Copper inhibits a brain protein that naturally prevents amyloid beta tangles from developing
Copper is found in red meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds and dairy products as well as pipes that carry drinking water in much of the developed world. Using a mouse model, scientists looked at how copper in the capillaries may cause a breakdown in the blood-brain barrier, leading to a buildup of the protein, amyloid beta, a type of plaque that is a hallmark of Alzheimer's. Testing on mice and human cells, the team determined that levels of copper delivered via drinking water accumulated in the capillary walls that feed blood to the brain.