Copper supplements with the fewest additives
Copper may fight anemia, improve bone strength, and more. However, many copper supplement brands contain more than just copper. For example, silica or silicon dioxide are often added to prevent caking, magnesium stearate or stearic acid for easier manufacturing, and hypromellose (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose) as an emulsifier or thickener.
I try to avoid these additives because they may have questionable health effects. If you want to do the same, my recommendations for the purest copper supplements are:
Suggestion for minimal-additive copper capsule:
- silica-free / silicon-dioxide-free
- stearic acid-free / magnesium stearate-free
- hypromellose-free / hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-free
Copper (as copper gluconate), rice flour, gelatin.
Suggestions for pure copper liquids/colloids:
- silica-free / silicon-dioxide-free
- stearic acid-free / magnesium stearate-free
- hypromellose-free / hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-free
Copper, purified water.
- silica-free / silicon-dioxide-free
- stearic acid-free / magnesium stearate-free
- hypromellose-free / hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-free
Copper, ultrapure water.
- silica-free / silicon-dioxide-free
- stearic acid-free / magnesium stearate-free
- hypromellose-free / hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-free
Copper, distilled water.
- silica-free / silicon-dioxide-free
- stearic acid-free / magnesium stearate-free
- hypromellose-free / hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-free
Copper, ionic catalyst.
Suggestion for copper gluconate powder:
- silica-free / silicon-dioxide-free
- stearic acid-free / magnesium stearate-free
- hypromellose-free / hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-free
Copper gluconate.
A recent COA is available.
Other copper supplements
The following are other copper supplements I'm aware of, sorted alphabetically.
| Name | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Allergy Research Group Copper Sebacate (Veggie Capsules) | Copper (as copper sebacate), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, dicalcium phosphate, silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate. |
| Bluebonnet Nutrition Chelated Copper (Veggie Capsules) | Copper (copper bisglycinate chelate), 100% kosher vegetable capsules, vegetable cellulose, vegetable magnesium stearate. |
| Douglas Labs Copper | Copper, cellulose, gelatin, vegetable stearate. |
| Natrol Copper (Capsules) | Copper (from copper gluconate), cellulose, gelatin, water, magnesium stearate, silica. |
| Nature's Life Copper Complex (Capsules) | Copper (from copper gluconate, citrate), cellulose, gelatin capsule and vegetarian magnesium stearate. |
| Nature's Plus Copper (Tablets) | Copper (as soy amino acid chelate), di-calcium phosphate, microcrystalline cellulose, stearic acid, magnesium stearate, pharmaceutical glaze and silica. |
| Nutricology Copper Sebacate (Veggie Capsules) | Copper (as copper sebacate), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, dicalcium phosphate, silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate. |
| Solaray BioCitrate Copper (Veggie Capsules) | Copper (as copper citrate), whole rice concentrate, vegetable cellulose capsule, dandelion root, watercress leaf, horsetail herb, yellow dock root, magnesium stearate and silica. |
| Solaray Copper (Capsules) | Copper (as copper amino acid chelate), gelatin capsule, rice flour, magnesium stearate and silica. |
| Solgar Chelated Copper (Tablets) | Copper (as copper glycinate amino acid chelate), dicalcium phosphate, microcrystalline cellulose, vegetable cellulose, vegetable magnesium stearate. |
| Source Naturals Copper Sebacate (Tablets) | Copper (as copper sebacate), microcrystalline cellulose, dibasic calcium phosphate, stearic acid, silica, and magnesium stearate. |
| Swanson Premium Copper (Tablets) | Copper (as copper chelate), calcium carbonate, microcrystalline cellulose (plant fiber), stearic acid, magnesium stearate, croscarmellose sodium, food glaze. |
| Swanson Ultra Albion Chelated Copper (Capsules) | Copper (from TRAACS® copper glycinate chelate), rice flour, gelatin, magnesium stearate, maltodextrin. |
| Thorne Research Copper Picolinate (Veggie Capsules) | Copper (as copper picolinate), aspartic acid, hypromellose (derived from cellulose) capsule, leucine, silicon dioxide. |
| Twinlab Copper Caps (Capsules) | Copper (from copper gluconate), potato starch, gelatin, medium chain triglycerides, magnesium stearate, silica. |