Beyond the undeniable connection to royalty, gold was considered as a mystical metal which represents the perfection of matter. The ancient use of gold in healing elixirs to improve to health conditions is well documented. This noble metal was believed to rejuvenate and also to cure a multitude of diseases, restoring, at the same time, the youth and a perfect health. Egyptian people believed in its medicinal properties and some of these features have been found as real. Gold is said to have anti-bacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammation properties (Fricker 1996), to improve the blood circulation, helping thus the oxygen to enter into tissues for renewal of the cells, promoting the rejuvenation. Moreover, gold appears to slow down collagen depletion, acting as an anti-aging agent (Taufikurohmah et al., 2012).
Scientific research showed that the use of gold to treat rheumatoid arthritis had positive effects, and was also able to stabilize tumor growth in some patients or prevent new tumors from appearing, said the National Cancer Institute (National Institutes of Health, USA). This metal is considered as a non-toxic metal, being easily tolerated by the body. The use of gold in hair care products acts as a conductor and promotes also the absorption of other active principles, enhancing the synergetic effect of the applied formulations.
Despite the few studies to supporting its benefits when it comes to beauty, gold therapies are believed to work wonders. Bearing all this, gold is indeed a precious metal!
References:
– Taufikurohmah, T., Sanjaya, G.M., Baktir, A., Syahrani, A., 2012. Activity Test of Nanogold for Reduction of Free Radicals, a Pre-Assessment Utilization Nanogold in Pharmaceutical as Medicines and Cosmetics. J. Mater. Sci. Eng. B 2, 611–617.
– Fricker, S.P., 1996. Medical uses of gold compounds: Past, present and future. Gold Bull. 29, 53–60. doi:10.1007/BF03215464
By Sofia Guilherme
