Featured article | January 2026
Minerals and Disease
Joseph D. Campbell, Ph.D., Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, Volume 10, Numbers 3-4, 1995
This 1995 narrative review and observational analysis explores how widespread deficiencies of essential minerals, combined with exposure to toxic metals, contribute to the development of chronic and degenerative diseases.
In addition, this article details specific mechanisms by which minerals support normal bodily functions, as well as the pathways through which toxic metals contribute to disease.
Discussed in this article:
- Essential mineral deficiencies are common
- Hair tissue analysis of 1,000 of Campbell’s clients found high rates of deficiency in key minerals like chromium (63%), magnesium (49%), and calcium (46%).
- Other common deficiencies included potassium, selenium, copper, manganese, and zinc.
- Mineral deficiencies are linked to modern diet components such as highly processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and diets lacking in nutrient density.
- Toxic metal accumulation is common
- 40% of those tested had elevated levels of at least one toxic metal.
- Aluminum excess (24%) was most common, and tied to age-related neurological damage like Alzheimer’s disease.
- Other metals, including cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic, appeared in lower but still clinically relevant amounts
From Table 1 in the article:
Percent of 1,000 Clients Deficient in 16 Essential Minerals
Chromium – 63
Magnesium – 49
Calcium – 46
Potassium – 39
Selenium – 38
Copper – 37
Manganese – 36
Zinc – 36
Cobalt – 30
Iron – 27
Lithium – 25
Molybdenum – 20
Vanadium – 18
Sodium – 9
Nickel – 6
Phosphorus – 3
“Millions of individuals involved are already afflicted with nutrition-related illnesses, from anemia to cancer. Millions more are troubled with undiagnosed symptoms — fatigue, anxiety, headaches, nervousness, eating or drinking disorders — that malnutrition often plays a role in.”
