The human body contains trace amounts of gold — but it doesn't stay inside us

Research suggests the human body contains about 0.2 milligrams of gold, mostly in the blood, for a 150-pound person.
Gold is excreted through skin and hair, so it doesn’t stay inside us permanently.
The evidence leans toward gold having no significant biological role, though some speculate it may support joint health or electrical signaling.

Where Gold Comes From and How It Moves

The human body gets gold mainly from food and water, as plants and animals can absorb it from the environment. It’s found in the blood, liver, kidneys, and brain, but in tiny amounts.

Your body constantly excretes gold through sweating, shedding skin, and hair growth, so it’s always coming and going.

Can We Use This Gold?

Don’t get excited about mining your body for gold—0.2 milligrams is less than a grain of salt, and even if you collected it all, it wouldn’t be worth much. It’s too small to notice or collect, let alone make you rich.

Gold in Babies

Here’s something you might not expect: babies have more gold in their hair than adults, thanks to it passing through breast milk. It’s a quirky fact that shows how gold moves through our lives in surprising ways.

A Tiny Treasure Inside You

Did you know that your body contains trace amounts of gold? It’s true! Even though you might not feel like a treasure chest, your body has a tiny amount of this precious metal.

On average, a person weighing 150 pounds has about 0.2 milligrams of gold. That’s less than one-thousandth of a gram.

To put that in perspective, if you could collect all that gold and shape it into a cube, each side would be just 0.22 millimeters long—smaller than a grain of salt.

So, where does this gold come from, and why is it there? It’s a fascinating quirk of human biology, and we’re just getting started.

This tiny amount might not make you rich, but it’s a surprising fact that sparks curiosity.

How Does Gold Get into Your Body?

Gold enters the human body through the food we eat and the water we drink. Plants absorb gold from the soil, and animals that consume these plants can also have trace amounts of gold in their tissues.

When we eat these plants or animals, we ingest the gold they contain. For example, fruits, vegetables, and even sea salt can carry tiny amounts of gold, though most of it passes through our digestive system without much absorption.

Additionally, gold can be present in the air we breathe, especially in areas near gold mines or where gold is processed.

However, the amount from inhalation is negligible compared to dietary sources. Research suggests that the average human body, weighing around 70 kilograms (about 150 pounds), contains this 0.2 milligrams, mostly found in the bloodstream, according to sources like Gold Traders.

This gold isn’t something we actively seek out, but it’s part of our environment, and our bodies pick it up along the way. It’s a reminder of how connected we are to the natural world, even in ways we don’t notice.

Where is Gold Found in the Body?

Gold is distributed throughout the body, but it’s primarily found in the blood and certain tissues.

Studies have revealed detectable levels in the liver, kidneys, and even the brain, as noted by Al Romaizan. It’s also present in hair and nails, which ties into how we excrete it.

The concentrations are extremely low, though. For instance, the liver might accumulate a bit more gold because it’s involved in processing metals, but even there, it’s just a trace.

This distribution shows that gold isn’t concentrated in one place; it’s spread out, almost like a faint shimmer throughout our system.

Does Gold Have Any Biological Function?

This is where things get interesting—and a bit murky. The original article states, “The gold in your body plays no significant biological role but is present alongside other essential trace elements.”

Research leans toward agreeing with this, suggesting gold has no known essential function in humans.

It’s considered a trace element, like cesium or titanium, which are often just contaminants without purpose, according to Wikipedia.

However, some speculate otherwise. A few studies, like those mentioned by The Petri Dish, suggest gold might play a role in maintaining joint health or transmitting electrical signals, given its conductivity.

Gold is an excellent conductor, after all, and some believe it could help with nerve signaling. But these ideas are not conclusively proven, and the evidence is thin. Most scientists agree it’s likely just along for the ride, not doing much for our health.

It’s worth noting that gold compounds are used in medicine, like treating rheumatoid arthritis with gold salts, but that’s different from the natural trace amounts.

Those are pharmacological, not biological, roles, as seen in historical uses against tuberculosis and parasites, per Wikipedia. So, while gold might have medical applications, its natural presence seems more incidental.

Gold Doesn’t Stick Around

Now, here’s something that might surprise you: your body doesn’t hold onto this gold forever.

In fact, it’s constantly being excreted through your skin and hair. That’s right—every time you sweat or shed skin cells, you’re losing tiny amounts of gold.

The original article notes, “We excrete it through our skin and hair,” and research backs this up, with sources like Interesting Facts confirming gold is found in hair and excreted through sweat.

You might think that if gold is in your body, it’s there to stay, but that’s not the case. It’s a dynamic process: you take in gold through your diet, and your body expels it through various means, like sweating, shedding skin, and hair growth.

This challenges the idea that precious metals like gold are permanent fixtures once inside us. Instead, it’s coming and going all the time, like a fleeting guest.

Why Can’t We Collect This Gold?

Given that we excrete gold, you might wonder if it’s possible to collect it from sweat or hair to make some money.

Unfortunately, the amounts are so minuscule that it’s not feasible. To give you an idea, even if you could collect all the gold from your body’s excretion over your entire life, it wouldn’t amount to much more than a few grains of gold dust—certainly not enough to buy a cup of coffee.

The original article says, “Unfortunately, it’s not enough to make you rich, and it is excreted on such a microscopic level that it’s impossible to notice or collect.”

For example, 0.2 milligrams is less than a grain of salt, and spreading that out over a lifetime of excretion makes it even less significant.

Sources like Quad Cities Daily note that while gold is present in hair, it’s not worth mining, and researchers are only studying whether metals can be recovered from human waste as a curiosity, not a practical venture. So, dream on if you thought you could pan for gold in your backyard!

Interesting Facts About Gold in the Human Body

Here are some unexpected details that add color to this topic:

Babies Have More Gold: Newborns and infants have higher concentrations of gold in their hair compared to adults. This is because gold is passed from mother to child through breast milk, as noted by Interesting Facts. It’s a quirky fact that shows how gold moves through our lives in surprising ways, especially early on.
Gold in Cosmetics: Some skincare products contain gold particles, marketed for anti-aging properties. While gold can have some beneficial effects on the skin, like antioxidant properties, these are more about its physical use than any biological function, per Moroccan Elixir. It’s another way gold touches our lives, even if it’s not essential inside us.
Gold’s Conductivity Speculation: Given gold’s excellent conductivity, some speculate it might help with electrical signaling in the body, like nerve impulses. While this is intriguing, it’s still speculative, and most research, like Evolution News, suggests it’s not essential. It’s an interesting angle, though, tying gold’s physical properties to biological possibilities.

Cultural and Historical Context

Gold has been revered for centuries, not just for its value but for supposed health benefits.

Ancient Egyptians believed it was the “flesh of the gods,” consuming it for purification, as seen in Craftmanship Magazine. In modern times, gold-covered sweets are popular in India, and gold leaf decorates food in luxury settings, though it’s more for aesthetics than nutrition.

This cultural fascination contrasts with its minor role in our bodies, highlighting how we’ve projected meaning onto this metal.

Table: Comparison of Gold in the Human Body vs. Other Elements

Element	Amount in 70 kg Human	Known Biological Role	Notes
Oxygen	43 kg	Essential for respiration	Makes up most of body mass, in water, etc.
Carbon	16 kg	Building block of life	Found in DNA, proteins, fats
Iron	4 grams	Carries oxygen in blood	Crucial for hemoglobin
Gold	0.2 mg	No significant role, possibly minor joint support	Excreted through skin, hair; not collectible

This table, based on data from Gold Traders and Wikipedia, shows how gold pales in comparison to essential elements, reinforcing its minor presence.

Final Thoughts

In summary, while the human body does contain trace amounts of gold, it’s not something that will make you wealthy or provide significant health benefits beyond what’s naturally occurring.

The amount is too small to be of practical use, and it’s continually being replenished and excreted.

So, next time you look at your reflection, remember there’s a tiny bit of gold sparkling inside you, but don’t get any ideas about panning for gold in your backyard!

This exploration shows how even the most precious metals are just part of our complex, interconnected biology.