where does the copper come from in wilson's disease patients?
From food. All food contains minerals.
Normally, copper from the diet is filtered out by the liver and released into bile, which flows out of the body through the gastrointestinal tract. People who have Wilson disease cannot release copper from the liver at a normal rate, due to a mutation of the ATP7B gene. When the copper storage capacity of the liver is exceeded, copper is released into the bloodstream and travels to other organs—including the brain, kidneys, and eyes. The copper comes from your diet. Foods that contain copper are: avocados, barley, beans, beets, oranges, garlic, raisins, soybeans and green leafy vegetables. Also almonds, lentils, mushrooms, nuts, oats, peaches,pears, pecans, pumpkin, prunes, radishes, raisins, sesame seeds and whole grains.
