Chapter 5: The Enzyme Enigma: The Missing Mineral Keys to Human Metabolism

We’ve mapped the genome, but not the enzymes that make it work—how many unstudied enzymes depend on minerals we’ve stopped measuring?

Encouragingly, interest is growing in the biology of trace elements not yet deemed “essential.” Journals, nutrition societies, and public-health groups—much like this book—are calling for rigorous studies, especially where population patterns or biochemical pathways implicate so-called “nonessential” minerals.

My central point is that the science around trace minerals and enzymatic activity is still in its infancy. Paper after paper suggests this is a field with far more questions than answers, and a growing number of researchers are calling for deeper study into how diverse trace elements interact with enzymes, cells, and physiology.

How Little We Actually Know