Gold always has an air of mystique surrounding it. Whether it’s the shiny surface, the unusual bright yellow colour, the association with the Olympics, or just that it’s worth a lot of money – many people seem naturally drawn to it. However, while we might not think that gold has healing properties, a new study seems to suggest that it has.
There has been a mystery surrounding the healing uses of gold for a while, but recent times had shown a decreased interest in the precious metal being any real use. Now, scientists at Duke University Medical Center have made a discovery that they believe will put gold salts back on the map as a potential treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.
The concept goes back a very long time. Doctors first used injections of gold salts in the early 20th century to ease the pain and swelling that comes with arthritis. But aside from being expensive, there was a long list of unpleasant side effects that made the treatment almost as bad as the disease it was trying to fight.
As medicine developed, chemically-created drugs have become more popular in treating arthritis. And while gold salts are still effective, they are used only as a last resort. However, researchers on the new study have suggested that actually, gold salts could be the best possible treatment, and it was just our lack of knowledge that was holding us back.
Scientists had very little knowledge of why gold worked as an arthritis treatment, but the study has illuminated its effectiveness. This could mean that further research might lead to better ways of utilising gold in the battle against arthritis.
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