Poor balance because of problems with one’s sense of spatial awareness (known as proprioception) is sometimes attributed to vitamin B12 deficiency. In fact, new research from experts in London suggests that copper deficiency may be the real cause. Copper is needed as a component of several proteins involved in proper nervous system functioning. Copper deficiency can occur after gastric surgery because of poor absorption of copper from food. Another cause is taking in too much zinc, which competes with copper in binding to transporter proteins that carry it round the body.

The copper deficiency theory is backed by two interesting case studies. One was a 65 year old man who fell in the shower when he closed his eyes. Normally, when you close your eyes you still have a sense of your position but when proprioception is lost you may lose your balance as a result. The patient’s balance became so bad that he was bedridden. Blood tests showed he had a very low level of copper in his body. Administering a simple copper salt rapidly restored his balance. This man had had gastric surgery for an ulcer, which had probably led to copper deficiency.

The second patient was a 37 year old man who had poor balance in the dark. He drank large amounts of a cola drink and used a dental cement to fix his false teeth. The researchers suspected these might be causing him to ingest large amounts of zinc, because his blood levels of zinc were too high, while copper levels were too low. Analysis showed the cola drink was not to blame, but switching to a lower zinc dental cement and taking a copper salt normalised his zinc and copper levels, and resolved the balance problem.

Given that there are many possible dietary sources of zinc – and that zinc is a popular supplement for treating colds - and also that gastric surgery is not uncommon, it may be that copper deficiency is more common than previously believed. Therefore, the experts suggest that copper levels should be measured when patients present to neurologists with balance problems, in case copper deficiency is the underlying cause.

Source:

Khaleeli Z et al Copper deficiency as a treatable cause of poor balance British Medical Journal 17^th April 2010; 340:864-5