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What is a Mineral, and Why is it Essential?

  • Writer: David S. Klein, MD FACA FACPM
    David S. Klein, MD FACA FACPM
  • 3 days ago
  • 4 min read

What Is a Mineral?

A physician’s guide for patients—clear, evidence-based, and practical.


This article is part of an ongoing physician-written educational series exploring vitamins, minerals, and supplements across the lifespan. If you are new to the series, you may wish to begin with “What Is a Vitamin?”, which establishes the foundational concepts used throughout.


Minerals are discussed far less often than vitamins, yet they are just as essential to human health. They build our bones, regulate heartbeat and nerve signaling, control fluid balance, and enable hundreds of enzymatic reactions. Despite this, minerals are frequently misunderstood or casually grouped with “supplements,” even though they have a precise medical definition and well-described deficiency states.


This article explains what a mineral is, how minerals differ from vitamins and hormones, why deficiencies still occur in modern societies, and when supplementation is appropriate.


A clear definition


A mineral is an inorganic element required in specific amounts for normal structure, metabolism, and physiologic regulation—and one that the human body cannot synthesize.

Several features distinguish minerals from other nutrients:

  • They are elements, not organic molecules

  • They originate from the earth (soil and water) and enter the food chain through plants and animals

  • They cannot be created by human cells

  • They retain their elemental identity throughout digestion and metabolism


What is a mineral? A physician explains essential minerals, deficiency, supplementation, and how minerals differ from vitamins and hormones.

If a substance is organic, it is not a mineral. If it can be synthesized by the body, it is not essential. Minerals occupy a foundational role in human biology.


Major minerals vs trace minerals

Major minerals and trace minerals

Minerals are classified by the quantities required by the body.


Major (macrominerals)


These are needed in relatively larger amounts (hundreds of milligrams to grams per day):

  • Calcium

  • Magnesium

  • Sodium

  • Potassium

  • Chloride

  • Phosphorus


They are central to bone structure, muscle contraction, nerve conduction, acid–base balance, and fluid regulation.


Trace minerals


These are required in much smaller amounts (milligrams or micrograms per day), yet they are no less important:

  • Iron

  • Zinc

  • Copper

  • Selenium

  • Iodine

  • Manganese

  • Chromium

  • Molybdenum

  • Strontium


Trace minerals most often act as enzyme cofactors, enabling biochemical reactions that would otherwise fail.


What minerals actually do:


Signs that you might have a mineral deficiency

Minerals do not provide calories or energy. Instead, they allow the body’s systems to function correctly. Broadly, minerals are involved in:


  • Structural integrity (calcium and phosphorus in bone and teeth)

  • Electrical signaling (sodium, potassium, calcium in nerves and muscle)

  • Enzyme activation (magnesium, zinc, copper)

  • Hormone synthesis (iodine in thyroid hormone)

  • Oxygen transport (iron in hemoglobin)

  • Antioxidant defense (selenium in glutathione peroxidase)


Without adequate mineral availability, physiologic processes slow, misfire, or fail—even when vitamin intake is excellent.


How minerals differ from vitamins and hormones


what is the difference between vitamins and minerals

Minerals are often discussed alongside vitamins, but they are fundamentally different in structure and function.


In simple terms:


  • Minerals are inorganic elements that provide structure and enable biochemical reactions

  • Vitamins are organic compounds that facilitate metabolic processes

  • Hormones are signaling molecules produced by the body that regulate gene expression and organ function


Minerals do not regulate genes directly, but they are indispensable to the enzymes, tissues, and signaling systems that allow vitamins and hormones to do their work.


Why mineral deficiencies still occur


Mineral deficiency is not limited to famine or extreme malnutrition. In modern societies, subclinical mineral insufficiency is common, particularly with aging.


Common contributors include:

  • Highly processed diets with low mineral density

  • Reduced intake of whole foods and vegetables

  • Gastrointestinal disorders or prior GI surgery

  • Chronic kidney or endocrine disease

  • Certain medications (diuretics, proton-pump inhibitors)

  • Excessive sweating or endurance exercise

  • Reduced stomach acid impairing absorption


Symptoms often develop gradually: muscle cramps, fatigue, palpitations, brittle nails, hair changes, impaired immunity, or cognitive changes.


Food remains the preferred source


Whole foods remain the most reliable way to obtain minerals in physiologic ratios.


Examples include:

  • Leafy greens → magnesium, calcium

  • Nuts and seeds → magnesium, zinc

  • Seafood → iodine, selenium

  • Meats → iron, zinc

  • Legumes → potassium, magnesium


Food sources provide minerals alongside proteins, fats, and organic acids that enhance absorption and reduce imbalance.

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When supplementation makes sense


Mineral supplementation is appropriate when:

  • A deficiency is documented

  • Dietary intake is inadequate

  • Absorption is impaired

  • Losses are increased (sweating, diarrhea, kidney disease)

  • Requirements increase with age or illness


Unlike many vitamins, minerals compete with one another for absorption. Excess intake of one mineral (for example, zinc) can impair absorption of another (such as copper). This is why indiscriminate supplementation can create unintended imbalances.


More is not better


Minerals have relatively narrow therapeutic windows. Excess intake can cause harm:

  • Too much calcium may increase kidney stone risk

  • Excess iron can damage the liver and heart

  • High sodium intake raises blood pressure

  • Excess potassium can cause dangerous cardiac arrhythmias


The goal is adequacy and balance, not maximal intake.


What’s next in this series


In upcoming articles, we’ll explore what supplements really are, how the body absorbs nutrients, why deficiencies are often missed, and how to build a rational, individualized supplement strategy.


Bottom line


A mineral is an essential inorganic element without which human physiology cannot function. Minerals build structure, enable nerve and muscle activity, support enzyme systems, and allow vitamins and hormones to do their work.


Understanding what minerals are—and how they differ from vitamins and hormones—helps patients make informed decisions about diet, supplementation, and long-term health. When guided by evidence and individualized assessment, minerals support vitality. When misused, they can create imbalance.


David Klein MD Best Pain Doctor







1917 Boothe Circle, Suite 171

Longwood, Florida 32750


Tel: 407-679-3337

Fax: 407-678-7246


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