Do you typically hit the salad bar for lunch, and get a ton of leafy greens, such as kale, and top them with almonds? According to internist Dr. Svetlana Kogan, these foods, typically considered "healthy," could result in troubling symptoms that resemble a variety of conditions, including anxiety and fatigue. And it's all because they contain high amounts of copper.

Kogan — who is also the author of "Diet Slave No More!” — attributes this to her own discovery called copper toxicity.

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Leafy greens, cashews, chickpeas, avocado and shellfish are naturally high in copper, which our body needs for normal growth.

“These are wonderful things to have as part of our diet, but if somebody is consuming excess, they could certainly be at risk,” Dr Kogan told the CBS affiliate in New York on Tuesday.

Environmental exposure through copper-coated water pipes could also result in toxicity.

So, what does copper toxicity feel like?

“If you had six cups of coffee and you’re feeling jittery, that’s the feeling to describe copper toxicity,” Kogan explained.

The internist also recommends curing copper toxicity with an infrared sauna to “literally sweat out the toxins.”

Read: Trying To Eat Healthy? You Might Want To Skip The Salad

Copper helps the body metabolize iron, in addition to aiding nerve conduction. Deficiencies in the element can lead to immunity and bone problems such as anemia and osteoporosis. Medical Daily previously reported that too much copper can also lead to problems, including kidney and intestine disease.

A 2013 study has also linked too much copper to triggering and encouraging the development of Alzheimer’s disease in the brain.

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