Why would we need minerals that have to be mined or manufactured if we haven’t always had access to these processes?

Question

Does having access mean it just affects quality of life and/or life expectancy?

Did we change to need, or benefit from, these minerals?

Or were there always alternatives, but mining is more efficient?

In:

Answer 1

All of the things we need to survive, from salt to iodine, are either found in water or food. While it can be cheaper to mine/produce them and add them to deficient foods, such as iodizing salt, the alternative is a naturally well-balanced diet. This is what kept us alive before industrial processes became a thing.