Investigating the Effects of Elements and Minerals on Public Health: An Overview of Medical Geology

Abstract

Background & Aims: Medical geology is an emerging branch of geological sciences, which examines the relationship between geological findings and human and ecosystem health, as well as the effect of environmental factors and elements on the geographical distribution of diseases in the field of health and treatment. The aim of this research was to provide a comprehensive understanding of how geological factors and minerals affect public health outcomes. Materials and Methods: A total of 1561 publications including books and papers published from 1992 until 2024 were reviewed, 168 of which were chosen and 21 articles were mentioned. Results: Medical studies on patients showed that there is a direct relationship between minerals and diseases, which is caused by the lack of some minerals in the food chain, or the excessive presence of some of these substances in the food chain of people of different regions of the world. These minerals cause changes in the cellular and molecular structure, which can lead to the development of various diseases. Conclusion: It seems that in the future, with scientific investigations in the field of medical geology, important results can be achieved in the prevention of various diseases. It is obvious that the realization of this requires increased cooperation of medical, health, and earth science researchers and it can be an effective step towards improving the health of the society and preparing and producing new drugs and new treatment methods. It will be presented using this knowledge.