# Do the human body need gold? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 20, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-human-body-need-gold/384942 "2006-12-20T17:57:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-human-body-need-gold/384942/1 "2006-12-20T17:57:47Z")
I’ve often heard it said that humans have a certain amount of gold in them. That’s not surprising, because there are probably trace amounts of gold in lots of places. But do humans need gold, biologically, to survive? Darn, I should’ve asked this around Valentine’s Day. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-human-body-need-gold/384942/2 "2006-12-20T18:01:54Z")
It’s extremely unreactive so it’s not going to be involved in body chemistry. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-human-body-need-gold/384942/3 "2006-12-20T18:04:02Z")
QED. Done. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-human-body-need-gold/384942/4 "2006-12-20T18:05:04Z")
Thanks. That was easy. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-human-body-need-gold/384942/5 "2006-12-20T18:17:40Z")
Is there a list somewhere of what trace elements **are** necessary to human health? Other than the big four (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen), the ones I know of are sulfur (two amino acids), chlorine (salinity level of blood, stomach acid, etc.), phosphorus (ADP and ATP), iron (hemoglobin), iodine (thyroxine), and cobalt (cyanocobalamine). Anything else? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-human-body-need-gold/384942/6 "2006-12-20T18:25:49Z")
[QUOTE=Polycarp] Anything else? [/QUOTE] According to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietary_mineral), a few more, yes. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-human-body-need-gold/384942/7 "2006-12-20T18:27:30Z")
Potassium has to be there. And calcium, no? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-human-body-need-gold/384942/8 "2006-12-20T18:28:12Z")
…yyyesssss… precioussssss… ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-human-body-need-gold/384942/9 "2006-12-20T18:34:42Z")
Gold is pretty unreactive with respect to the male human body. It falls into the category of essential elements with respect of the female human body. Suitable supplies improve many aspects of the female response. Some appropriate forms may even trigger interpersonal reactions with the supplier 😉 . Of course YMMV (but I am buying gold for the SiWife this christmas). Si ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-human-body-need-gold/384942/10 "2006-12-20T18:35:33Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] It’s extremely unreactive so it’s not going to be involved in body chemistry. [/QUOTE] This does not necessarily follow. Although elemental gold in macroscopic amounts is non-reactive, gold compounds as well as gold nanoparticles can be more reactive. Dissolved gold is in fact toxic to microorganisms. This said, there aren’t any human enzymes or other biological compounds that contain or require gold. See [here](http://www.azom.com/details.asp?newsID=6213) for an article on the apparent ability of some bacteria to precipitate gold. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-human-body-need-gold/384942/11 "2006-12-20T18:44:15Z")
Not necessary, but useful. > **[Health | Latest News & Updates | BBC News](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health)** > > Get all the latest news, live updates and content about Health from across the BBC. > [@](#): > > Exotic as it sounds, gold is indeed one of the standard treatments for rheumatoid arthritis and has been used for years. In fact, many experts consider gold to be among the most effective drugs for reducing the inflammation in the joints and so decreasing the usual symptoms of pain, swelling and stiffness. Sometimes gold is also used to treat other rheumatic diseases, such as the arthritis associated with psoriasis. My mother had gold injections as far back as the early 50s for her arthritis, so it has been around for decades. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-human-body-need-gold/384942/12 "2006-12-20T18:45:13Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] This does not necessarily follow. Although elemental gold in macroscopic amounts is non-reactive, gold compounds as well as gold nanoparticles can be more reactive. [/quote] Some are used in human medicines if [wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disodium_aurothiomalate) is correct. > [@](#): > > Dissolved gold is in fact toxic to microorganisms. That’ll be the aqua regia it’s dissolved in though, surely? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-human-body-need-gold/384942/13 "2006-12-20T18:46:45Z")
Up until about a decade ago, gold was a leading treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. It’s since been replaced by treatments with fewer or milder side effects, such as COX-2 inhibitors and methotrexate. Exactly how gold works against arthritis is still unknown, but it was fairly effective, if very slow-acting. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-human-body-need-gold/384942/14 "2006-12-20T19:05:59Z")
[Some may think so](http://www.cinemorgue.com/shirleyeaton.jpg), but [you won’t die as a result](http://www.snopes.com/movies/films/goldfing.htm).