Gold has has had many uses since ancient times. Some of its uses were to decorate ornaments, weapons, jewelry, shrines, and many other things. In modern times, gold has been used as an electric conductor, jewelry, coins, commodities, and also as an investment. But is that all that gold can do for us? The answer is no, of course. Here are some unusual uses for gold. Health SupplementYes! You read it right, gold has also been used as a food supplement. Japan has a unique tradition where they mix small, thin films of gold in beverages and in their food as a source of vitamins. In some other countries, it is taken either powder or as a tablet. SunblockOh no! Don't cover yourself in gold when going to the beach, ok? It is only applicable to astronauts, their visors are coated in gold to protect from very dangerous sun rays. (It is really sad that their visors are not a trend in fashion nowadays). By the way, some huge buildings are also coated in gold to reflect light and lessen their bills. I recommend covering your house with gold rather than yourself going to the beach. PharmaceuticalsGold was used by the ancient Chinese as a vaccine against smallpox and measles. Gold was also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis bewteen 1920 and 1990. Although gold is known as an effective treatment, it still has no scientific explanation for how it helps to improve the condition of a patient. And one of the uses of gold when it comes to the medical field is fighting cancer (it doesn't mean you have to digest a whole bar of gold). Microscopic "medicine bullets" are covered in gold and fired at targeted cells, then activated to release their load. Chemical CleanserSmall gold particles are used in some industrial settings to give a cleaning mechanism for chemical reactions. It is important to control pollution, production of energy and food production. ImplantsSome people collaborate gold body parts with gold fillings or caps on teeth. Gold can be also used as a medical implant from stents to pacemakers due to its bacterial resistant and deterioration. IndustrialThe ability of gold to conduct heat, its strength and to reflect light makes it a popular industrial element. Gold is also used for everything from coating to lubricants to moldings in manufacturing. ImagingA photo that is printed with gold has a higher quality lasting image. Technologies today use gold ink in ink jet printing. High-quality compact disks coated in gold can resist scratches and can last longer. Those are just some of the many uses of gold. Gold can be very useful even in the fields of medicine, industry and even used sometimes as a beauty regime. This precious metal has a very big role in our lives today. Maybe you can discover another use for gold too! For now, let's be content with what we have. I hope you enjoyed reading those unusual uses for gold. |