The Stone that Heals the Water, and the Water that Heals the World

From cleansing rivers to firing mitochondria, minerals power life—purifying and structuring water, balancing charge, and energizing cells.

Warning- Deep Science Ahead

One of my best, oldest, and smartest friends, John Durkin, the long-time mayor of Roslyn, NY, has been immensely successful over decades due to his exceptional talent and intellect (albeit rooted in culinary, music, literature, and art). He read an early draft of this book and gave me feedback that hit hard: “Just stick with the story. Tell them what the minerals do in layman’s terms. People will believe you. Don’t bore them with ‘science.’”

He had a point. But I just couldn’t do it. Something in me refused to bury in an appendix what had revealed itself as a beautiful tapestry—the delicate, measured dance of protons, electrons, and mineral matrices. We are talking about the very core of creation: the primary mechanisms God built to spark and sustain life in every biological system on Earth.

Still, I know not everyone wants—or needs—to trek through dense biochemistry. So I’ve created two paths through this material:

• PATH 1 (Recommended for the scientifically incurious reader): Skip ahead now to the summary of all the science in “Chapter 15: Minerals Made Simple: How Nature’s Elements Keep Water, Plants, and People Alive.” There, I explain everything much, much more concisely in plain language.

• PATH 2 (For the science curious): Keep reading. What follows is a deep, deep dive into the biochemical mechanisms by which minerals govern energy production and flow, protect and balance cellular health, and purify and structure water. I found that scientific journey absolutely fascinating (obviously because I wrote a whole darn book about it in two months). Just don’t blame me when you start talking to your friends about mitochondria, proton gradients, and flocculating ions all the time.

One request, if you have already decided to skip: consider reading the very last one, Chapter 14E: The Cell’s Battery: Proton Gradients, Leaks, and Modern Stressors. It’s literally about the origin of energy and life itself. Worth 15 minutes of anyone’s time.

Now, I’m not a chemist, physicist, physiologist, or biologist—though I’ve studied all as part of my training and career as a physician. In writing these upcoming sections, I’ve benefited from the guidance of experts whose depth in mineral science far exceeded my own (along with massive doses of both coffee and AI). My goal was to illustrate the unparalleled biochemical forces arising from the unique and precise ratios of major and trace minerals in the primordial extract that Shimanishi achieved.