Copper Rich Foods Chart
Copper per 100 g and per 100 kcal, ranked. Spirulina, oysters and sesame seeds lead; cashews, squid, dark chocolate and other nuts and seeds follow. Values are in mg (1 mg = 1,000 mcg).
Upper limit for adults: 10,000 mcg (10 mg) a day (National Academies, via NIH ODS).
| Food | Per 100 g | Per 100 kcal | %DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spirulina (dried) | 6.10 mg | 2.10 mg | 678% DV |
| Oysters (cooked) | 5.71 mg | 5.60 mg | 634% DV |
| Sesame seeds | 4.08 mg | 0.71 mg | 453% DV |
| Cashews | 2.22 mg | 0.40 mg | 247% DV |
| Squid (cooked) | 2.11 mg | 1.21 mg | 234% DV |
| Sunflower seeds | 1.80 mg | 0.31 mg | 200% DV |
| Dark chocolate (70–85%) | 1.77 mg | 0.30 mg | 197% DV |
| Brazil nuts | 1.74 mg | 0.26 mg | 193% DV |
| Poppy seeds | 1.63 mg | 0.31 mg | 181% DV |
| Tahini | 1.61 mg | 0.27 mg | 179% DV |
| Hemp seeds (hulled) | 1.60 mg | 0.29 mg | 178% DV |
| Sunflower seed butter | 1.60 mg | 0.26 mg | 178% DV |
| Walnuts | 1.59 mg | 0.24 mg | 177% DV |
| Lobster (cooked) | 1.55 mg | 1.74 mg | 172% DV |
| Pine nuts | 1.32 mg | 0.20 mg | 147% DV |
| Pistachios | 1.30 mg | 0.23 mg | 144% DV |
| Pumpkin seeds | 1.23 mg | 0.22 mg | 137% DV |
| Flax seeds | 1.22 mg | 0.23 mg | 136% DV |
| Pecans | 1.20 mg | 0.17 mg | 133% DV |
| Almonds | 1.03 mg | 0.18 mg | 114% DV |
| Almond butter | 0.97 mg | 0.16 mg | 108% DV |
| Chia seeds | 0.92 mg | 0.19 mg | 102% DV |
| Shiitake (cooked) | 0.90 mg | 1.61 mg | 100% DV |
| Protein bar | 0.85 mg | 0.21 mg | 94% DV |
| Crab (cooked) | 0.81 mg | 0.98 mg | 90% DV |
| Wheat germ (raw) | 0.80 mg | 0.22 mg | 89% DV |
| Goat cheese (soft) | 0.73 mg | 0.28 mg | 81% DV |
| Clams (cooked) | 0.69 mg | 0.47 mg | 77% DV |
| Granola | 0.65 mg | 0.13 mg | 72% DV |
| Freekeh (cooked) | 0.55 mg | 0.16 mg | 61% DV |
Common questions
How much copper do I need per day?
The FDA daily value is 0.9 mg. The adult RDA is 900 mcg (0.9 mg); 1,000 mcg in pregnancy and 1,300 mcg while breastfeeding (NIH ODS).
Where do these numbers come from?
USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy and Foundation Foods), synced per food with source entry IDs on each food page. One dataset, one per-100 g basis, per-100 kcal computed here.
Method
Values are USDA FoodData Central per-100 g figures (SR Legacy / Foundation), the same rows behind every food page on this site; per-100 kcal is computed as nutrient ÷ kcal × 100. DV = FDA daily value for adults (0.9 mg for this nutrient, 21 CFR 101.9).