Figure of the month: 0.245 milligrams

Who would have thought that many people own gold without knowing it: the body of a healthy person weighing 75 kg consists of 51.75 kg water, 11.25 kg protein, 7.5 kg fat, 3.75 kg minerals, 0.45 kg carbohydrates, 0.3 kg vitamins – and 0.22 milligrams of gold. 

Just like other metals such as iron, copper or zinc, gold is primarily found in the human blood stream after being ingested through our food. However, gold can also be found in other areas of the human body if you eat enough of it. Diana of Poitiers, 16th century mistress of the French King Henry II, remains notorious for consuming gold in liquid form, and in considerable quantities. She believed gold would help to preserve her beauty and youth. She was also 19 years older than the king, yet survived him by far. We cannot be sure that her habit of consuming gold was responsible, but when chemists examined Diana's body posthumously they even discovered gold deposits in her hair follicles.

It's all about purity

In case you are now thinking about including the occasional portion of gold into your diet, be sure to pay attention to its quality: only fine gold with a high degree of purity, i.e. 24 carat gold, is harmless to the human organism when ingested in small quantities. The more inferior gold is, the higher the risk of poisoning.

That was exactly the reason why the "Douche Burger" offered by the 666 Burger food truck in New York contained not only caviar, lobster and truffles but also a beef patty wrapped in six layers of 24 carat gold foil. The retail price: $666, of course. According to truck owner Franz Aliquo, just one burger was ever sold. Nevertheless, the "Douche Burger" proved to be a complete success for him, since the media response caused by it attracted numerous new customers to the small company.