List of Nuts’ & Seeds’ Copper Content: Most to Least Copper (with free PDF)

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This List of Nuts’ & Seeds’ Copper Content provides an easy reference if you’re trying to reduce copper in your diet to improve your health.

Why reduce copper?

Copper is a heavy metal, and unfortunately, many health movements, and some health gurus, tell us we need more of it.

After Whole30, liver pills, eating organ meats, rainbow diet, vegan and vegetarian stints, we end up with too much copper in our bodies.

The ratio between copper and zinc is important, and most of us have too much copper and too little zinc.

The best way to correct this? Reduce copper in our diets, and gently increase zinc.

Our bodies detox copper when we reduce the amount we eat, and ingest zinc.

Printables

Print your free PDF of Nuts’ & Seeds’ Copper Content here.

Pin the infographic below.

Find a list (and printable) of all high copper foods here.

List of Nuts’ & Seeds’ Copper Content

1. Sesame seeds

Sesame seeds are in Spot #1. They have more copper than any other nut or seed: .7 mg for one ounce.

HOWEVER, on the Infographic, we haven’t listed sesame seeds in the first place, because no one typically eats a whole ounce of sesame seeds.

Instead, if you look below in Spot #6, sesame seeds, or one tablespoon of tahini, find their more accurate ranking.

2. Cashews

Cashews contain .6 mg copper for one ounce.

Given a normal serving size, it is actually more accurate to say that cashews are in Spot #1, for having the most copper of any nut or seed.

Cashews also commonly have mold issues. So despite their deliciousness, cashews, I believe, are a good nut to limit or avoid.

3. Several nuts and seeds rank third: Sunflower seeds, Coconut milk, Hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, Hemp seeds and Walnuts

All of the above nuts and seeds have .5 mg copper.

The portion size for coconut milk is 1 cup.

The remaining nuts’ and seeds’ portion size is one ounce.

4. Several nuts and seeds rank fourth: Chestnuts, Mixed nuts that include peanuts, Black walnuts, Pumpkin seeds and other squash seeds, Pine nuts and Pistachios.

All of the above nuts and seeds have .4 mg copper per one ounce serving.

5. Several nuts and seeds rank fifth: Flax seeds, Pecans, Almonds, Dried coconut, Pili nuts and Chia seeds.

These nuts and seeds have .3 mg of copper per serving.

The portion size for dried coconut is 1 cup (much more than most people eat in one sitting).

The remaining nuts’ and seeds’ portion size is one ounce.

So dried coconut fits better below, where it’s also listed, in Spot #6.

Regarding chia seeds, they may actually have less copper, as sources vary, but they are very high in PUFAs, so best to avoid or limit.

6. Macadamia nuts (the healthiest nut on the planet!) 😉

1 ounce of macadamia nuts has just .2 mg of copper.

(This nut also has the best fat profile of any nut or seed with more monounsaturated fat and less polyunsaturated fatty acids [PUFAs, which we want to reduce in our diet because they cause inflammation and disease].)

Find the best macadamia nuts that are fresh, organic and not rancid here. (I have tried every brand, and this is the only one that passes the freshness test. I eat these daily!)

The following rankings (mostly) reflect reduced portion sizes

The reduced portion sizes below are helpful because they reflect the amount we’re more likely to eat.

Tied for 6th place:

6. Nuts and seeds that also rank sixth: Tahini (1 tablespoon) and Dried coconut (1 ounce).

Each of these ingredients has just .2 mg of copper per serving, serving size as indicated just above.

7. Almond butter (1 tablespoon), Peanuts and Chestnuts (3 nuts).

1 ounce of peanuts, one small serving of almond butter or three chestnuts have just .1 mg copper per serving.

Make Homemade Chestnut Milk here. It’s the fastest plant-based milk to make, and it’s delicious.

8. Lotus seeds

The winner for 0 mg of copper is: Lotus seeds!

Technically, lotus seeds have .099 mg of copper per one ounce.

(You can find them here if you’d like to experiment with them. Lotus seeds are a key ingredient in Chinese Moon Cakes. They’re also good in soups: Here’s Chinese Lotus Seed Soup. [Lotus seeds are high in potassium and have almost no vitamin A, so may be a good food for general liver detox. However, all nuts and seeds should be eaten in moderation.])

Learn How to Cook Lotus Seeds here.

You can Pin List of Nuts’ & Seeds’ Copper Content: Most to Least here:

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• How Nano-Particle Zeolite and Zinc Help Copper Toxicity
• Why NOT to Eat Organ Meat

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19