Copper toxicity toxicity. Some of the effects of aging may be associated with excess copper. One manifestation of copper toxicity, cirrhosis of the liver in children (Indian childhood cirrhosis), has been linked to boiling milk in copper cookware. The Merck Manual states recent studies suggest that a genetic defect is associated with this particular cirrhosis. An inherited condition called Wilson's disease causes the body to retain copper, since it is not excreted by the liver into the bile. This disease, if untreated, can lead to brain and liver damage, and bis-choline tetrathiomolybdate is under investigation as a therapy against Wilson's disease. Elevated
Copper gluconate higher than the UL may cause liver damage. Copper gluconate Copper gluconate is the copper salt of -gluconic acid. It is an odorless light blue or blue-green crystal or powder which is easily soluble in water and insoluble in ethanol. The U.S. Institute of Medicine (IOM) sets Tolerable upper intake levels (ULs) for vitamins and minerals when evidence is sufficient. In the case of copper the adult UL is set at 10 mg/day. Copper gluconate is sold as a dietary supplement to provide copper. The typical dose is 2.0 mg copper per day. This is one-fifth what the IOM considers