Minerals and clay minerals in medical geology

Medical geology is an emergent field of science that for some authors deals with the relationships between the geological environment and health problems in humans, animals and plants. Chemical elements, minerals, rocks, soils, water and air are the essential components of the geologic environment. Both quality and quantity of these components condition very much the living quality and the life duration, due to the beneficial and hazardous effects they have upon organisms, man, other animals, and plants. Medical geology is a multidisciplinary scientific field shared by specialists of distinct areas and scientific domains, such as earth sciences, environmental sciences, medicine, public health, biology, biochemistry, chemistry, pharmacy, nutrition, and others. Certain diseases are attributed to several minerals sensu latu (concept that includes the minerals sensu restrictu considered as natural, inorganic and crystalline solids, the so-called oligoelements or trace minerals, the biominerals and mineral resources such as natural mineral water), naturally or humanly derived. Within minerals, clay minerals, the essential constituents of clays, are omnipresent at the earth surface where organisms live, and due to their specific properties they can interact, positively as a rule, with them. Some clay minerals are being used, either as active principles (gastrointestinal protectors, laxatives, antidiarrhoeaics), or as excipients (inert bases, emulsifiers, lubricants) in certain medicines. Also they participate in formulations used for topical applications in both dermopharmacy and dermocosmetics.