We started fertilizing about 1900, so we've been putting NPK into the soil for 96 years, the soil has been exhausted except for what the plants absolutely need. We know that plants can make amino acids. It did concern me when I realized it. We NEED those minerals. Even if you are eating healthy, balanced foods, and taking vitamins daily, your body is still almost certainly lacking vital nutrients, starving for missing nutrition.
Minerals are absolutely essential for good health.
Scientists have established that at least 28 mineral elements are indispensible for normal nutrition. The root of this problem lies in a mineral-poor earth. Recent research indicates that most people in the US have at least one hidden deficiency of a major mineral such as calcium or magnesium. Deficiencies in your intake of food, water, and even oxygen can be hard to spot. But over time, they can lead to degenerative diseases, and then death.