ABSTRACT
Since the discovery in 1928 that copper is an essential nutrient, hundreds of experiments to clarify its function have been conducted with several species of animals and, under very controlled conditions, with adult human volunteers. People respond to copper depletion similar to animals.[1]
The earliest experiments involved hematology, which preoccupied nutritional scientists for decades. Gradually, evidence for the adverse effects of copper deficiency on the cardiovascular and skeletal systems accumulated. Cardiovascular research related to copper deficiency, including associated lipid metabolism and cardiovascular physiology, now exceeds that on hematology. Early work on bone structure and function is being collected and extended.
