The Midpoint Of Our Journey Up Mineral Mountain

The higher we go, the more clearly the world comes into view. We started at the soil. We’re headed for the heavens. To see the path forward, you must first look back.

This is the ledge where we catch our breath. Behind us lie the well-understood minerals—calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron—the basic physiology every medical student can recite. Ahead, the trail tilts upward into the domain of the unknown: the unexplored chemistry at the core of Shimanishi’s discovery. We’re high enough now to see the gap between what science assumes it knows—and what nature actually requires.

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Thus far, we have explored the alarming impacts of widespread mineral deficiencies and excesses of heavy metals on plant and human health. We then gained insight into the science (or lack thereof) of major, trace, ultra-trace, and rare-earth minerals. That journey culminated in the previously untold story of Asao Shimanishi’s discovery, followed by a peek into the healing mechanisms of mineral-rich waters.

But, before we do the “deep dive” into the unique, fascinating, and granular aspects of the biochemical mechanisms of Shimanishi’s mineral complex in water, plant, and animal physiology, it’s worth pausing to summarize what we do and don’t know about mineral science.

Well-Defined Areas Of Mineral Science

1. Physiology Of The Seven Major Minerals

The functions of major minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, sulfur, sodium, and chloride) are broadly established in both medical literature and clinical practice. These elements are central to muscle/nerve function, bone health, electrolyte balance, energy production, and enzymatic activity. are broadly established in medical literature and clinical practice.

2. Physiology of The Seven Essential Trace Minerals

The physiological necessity of trace minerals — including iron, zinc, copper, selenium, iodine, manganese, and fluoride? — is equally well characterized. Encouraging is the subtly expanded list which includes chromium, Molybdenum, Boron, Nickel, Cobalt (via vitamin B12),silicon, Vanadiu.

3. General Health Consequences of Deficiency In “the Big 14.”

Inadequate intake of essential trace minerals is strongly linked to increased disease risk, immune dysfunction, developmental disorders, and chronic illnesses. Numerous epidemiological and interventional studies confirm this association.

4. Heavy Metal Excess and Mineral Deficiency

Increasing industrial pollution has resulted in heavy metal deposition in our soils and growing toxicity due to a lack of protective trace minerals. Numerous studies find that a large number of disease states are “associated with” (disclaimer -not proven to be “caused by”) a combination of trace mineral deficiency and heavy metal excess.

5. Plant and Animal Mineral Nutrition

The dependence of livestock and crop health on mineral-rich soils is well established. As soil minerals decline, the nutrient density of food decreases correspondingly—a trend clearly documented for the limited minerals routinely measured in plants and soils.

6. Impacts of Mineral Depletion on Agricultural and Livestock Practices

Trace mineral depletion weakens plant resilience, increasing pest pressure and prompting heavier pesticide use. This, in turn, accelerates soil mineral loss and contamination—a self-reinforcing cycle of agricultural and environmental decline.

7. Clinical Enzymology of the ‘Big 12’

The biochemical role of a subset of trace minerals as enzymatic cofactors is well documented. Minerals such as zinc, copper, and selenium are integral to hundreds of enzyme systems that drive metabolism, detoxification, and antioxidant defense.

Poorly Defined Areas

1. Measurement Limitations –The ICP-MS Era