Mineral Manifesto

Written By Nicolas Faust

by Mito Core Naturopath Jennifer Harrington

Understanding the Modern Drivers of Deficiency and Why It Matters for Cellular Health

Why So Many People Are Mineral Depleted Today

At Mito Core we regularly see people struggling with fatigue, poor recovery, muscle tension, low resilience, sleep issues, brain fog, hormonal symptoms, poor stress tolerance and chronic inflammation.

Often, these symptoms are approached individually.

But underneath many of them is a common theme:

Mineral depletion.

Minerals are not just “nice to have nutrients.”
They are foundational to how the body produces energy, regulates the nervous system, balances hormones, detoxifies, repairs tissue, maintains hydration and generates cellular communication.

Every heartbeat, nerve impulse, muscle contraction and mitochondrial reaction depends on minerals.

And yet, modern life is quietly depleting them at an unprecedented rate.

The body runs on minerals

Minerals act as:

  • Electrolytes for hydration and electrical signalling

  • Cofactors for thousands of enzymatic reactions

  • Structural components for bones, connective tissue and cells

  • Regulators of stress, blood sugar and inflammation

  • Essential nutrients for mitochondrial energy production

Magnesium alone is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions.

Zinc is critical for immune function, hormones, tissue repair and neurotransmitter production.

Potassium helps regulate blood pressure, nerve function, muscle contraction and cellular hydration.

Sodium helps maintain fluid balance, adrenal function and cellular voltage.

Without adequate minerals, the body simply cannot function optimally.

The challenge is that many people are now facing multiple layers of depletion at once.

Modern agricultural techniques and soil depletion

Food should be our primary source of minerals.

But modern farming practices have significantly altered the nutrient density of our food supply.

Intensive agriculture often prioritises crop yield, appearance and shelf life over mineral density. Repeated harvesting without adequate soil restoration can gradually reduce the mineral content of the soil itself.

If minerals are not present in the soil, they cannot be passed into the food.

Research has demonstrated declines in the nutrient density of certain fruits and vegetables over time, particularly magnesium, zinc and other trace minerals.

Modern food may still look nutritious but many people are consuming foods that contain fewer nutrients than previous generations.

This becomes even more problematic when combined with stress, illness and modern toxin exposure, all of which increase mineral demand.

Environmental toxins increase mineral demand

The modern world exposes us to a growing number of environmental stressors including:

  • Heavy metals

  • Glyphosate

  • Air pollution

  • Plastics

  • Industrial chemicals

  • Mould exposure

  • Pesticides

Many toxins increase oxidative stress and place additional burden on detoxification pathways.

The body requires minerals to detoxify effectively.

For example:

  • Zinc supports antioxidant systems

  • Magnesium is required for detoxification enzymes

  • Selenium supports glutathione activity

  • Sulfur-containing minerals support liver detoxification pathways

Some toxins may also interfere with mineral absorption or displace minerals within tissues.

Glyphosate has been discussed in the literature for its potential mineral-chelating effects, meaning it may bind to certain minerals and impact availability within plants and potentially biological systems.

This creates a vicious cycle.

The more toxic the environment becomes, the greater the nutritional demand on the body.

Long term restricted diets

Many people today follow restrictive diets for long periods of time.

Sometimes this is medically necessary.

Sometimes it is driven by symptoms, food fears, trends or confusion around nutrition.

Over time, restricted diets can unintentionally reduce mineral intake, especially if dietary diversity becomes limited.

Common examples include:

  • Very low calorie diets

  • Long-term vegan diets without careful planning

  • Highly restrictive elimination diets

  • Repeated fasting without adequate replenishment

  • Fear-based eating patterns

  • Extremely low carbohydrate diets performed incorrectly

This does not mean these approaches cannot have therapeutic value.

But restriction without rebuilding can gradually contribute to depletion.

We often see people who are trying very hard to be healthy while unknowingly becoming nutritionally fragile.

Ultra-processed foods

Ultra-processed foods are typically:

  • Calorie dense

  • Nutrient poor

  • High in refined sugars and industrial oils

  • Low in naturally occurring minerals

Even when fortified, synthetic nutrient additions rarely replicate the complexity of minerals naturally found within whole foods. Highly processed diets may also negatively impact:

  • Blood sugar regulation

  • Gut health

  • Inflammation

  • Appetite signalling

  • Mineral absorption

Many people are simultaneously overfed and undernourished. They are consuming enough calories but not enough nutrients to support optimal cellular function.

The lost art of food preparation

Traditional cultures often used food preparation methods that naturally improved nutrient availability.

These included:

  • Soaking

  • Fermenting

  • Sprouting

  • Slow cooking

  • Bone broths

  • Organ meats

  • Seasonal eating

Modern convenience culture has largely lost many of these practices. This matters because certain preparation techniques can help reduce compounds like phytates, which may interfere with mineral absorption.

For example, soaking and fermenting grains and legumes may improve the bioavailability of minerals such as zinc, magnesium and iron. Bone broths traditionally provided minerals and connective tissue nutrients. Fermented foods supported digestive health and nutrient assimilation.

Many ancestral practices evolved for a reason. They helped people extract more nutrition from food.

Poor digestive function

You cannot absorb what you cannot break down. Even a nutrient-dense diet may not be enough if digestive function is compromised.

At Mito Core, we commonly see digestive issues associated with:

  • Chronic stress

  • Low stomach acid

  • Gut inflammation

  • Dysbiosis

  • Food intolerances

  • Bloating

  • Constipation

  • Poor bile flow

The digestive system is one of the most overlooked contributors to nutrient depletion. Stress alone can significantly alter digestive function by shifting the body into a sympathetic “fight or flight” state, reducing digestive secretions and altering gut motility.

This means someone may be eating well but still functioning with low nutrient availability at a cellular level.

Medications and nutrient depletion

Many commonly prescribed medications can influence nutrient status.

Examples discussed in the literature include:

  • Proton pump inhibitors reducing magnesium and B12 absorption

  • Metformin impacting B12 status

  • Oral contraceptive pills influencing zinc, magnesium and B vitamin levels

  • Diuretics increasing mineral losses

  • Some antidepressants and other medications influencing sodium balance

This does not mean medications are inherently bad or unnecessary. But it does highlight the importance of understanding the nutritional consequences of long-term medication use. Supporting the body nutritionally may help improve resilience and reduce additional strain.

Excess demand: Life is expensive for modern humans

Even if intake was perfect, many people are simply using minerals faster than they replenish them.

Modern life increases demand through:

  • Chronic stress

  • Poor sleep

  • Overtraining

  • Alcohol

  • Excess sweating

  • Blood sugar instability

  • Illness

  • Chronic inflammation

  • High cognitive load

Stress in particular is profoundly mineral depleting.

When the nervous system is persistently activated, the body burns through nutrients at a much higher rate.

This is one reason many people feel “wired but tired.”

Their body is functioning in a high-demand state while lacking the raw materials required to sustain it.

Mineral depletion and cellular function

At Mito Core, we often speak about cellular health because minerals are deeply connected to how cells function.

Minerals influence:

  • Mitochondrial energy production

  • Cellular hydration

  • Membrane stability

  • Nervous system regulation

  • Muscle function

  • Oxygen delivery

  • Detoxification

  • Recovery and repair

When minerals become depleted, the body may gradually lose resilience and adaptability.

Symptoms can appear across multiple systems simultaneously because minerals affect virtually every part of physiology.

The health conversation we need to have

Mineral depletion is rarely caused by one single factor. It is typically the cumulative effect of modern living.

Nutrient-poor food, stress, toxins, medications, digestive dysfunction and chronic demand all interact together.

The good news is that the body is incredibly adaptable when given the right inputs.

Supporting mineral status may involve:

  • Improving food quality

  • Supporting digestion

  • Reducing ultra-processed foods

  • Rebuilding electrolyte balance

  • Addressing chronic stress

  • Supporting detoxification pathways

  • Improving sleep and recovery

  • Identifying underlying contributors to depletion

Sometimes, understanding the terrain of the body changes everything.

Because when cells are properly nourished, the body often functions very differently.

Final thoughts

Minerals are foundational to human health. Yet modern life makes depletion increasingly common.

The conversation around health often focuses on hormones, inflammation, energy, mood and ageing as separate problems. But these concerns may be a body struggling to maintain adequate cellular resources underneath.

At Mito Core, we believe health begins at the cellular level with minerals as a core part of that foundation.

If you are experiencing fatigue, poor recovery, stress intolerance, muscle symptoms, brain fog or ongoing health struggles, it may be worth exploring whether mineral depletion is part of the picture.

References

  • Davis DR, Epp MD, Riordan HD. Changes in USDA Food Composition Data for 43 Garden Crops, 1950 to 1999. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2004.

  • Welch RM, Graham RD. Breeding for micronutrients in staple food crops from a human nutrition perspective. Journal of Experimental Botany. 2004.

  • Barbagallo M, Dominguez LJ. Magnesium and aging. Current Pharmaceutical Design. 2010.

  • Gröber U, Schmidt J, Kisters K. Magnesium in Prevention and Therapy. Nutrients. 2015.

  • Ames BN. Low micronutrient intake may accelerate the degenerative diseases of aging through allocation of scarce micronutrients by triage. PNAS. 2006.

  • Samsel A, Seneff S. Glyphosate pathways to modern diseases II: Celiac sprue and gluten intolerance. Interdisciplinary Toxicology. 2013.

  • Fenech M. Micronutrients and genomic stability: a new paradigm for recommended dietary allowances (RDAs). Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2002.

Nicolas Faust
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Glyphosate Detox