It’s estimated that 1 in 3 Americans is deficient in at least 10 minerals, including potassium, manganese, magnesium, and zinc, putting them at risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. “The Mineral Fix,” written by James DiNicolantonio and Siim Land, author of “Metabolic Autophagy,” provides a comprehensive guide about the role of essential minerals and why you need them to optimize physiological function and survival. There are 17 essential minerals, broken down into seven macrominerals and 10 trace minerals. There are another five minerals that are possibly essential. The primary role of minerals is to act as cofactors for enzymes, but that’s just the bare minimum. “They literally are the shields for oxidative stress,” DiNicolantonio said, “because they make up our antioxidant enzymes. They help us produce and activate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), help us produce DNA, protein, so literally every function in the body is dependent, in …