We often think of minerals only as nutrients we consume through food or supplements. Yet, in reality, we can absorb them in several surprising ways. Let’s look at a few intriguing examples:
1. Through breathing. When you walk along the seashore, especially where seaweed is present, you can smell its distinctive scent. In doing so, you’re not only inhaling air — you’re also absorbing iodine. Studies show that the concentration of atmospheric iodine in such areas is about eleven times higher than normal. People living near the coast have urinary iodine levels 2.7 times higher than those living inland, even when their diets are identical. In addition to iodine, trace elements such as zinc and manganese can also enter the bloodstream through inhalation.
2. From cookware. When you cook with cast-iron pots or pans, some of the iron leaches into the food — often enough to raise your hemoglobin levels. The amount of iron absorbed depends on the type of food and the cooking duration. Acidic ingredients, in particular, absorb the most iron from cast iron.
3. From water. Lithium, for instance, is distributed extremely unevenly in soils — its concentration may vary up to a hundredfold between neighboring regions. Areas with higher lithium levels in drinking water show markedly lower rates of suicide, aggression, impulsivity, and dementia. This has even led to discussions about enriching public water supplies with lithium, which could potentially reduce suicide rates by 60–80%. Just one liter of mineral water is enough to meet the daily lithium requirement.
We also obtain calcium and magnesium from drinking water — as much as 10–20% of our daily needs. Mortality from cardiovascular disease is 10–15% higher in cities with soft water (low in calcium and magnesium) compared to those with moderately hard water. In some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, water is intentionally enriched with magnesium.
4. From fertilizers. The best solutions to mineral deficiency are often collective ones — as in the case of iodized salt. Finland, where soils (like those in Belarus) are naturally poor in selenium, became the first country to add selenium to agricultural fertilizers in 1984. The inorganic selenium in fertilizers is absorbed by plants and converted into organic forms that humans and animals can easily assimilate. Following this policy, selenium levels in the Finnish population’s blood rose by about 55% and reached optimal values. Since then, all food grown in Finland naturally contains adequate selenium, benefiting the entire population.
Selenium intake and serum selenium in Finland: effects of soil fertilization with selenium The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Volume 48, Issue 2, August 1988, Pages 324-329
Does iodine gas released from seaweed contribute to dietary iodine intake? Environ Geochem Health 2011 Aug;33(4):389-97.
Iron-containing cookware for the reduction of iron deficiency anemia among children and females of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review PLoS One 2019 Sep 3;14(9):e0221094.