Chapter 14A. The Bridge: From Purified Water to Mineral Sufficiency
Why ultra-clean water can’t fix mineral deficits—and where supplementation begins.
Again, (sorry but this is Substack so I have to keep repeating this), not that I want you to, but if you are uninterested or unknowledgeable in the biochemical and metabolic pathways that I will elucidate in the following, again, I suggest skimming, or just outright skipping to Chapter 15 - “Minerals Made Simple: How Nature’s Elements Keep Water, Plants, and People Alive” This way you won’t get annoyed with me or complain that I am being too “scienc-ey.”
Water purification and biological mineral supplementation (trace and rare-earth minerals) share common origins, yet serve distinct purposes.
Once water is purified, what remains — or rather, in the case of supplementation, what must be restored — are the elemental building blocks that sustain biological function.
Minerals are the “cofactors”of life—the silent enablers behind nearly every biochemical process on Earth.
Minerals: The Bridge Between Physics and Physiology
Energy Metabolism: fuels cellular energy transfer
Electrolyte Balance: maintains normal hydration and conductivity.
Enzymatic Activity: serves as catalytic cofactors in thousands of biochemical reactions.
Antioxidant Systems: supports natural redox balance within cells.
pH and Acid-Base Regulation: buffer acid environments to help maintain equilibrium.
Gene Regulation and Detoxification: influences metabolic pathways that process and eliminate compounds.
The same ions that bind impurities in water also bind purpose in life — bridging physics and physiology. However, while the trace minerals that purify water also contribute to its vitality, their concentrations are extremely low—far below the levels required to influence overall mineral status.
Even purified and structured water, though it may demonstrate improved hydration dynamics, contains too little mineral content to replenish deficiencies or sustain deeper biochemical functions.
For that, mineral supplementation becomes the next step—restoring the essential ionic cofactors that purified water leaves behind.
Why Supplementation Matters
Since the human body is roughly 60% water, any minerals present in a glass of purified water are rapidly distributed throughout an average of 40 liters of body water.
This dilution renders the concentrations minimal—often only parts per billion (ppb) or parts per million (ppm). Certain minerals, like iron sulfate, largely precipitate out of solution once filtered.
To examine the biological effects of a full complement of sulfated minerals, higher concentrations are typically studied under controlled conditions. While anecdotal reports describe various outcomes from concentrated mineral use, systematic research remains limited, though interest in this field is growing. See Chapter 25 for a review of current mineral supplementation science and Chapter 27 for proposed research investigations into mineral metabolism, deficiency states, and areas where further study of supplementation strategies may be warranted.
This chapter examines the physiological systems most associated with trace and rare-earth mineral metabolism, beginning with one of the most fascinating: sulfur pathways.
Next: Chapter 14B Sulfur: The Switch That Turns Detox On
P.S. If you’re curious about the volcanic-mineral water purification product that this book led me to help develop, you can find it at Aurmina.com. Think of it as a quiet act of restoration — starting with your water. And yes, I know — I’ve become the guy who includes links at the end. But this one just might change your water (and your mind)
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© 2025 Pierre Kory. All rights reserved.
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