Fact Check: Can Drinking water in copper glass along with curry leaves take care of anemia?

A recent Instagram post claims that drinking water from copper vessels early in the morning and curry leaves can take care of anemia and pernicious anemia. This post is false

Claim

An Instagram post claims that drinking water from copper vessels early in the morning and curry leaves can take care of anemia. The collaborative Instagram post by fitlikefarah, rukhshat official and aghlab titled “Remedies for anemia and pernicious anemia” suggests keeping water overnight in copper vessels and covering it, keeping 10-12 leaves of curry leaves in it . It then states that when you wake up in the morning drink a small amount of water and chew some curry leaves. The speaker in the post further suggests to chew the curry leaves until it soup in your mouth, when you drink water from a copper glass, it gives you enough copper to make iron bioavailable and curry leaves have enough B12. So your anemia and pernicious anemia are both taking care of.

The post has 28,264 likes and  can be assessed here.

Fact Check:

This claim is False. There is no evidence that supports drinking water in copper vessels along with curry leaves can take care of anaemia as implied in the post. 

Decoding Anaemia and Pernicious Anaemia 

According to World Health Organization ( WHO) , anemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells or hemoglobin concentration within them is lower than normal. The primary causes of anemia include iron deficiency, as well as deficiencies in folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin A. Pernicious anemia, an autoimmune condition, results from the impaired absorption of vitamin B12, leading to its deficiency. This deficiency then causes megaloblastic anemia. (1)

The risk factors associated with pernicious anemia include adverse pregnancy outcomes, fatigue, impaired growth and development, a heightened susceptibility to infections, and an increased risk of death. (2) Anemia can be treated through lifestyle changes, dietary adjustments, and specific medications. In some cases, blood transfusions may be recommended by a licensed medical professional.

Benefits of curry leaves

Curry leaves(Murraya Rutaceae), is known to belong to the genus Murraya and family Rutacea. They are an excellent source of beta-carotene due to presence of  vitamin A content, which is crucial for maintaining healthy vision, immune function, and skin health. They are rich in essential minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and iron. Additionally, curry leaves are packed with antioxidants and possess antifungal, antithrombotic, and hepatoprotective properties. These benefits may contribute to their effectiveness in managing diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and obesity. Moreover, the high levels of phenolic and flavonoid compounds in curry leaves may help in lowering lipid levels and support anti-obesity activities. (3)

Benefits of Copper

Copper is a trace element present in various foods that plays a crucial role in breakdown and absorption of iron, red blood cell production, immune support, and normal brain development. It is absorbed in the small intestine and is primarily located in bones and muscle tissue. Copper aids in collagen formation, which is essential for the health of bones and connective tissues. (4)

According to Ayurvedic practices, storing water in a copper vessel can ionize and energize the water, enhancing its hydration and bioavailability. Copper also facilitates iron absorption from the digestive tract and is necessary for the enzyme ceruloplasmin, which converts iron from its ferric to ferrous form.(10)

Are there any benefits of drinking water from a copper vessel?

The use of copper vessels for safe drinking water is supported by both traditional Indian medicine and modern scientific research.

Modern studies also provide evidence for copper's effectiveness in ensuring safe drinking water. Research published in the Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition suggests that copper help in making drinking water microbially safe, especially in developing countries. (8)

Additionally, an article by Jayalakshmi et al. in Biomedicine highlights copper's antibacterial properties, attributed to its oligodynamic effect—the ability of trace amounts of heavy metals to kill bacterial cells. This antibacterial activity can be particularly advantageous for water storage in rural and low-income areas where access to clean water is scarce. (7)

The Dietary Guidelines issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recommend using copper vessels for cooking but caution against storing acidic foods such as pickles, chutneys, sambar, sol khadi in copper vessels for extended periods, as this can make these foods unsafe to consume. Additionally, as with any material, copper should be consumed in moderation. (9)

While scientific evidence supports the benefits of drinking water from copper vessels, a review published in the Research Journal of Recent Sciences indicates that excessive and prolonged consumption of water stored in copper vessels can lead to copper toxicity. Chronic exposure to high levels of copper result in adverse health effects, including damage to the liver and kidney. (6)

Can drinking copper water along with curry leaves cure anemia?

Numerous scientific studies have shown that water stored in copper vessels has enhanced antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. However, despite detailed search no research has demonstrated that drinking water from copper vessels cure anemia. (5)

Similarly, while studies have identified antioxidants and phenolic compounds in curry leaves, there is no evidence suggesting that anemia can be treated by combining water from copper vessels with curry leaves.

What do the experts say?

The Medical Dialogues Fact Check Team spoke with Dr. Pallavi Gupta, Senior Resident, Pediatric Department at ESIC Hospital, responded to the claim, "Anemia is a condition characterized by a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells or hemoglobin concentration. Common causes include iron deficiency, blood loss, nutritional deficiencies, improper red blood cell destruction, and the presence of rare or autoimmune diseases. Iron deficiency anemia, the most common type, is typically treated with iron supplements and dietary modifications to increase iron intake. In some cases, particularly when anemia is severe, a blood transfusion may be necessary to quickly restore normal hemoglobin levels. Additionally, supplementation with folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin A can be crucial, especially when deficiencies in these vitamins are contributing to anemia. While certain traditional practices and home remedies, such as drinking water from copper vessels or consuming curry leaves, have gained popularity for their purported health benefits, they do not have a proven impact on treating anemia. Copper vessels are known for their antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, but there is no scientific evidence to support their efficacy in increasing red blood cell count or hemoglobin levels. Similarly, curry leaves are rich in antioxidants and offer several health benefits, such as antifungal, antithrombotic, and hepatoprotective properties. However, they do not address the underlying causes of anemia and thus cannot be considered a treatment for the condition. It is important to recognize that relying on home remedies without a proper diagnosis can lead to serious health consequences. It is advisable to consult a doctor for proper anemia management is crucial rather than depending on unproven home remedies".

The Medical Dialogues Fact Check Team spoke with Dr.( prof) Jyoti Kotwal MD, FAMS, FRCP Edin Chairperson department of Hematology and Molecular Medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital ,responded to the claim, " The reel is an absolute myth with no scientific evidence to support it. The commonest cause of anemia in India is iron deficiency and the second common cause is B12 deficiency specially in vegetarians. Curry patta as stated is not a source of B12. Green leafy vegetables are a source of folic acid. B12 is present in non-vegetarian food and in fermented food like idly, dosa , sprouts and khamiri roti. Thus B12 deficiency is commoner in North Indian vegetarians as compared to South Indians who have a large amount of fermented food. One can subtype the nutritional anemia by a simple complete blood count ( CBC). This gives Hemoglobin and MCV as part of report. If MCV is low ( < 80 fl) it can be either iron deficiency anemia more common or thalassemia trait ( rare only 3 to 5 percent prevalence ).In iron deficiency along with low MCV the RBC count is low and RDW CV is high on the CBC. Such patients should be treated by getting increase in iron in diet. Cooking in iron vessels is a good source of iron. Thus jaggery made in iron vessels along with bhuna channa as source of protein so it is recommend as a good cheap supplement for anemia. Jaggery provides the iron for haem and channa the protein for globulin Iron absorption is reduced by milk and milk products , gluten and by phytates in Palak and tannic acids in tea. Vitamin C and lime juice increases iron absorption from food. Thus avoiding milk or tea with food and adding lemon juice to salads with foods increases iron absorption.

A common cause of both iron and B12 deficiency is off the counter availability of pantoprazole and omeprazole in India. Both decrease the acid in stomach and reduce absorption of both iron and B12 present in food. Unnecessary intake of these to suppress effect of spicy food should be stopped. That will also help treat mild nutritional deficiency induced anemia as the nutrients in the good will be well absorbed. Folic acid deficiency can cause anemia specially in pregnancy and green leafy vegetables added to diet can provide this. In both folic acid and B12 deficiency the red cells are big and the MCV on CBC is greater than 100 fl. For severe deficiency of iron B12 or folic acid supplements ( iron and B12 and folic acid ) are required. Rare causes of anemia can be because of breakdown of red cells ( hemolytic anemia) where with anemia there is jaundice and bone marrow diseases like leukemia and aplastic anemia.

Medical Dialogues Final Take:

Scientific studies show that copper has antimicrobial properties and curry leaves have antioxidants. However, no scientific evidence or medical consensus supports the claim that drinking water from copper vessels along with curry leaves cure anemia.

Hence, the claim that drinking copper water along with curry leaves cure anemia is FALSE.

References

1. https://www.who.int/health-topics/anaemia

2. Obeagu, E. I., Babar, Q., & Obeagu, G. U. (2021). Megaloblastic anaemia-a review. Int J Curr Res Med Sci, 7(5), 17-24.

3. Nouman, S. M., Aamir Shehzad, A. S., Butt, M. S., Khan, M. I., & Mahwish Tanveer, M. T. (2015). Phytochemical profiling of curry (Murraya koenijii) leaves and its health benefits

4. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/copper/.

5. Bastola, M.M., Locatis, C., Maisiak, R. et al. Selenium, copper, zinc and hypertension: an analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011–2016). BMC Cardiovasc Disord 20, 45 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-020-01355-x

6. Badiye, A., Kapoor, N., & Khajuria, H. (2013). Copper toxicity: A comprehensive study. Research Journal of Recent Sciences, 2(ISC-2012), 58-67.

7. Srikumar, R. (2018). Drinking Water Stored in Copper Vessel-Reveals Antibacterial Activity. Biomedicine, 38(1).

8. Sudha VB, Ganesan S, Pazhani GP, Ramamurthy T, Nair GB, Venkatasubramanian P. Storing drinking-water in copper pots kills contaminating diarrhoeagenic bacteria. J Health Popul Nutr. 2012 Mar;30(1):17-21. doi: 10.3329/jhpn.v30i1.11271. PMID: 22524115; PMCID: PMC3312355.

9. https://main.icmr.nic.in/sites/default/files/upload_documents/DGI_07th_May_2024_fin.pdf

10. https://blog.saiayurvedic.com/benefits-of-drinking-from-a-copper-vessel#:~:text=In%20Ayurveda%2C%20drinking%20water%20that,vessel%20is%20a%20common%20practice.&tex