinc and calcium) were low. A 12-week study on elderly patients with dietary copper deficiency showed that copper supplementation helped with improving bone health.
4. May Protect Against Anaemia: Copper plays a crucial role in the absorption of iron in your body and helps in the production of red blood cells. A deficiency in the mineral can thus contribute to anaemia.

 

Copper is also involved with collagen production, immune function, and antioxidant activity.

 

Worth It or Overhyped?

Single use plastic bottles do major damage to our environment, so the sustainability of using a reusable water container is a big copper vessel benefit that you might not have thought about. The antibacterial effect of copper containers on drinking water is a definite plus. Research shows that usually, the copper leached in water stored in copper vessels remains below World Health Organization's safety limits (2 mg per litre of water is the upper limit, so as to not cross the 10 mg mark in a day), so there is no harm in drinking copper vessel water.

 

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