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  • Writer's pictureGary Moller
    • Aug 14
    • 4 min read

Indicators of "Hidden" Copper Toxicity

(Updated: 15th August, 2024)

I estimate around 80 percent of the women and 60 percent of the men who seek my help, have an issue with copper deficiency, excess, or blockage. This, I suspect, is mainly the legacy of intergenerational use of copper and female hormones as contraceptives, affecting both males and females. Other factors include the widespread use of oestrogen-mimicking chemicals and a diet that encourages the dominance of the female hormones over the production of the male one. In the body, copper is oestrogen and oestrogen is copper — as copper or oestrogen rise or fall, so does the other. The hormonal balance difference between males and females is easily upset, thus causing a long list of physical and mental health issues. These are listed in this article. Copper is a hard mineral to measure in the body. Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) can help a health professional with training in its analysis to identify and understand copper-related health problems and how to manage them.


When viewing your HTMA chart, there may be indicators of a copper imbalance. Copper may be stored deep within the body, and when in the wrong form and in excess, it goes from being an important nutrient to being akin to a toxic metal like lead. This is a modern health epidemic, with an estimated 80 percent of the women and about 60 percent of the men tested, indicating a problem with copper. The problem appears to be increasing with each generation, due to the intergenerational use of oestrogen-based contraceptives (copper is the catalyst within the body for the manufacture of the female hormones, hence the effectiveness of the copper IUD), increasing body fatness, inactivity, oestrogen-mimicking chemicals in the environment, and many drugs that interfere or imbalance the body's hormones, and oestrogenic foods such as soy, and, generally, too much grain, sugar, and numerous different chemicals in food. Needless to say, this is a big problem, and one that is not understood at all, or else ignored by the health system and by all but a handful of allopathic health doctors.


Copper imbalances seldom ever show up in blood tests. The HTMA is testing for minerals within the body's cells, and this may bear no resemblance to a blood test. Often, they'll give the opposite results. It is, therefore helpful to have both tests for comparison since the tests may indicate a blockage such as interference from a toxin such as mercury or lead.



Four Ticks


The signs and symptoms of hidden copper toxicity are almost indistinguishable from lead! To be quite confident that a person has hidden copper toxicity, they must get four or more ticks for the following of the numbers on their HTMA chart, for there to be reasonable confidence there is "hidden copper":


  • Calcium > 70

  • Magnesium >10

  • Potassium <4

  • Copper <1.5

  • Zinc <12 or >20

  • Phosphorus <13

  • Molybdenum <0.003

  • Mercury >0.003

  • Ca/K > 10/1

  • Na/K < 2.5/1



HTMA Graph
This person has four ticks, so there may well be hidden copper

Typical Signs and Symptoms of copper toxicity


While copper is an essential nutrient, it's still linked to a long list of health conditions. It's important to note that every nutrient works within a "Goldilocks Zone" - Not too much — not too little — just right!


The HTMA chart has a shaded Goldilocks Zone. If a nutrient is either above or below this ideal zone, then signs and symptoms of a deficiency may be the same or similar to an excess. There's also the consideration of the balance between minerals — it isn't desirable for a mineral to be higher than its companions, even if it appears to be within the ideal range. All mineral work as a team and never alone.


  1. Aching muscles or muscle cramps

  2. Acne, including cystic acne

  3. ADD or ADHD

  4. Anaemia - low haemoglobin, sometimes high ferritin

  5. Adrenal Fatigue

  6. Adverse reaction to vitamins & minerals

  7. Amenorrhea

  8. Anger or rage

  9. Ankylosing Spondylitis

  10. Anxiety

  11. Arthritis - osteo and rheumatoid

  12. Autism Spectrum disorders

  13. Bipolar Disorder

  14. Birth Control – Intra-Uterine Device (IUD) and other implants

  15. Birth Control - oestrogen/progesterone

  16. Brain fog

  17. Calcium bone spurs

  18. Cancer

  19. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

  20. Chocolate cravings

  21. Cold hands, and/or feet

  22. Cysts

  23. Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

  24. Depression

  25. Despair, suicidal feelings, hopelessness

  26. Spinal Disc Prolapse

  27. Eating disorders: anorexia, bulimia, overeating

  28. Ehrler-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), (excessive connective tissue laxity, "double-jointed")

  29. Endometriosis

  30. Fainting

  31. Fatigue and exhaustion

  32. Fibromyalgia

  33. Fungal infections

  34. Gum disease

  35. Gut issues - dysbiosis, constipation, IBS

  36. Headaches – including migraines

  37. Heart disease

  38. Heart palpitations

  39. Hives

  40. Hormone Replacement Therapy

  41. Hypoglycemia

  42. Hypothyroid (slow thyroid function)

  43. Infertility or difficulty conceiving

  44. Inflammation - all

  45. Insomnia, interrupted sleep

  46. Joint weakness and injury

  47. Ligament laxity

  48. Low blood pressure

  49. Lyme Disease

  50. Menopause - early, or "raging"

  51. Mind races

  52. Mood swings

  53. Mononucleosis - glandular fever - Epstein-Barr virus

  54. Obsessive thoughts

  55. OCD – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

  56. Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

  57. Osteopenia

  58. Osteoporosis

  59. PANDAS/PANS

  60. Panic attacks, free-floating anxiety

  61. Paralysis

  62. Paranoia

  63. Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) including menstrual cramps

  64. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

  65. Poor concentration and memory

  66. Postpartum depression

  67. Puberty - early onset

  68. Racing heart, pounding heart

  69. Schizophrenia

  70. Seizures

  71. Short attention span or "spaciness"

  72. Skin - rashes, eczema, dry, weak, and thin. Premature ageing of skin

  73. Spondylosisthesis

  74. Stretch marks (especially during puberty)

  75. Super-sensitiveness, weeping

  76. Thyroid problems - Hyperthyroid (fast thyroid function) - Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

  77. Tooth decay

  78. Violent behaviour

  79. Viral infections (mononucleosis - Glandular Fever, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis)

  80. White spots on fingernails

  81. Yeast infection – candida


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