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Editorial illustration of whole and cut mangosteen with thick purple pericarp

Natural Home Cures · Mangosteen science

Copper
& Mangosteen

A trace mineral with a supporting role
in our bodies and in living plants.

Enzymes · Connective tissue
Explore the science ↓
Editorial illustration: A trace mineral in familiar foods.
An everyday food connectionA trace mineral in familiar foods.Nuts and seeds are among the dietary sources of copper.

Copper helps enzymes carry out essential work in the body and in plants. Explore its everyday roles and food sources, then see what researchers found in mangosteen pericarp—the ingredient used in our freeze-dried capsules.

CuCopper / an essential trace mineral

01 · Begin with the essentials

A Trace Mineral That Helps Enzymes Work

Copper is a trace mineral: the body needs only small amounts. It helps enzymes, the proteins that carry out chemical reactions, do their jobs.(1)

02 · Normal biological roles

What Does Copper Do?

Conceptual red blood cells illustrating the connection to iron and hemoglobin

Helps iron find its role.

Copper-containing proteins help move and process iron so the body can use it. Iron is needed for hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in blood.(1)

Conceptual cross-section of a mitochondrion with folded inner membrane

Supports cellular energy.

Cells use copper-containing enzymes in the reactions that turn food into usable energy.(1)

Conceptual detailed collagen fibers illustrating tissue structure

Builds structure and flexibility.

Copper helps enzymes form links within collagen and elastin, proteins that give tissues strength and flexibility.(1)

03 · Copper and iron

Helping Iron Reach Its Job

Copper helps proteins prepare iron for transport and use. One of these proteins is called ceruloplasmin. Its work helps make iron available for hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells.(1)

This explains why a copper deficiency can cause anemia even when iron is available. The two minerals do different jobs: iron binds oxygen, while copper helps the body handle iron properly.(1)

29CuCopper26FeIronIRON HANDLINGHEMOGLOBINRED BLOOD CELL
Copper helps the body use iron; iron is needed for oxygen-carrying hemoglobin.

Another role inside cells

Copper in Antioxidant Defenses

Normal cell activity produces reactive molecules. Antioxidant defenses help keep these molecules under control so they do not build up and damage cells. A copper-containing enzyme called superoxide dismutase, or SOD, is part of this defense system.(1)

One form of SOD uses both copper and zinc. Here, copper acts as a working part of an enzyme, rather than as a free-standing antioxidant. This is another example of why the body needs small amounts of several minerals working together.(1)

Copper comes from a variety of familiar foods.

04 · Everyday food sources

Copper on the Table.

Copper occurs in a variety of plant and animal foods.(1)

Illustrative food photograph: Almonds, cashews and pumpkin seeds

Nuts & seeds

Cashews and seeds

Illustrative food photograph: Oats, brown rice and wholegrain bread

Whole grains

Wholegrain bread and cereals

Illustrative food photograph: Bowls of lentils and chickpeas

Legumes

Chickpeas and other beans

Illustrative food photograph: Cooked salmon on a ceramic plate

Seafood

Salmon is one example

In plants, copper helps carry out another essential process: photosynthesis.

Conceptual leaf and chloroplast illustration showing green thylakoid stacks

05 · The living plant

Copper helps plants
use sunlight.

Leaves contain tiny structures called chloroplasts that capture sunlight. Inside them, a copper-containing protein called plastocyanin passes electrons between parts of the light-capturing system. This transfer helps the plant turn light into chemical energy.(4)

Conceptual leaf and chloroplast illustration.

06 · Copper at work in the pericarp

Why Fruit Can Turn Brown After Cutting

Some fruits darken after being cut or bruised. An enzyme helps natural substances in the fruit react with oxygen, producing brown compounds. One enzyme involved is called polyphenol oxidase, or PPO. It needs copper to work.(4)

Researchers have studied PPO in mangosteen’s outer pericarp. A 2016 study examined how brief heat treatment affected this enzyme and changes in the pericarp’s color. This is a practical example of copper’s role in plant chemistry.(3)

Real mangosteen fruit showing thick purple-red pericarp around white segments
Garcinia mangostana / real fruit photograph

Researchers have also measured copper in mangosteen’s outer pericarp.

07 · Copper in the pericarp

Copper Has Been Measured in Mangosteen Pericarp

A study published in October 2026 tested mangosteen’s pericarp (the thick outer rind). The researchers reported 0.082 milligrams of copper per 100 grams of dried pericarp. This shows that copper was present in the pericarp they tested.(2)

Natural Home Cures mangosteen capsules with fresh mangosteen fruit on sunlit limestone

08 · From fruit to product

Whole Mangosteen Pericarp, Freeze-Dried

Our Freeze-Dried Rich Pericarp Mangosteen Capsules are made from the whole pericarp of Garcinia mangostana. After harvest, the pericarp is freeze-dried and prepared for capsules.

Explore our mangosteen →
The research behind this article

Source References

4 sources Show referencesHide references
  1. 01
    Nutrition referenceNIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Copper: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
    Full citation
    NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Copper: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
    View source
  2. 02
    Rind composition studyNutritional and Functional Potential of Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) By-products: Compositional, Color and Antioxidant Analysis of Leaves, Pericarp, Seeds and Pulp

    Wilcaso, Landázuri, Castelló & Ortolá (2026) · Plant Foods for Human Nutrition 81:127. Table 2: minerals in dried rind.

    Full citation
    Wilcaso, P., Landázuri, A. C., Castelló, M. L. & Ortolá, M. D. (2026). Nutritional and Functional Potential of Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) By-products: Compositional, Color and Antioxidant Analysis of Leaves, Pericarp, Seeds and Pulp. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition 81, 127. Table 2.
    View source
  3. 03
    Research referenceEffect of Blanching on Enzyme Activity, Color Changes, Anthocyanin Stability and Extractability of Mangosteen Pericarp: A Kinetic Study

    Ziabakhsh Deylami et al. (2016) · Journal of Food Engineering 178:12–19.

    Full citation
    Ziabakhsh Deylami et al. (2016). Effect of Blanching on Enzyme Activity, Color Changes, Anthocyanin Stability and Extractability of Mangosteen Pericarp: A Kinetic Study. Journal of Food Engineering 178:12–19.
    View source
  4. 04
    Research referenceCopper Delivery to Chloroplast Proteins and Its Regulation. Frontiers in Plant Science 6:1250.

    Aguirre & Pilon (2016)

    Full citation
    Aguirre & Pilon (2016). Copper Delivery to Chloroplast Proteins and Its Regulation. Frontiers in Plant Science 6:1250.
    View source