Can I take copper bisglycinate with vitamin C?
The short answer
At normal dietary or standard supplemental doses, yes. There's no meaningful interaction. The concern only arises with high-dose vitamin C supplementation (1,500 mg+ daily), which can reduce copper absorption over time. If you take high-dose vitamin C, consider spacing it a few hours from your copper dose.
Where the concern comes from
Large amounts of vitamin C can chemically reduce copper and interfere with its absorption and with ceruloplasmin activity. This effect only becomes practically relevant at sustained high intakes — roughly 1,500 mg/day and above. The amounts of vitamin C in food, in a multivitamin, or in a typical 500–1,000 mg supplement are not a problem alongside copper.
If you take high-dose vitamin C
If you regularly take 1,500 mg or more of vitamin C, a simple fix is to separate it from your copper by 2–4 hours — for example, copper with breakfast and vitamin C later in the day. This sidesteps the absorption competition without either supplement getting in the other's way.
Sources
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Copper Fact Sheet for Health Professionals — ods.od.nih.gov
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