Copper Intake Linked to Cognitive Health in Older Adults, suggests study
A new study published in the journal of Nature Scientific Reports highlighted the importance of copper as a micronutrient in maintaining cognitive function with age. This study found that there is an optimal level of dietary copper intake for older adults-intakes below this level may lead to cognitive decline, while higher levels offer no additional benefit.
The frequency of cognitive impairment is increasing as the world's population ages. Copper, an essential trace element, is known to be necessary for a variety of physiological functions, including the proper development and functioning of the nervous system. The link between copper and cognitive function is complicated and not entirely understood.
Using information from the 2011–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), this cross-sectional observational study investigated the relationship between dietary copper intake and cognitive function in older adults in the United States. A total of 2420 participants were analysed.
Dietary copper intake was calculated by averaging two 24-hour dietary recalls, while the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), Animal Fluency Test (AFT), Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's disease (CERAD) subtest, and global cognition Z score were used to evaluate cognitive function. To investigate the relationship between copper levels and cognitive function, multivariate linear regression models were employed.
Higher dietary copper intake was associated with improved cognitive performance. After accounting for numerous confounding factors, people in the highest quartile of copper consumption (Q4) had significantly superior cognitive scores than those in the lowest quartile (Q1).
Specifically, higher copper intake was linked to improved scores on the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST: β = 3.80, 95% CI: 1.90-5.70), Animal Fluency Test (AFT: β = 1.23, 95% CI: 0.48-1.99), CERAD Immediate Recall Test (CERAD-IRT: β = 0.58, 95% CI: -0.06 to 1.22), CERAD Delayed Recall Test (CERAD-DRT: β = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.15-0.80), and the overall cognitive Z score (β = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.10-0.29).
These beneficial connections were more strong in people with a history of stroke. Furthermore, a multivariate smooth spline analysis revealed that the relationship between copper intake and cognitive function accompanied an inverted L-shaped nonlinear pattern, with optimal intake thresholds of 1.63 mg/day for DSST, 1.42 mg/day for AFT, and 1.22 mg/day for the Z score.
Overall, the current study suggests a link between dietary copper consumption and improved cognitive performance in American older persons, particularly those who have had a stroke. According to the dose-response study, the ideal copper consumption amount is around 1.22 mg per day.
Source:
Jia, W., Zhu, K., Shi, J., & Yong, F. (2025). Association between dietary copper intake and cognitive function in American older adults: NHANES 2011-2014. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 24334. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09280-9
