Copper supplementation at [amount hidden] neither affects circulating lipids nor liver function in apparently healthy Chilean men

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Copper (Supplement) in this randomized controlled trial publication.

Copper (Cu) deficiency has been reported to influence lipid metabolism, but the effects in humans are controversial.

Who Took Part

The study group was 17 subjects.

The age groups tagged for this paper are teenagers, adults and middle-aged adults, men only.

60 apparently healthy males aged 18-51 years were randomly assigned to Cu supplementation (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30).

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Copper (Supplement) and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

Neither the subjects nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Copper (Supplement), so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with Copper (Supplement) could be set against what happens without it.

The design was randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.

There were no effects on serum Cu concentration or ceruloplasmin (protein) and hepatic transaminases.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Chile, Cholesterol, LDL, Copper, Dietary Supplements and Liver.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Copper (Supplement) in 17 subjects.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 2013 (Biological trace element research), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Copper (Supplement) compound page, all human trials.