Cofactor in iron metabolism and connective-tissue formation.
Every figure here is per 100 g of the food, not per serving. That makes foods comparable to each other, but it is not how anyone eats: 100 g of a dried spice and 100 g of a leafy green are very different portions, so a high position in this list does not tell you what a meal contributes.
Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
% DV compares the per-100 g amount with the FDA Daily Value of 0.9 mg for adults and children aged 4 and over. It is a labelling reference, not a personal target.
24 entries with a measured copper value, highest first.
Bos taurus
The metabolic and storage organ of cattle, and consequently one of the most nutrient-concentrated foods in the human diet by a…
1084% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Sesamum indicum
Small oil-rich seeds used whole, toasted, or ground into tahini across the Middle East, Africa and East Asia. The USDA reference…
454% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Crassostrea virginica
Filter-feeding bivalve molluscs, farmed and wild-harvested, whose flavour tracks the water they grew in closely enough that…
318% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Anacardium occidentale
The kidney-shaped seed that grows beneath the cashew apple, always sold shelled and heat-treated because the shell contains…
244% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Helianthus annuus
The hulled kernels of the sunflower, one of the densest common food sources of vitamin E. The USDA reference entry is for the…
200% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Bertholletia excelsa
Large seeds harvested from wild Amazonian trees, notable for concentrating selenium from the soil to a degree no other common…
194% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Corylus avellana
The round nut of the hazel shrub, mostly grown in Turkey and Italy and largely destined for confectionery. The USDA reference…
192% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Glycine max
The legume behind tofu, soy milk, tempeh and miso, eaten either as mature dry beans or as edamame, the immature green pod…
184% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Cannabis sativa
The hulled seed of industrial hemp, a cannabis variety bred to contain negligible THC. The USDA reference entry is for the hulled…
178% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Juglans regia
The wrinkled kernel of the walnut tree, unusual among common nuts for being dominated by polyunsaturated rather than…
176% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Cucurbita pepo
The hulled green kernels of certain pumpkin and squash varieties, eaten raw or roasted. The USDA reference entry is for the dried…
149% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Piper nigrum
The dried unripe fruit of the Piper nigrum vine, used whole or ground. The USDA entry is per 100 g of ground pepper, whereas a…
148% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Pistacia vera
The green seed of a small desert tree, usually sold roasted in a split shell. The USDA reference entry is for the raw kernel…
144% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Curcuma longa
The dried, ground rhizome of Curcuma longa, and the yellow base of most curry powders. The USDA entry is per 100 g of the dried…
144% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Linum usitatissimum
The seed of the flax plant, sold whole, ground or pressed for oil, and the densest common dietary source of plant lignans. The…
136% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Carya illinoinensis
A hickory nut native to North America, close relative of the walnut and similarly rich in unsaturated fat. The USDA reference…
133% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Arachis hypogaea
Botanically a legume that ripens underground, not a tree nut, though its fat content and culinary use put it with the nuts. The…
127% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Trigonella foenum-graecum
The hard, bitter seed of a legume-family plant, used whole, ground or sprouted, and responsible for the smell most people…
123% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Fagopyrum esculentum
A pseudocereal seed from a plant in the rhubarb family, unrelated to wheat and free of gluten. The USDA reference entry is for…
122% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Prunus dulcis
The edible seed of a stone fruit closely related to the peach, eaten raw, roasted or ground into flour and butter. The USDA…
115% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Myristica fragrans
The seed kernel of Myristica fragrans; mace is the lacy red aril around the same seed. The USDA entry is per 100 g of ground…
114% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Coriandrum sativum
The dried fruit of Coriandrum sativum, the same plant whose leaves are sold as cilantro, though the seed tastes citrusy and warm…
108% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Salvia hispanica
Tiny seeds from a Mexican member of the mint family that form a thick gel when hydrated, because of soluble mucilage in the seed…
103% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Cuminum cyminum
The dried seed of Cuminum cyminum, used whole or ground across South Asian, Middle Eastern and Latin American cooking. The USDA…
96% of the Daily Value per 100 g