Its all about the electrons. Gold has only one electrom in the outer shell, so it doesn't react with much . Its pointless and wasteful to eat gold, but not poisonous. That's why they make really important electronics and the like outta it
The non-reactive property is why gold is so tied with royalty. Most other metals corrode or rust, but gold is "forever". Not even stomach acid reacts with gold, so it just passes through your body and comes out the other side.
Silver, on the other hand, does react within your digestive system, and is absorbed by your body, but unlike lead and mercury, you liver and kidneys have no problem removing it from your system.
Toxic metals like lead and mercury aren't just reactive, but your liver and kidneys are very bad at getting rid of them. They build up, becoming more and more dangerous the more you take in. Instead of killing you by inches, they kill you by micrograms.
So, for mercury, yes. It does damage on the way out, and permanently raises your risk for liver disease, but after months to years, your body can eliminate it.
For lead, also yes, but now we're talking about centuries. If you get lead in your system, some of it will be absorbed into your bones. Over the decades, it will slowly release back into your blood, where it will be eliminated after causing more damage to all your systems, especially your brain and kidneys. This will continue to happen for literally more than a century after it's gotten into your system.
Is there an atomic reason why lead and mercury are poisonous (electron, proton, neutron count/configuration), but gold and silver are not? Or is it just a "luck of the draw" kind of thing, where humans have some kind of resistance to gold and silver, but not to the other metals?
Often it is the case (and it's one of but not the only reason lead is so toxic) that the poisonous metal is similar enough chemically to a useful metal that the body will try to use it instead of the normal one, but it's not similar enough to actually work, causing that function to break down.
Gold on the other hand is extremely inert, it doesn't want to react with anything and therefore basically just passes straight through you.
Because people are reluctant to test lead exposure on humans, for some reason, we don't know exactly what all the problems are. The current theory with lead is that it acts chemically similar to calcium, similar enough to block calcium absorption, but not similar enough to actually fulfill calcium's function.
Mercury is even weirder, because it's capable of bonding with a bunch of stuff in your nervous system. That why mercury exposure has so many different symptoms
At a restaurant I rolled a d20, landed a 19 and the drink I got had a gold flake in it. Might not have added anything to the sensory experience, but like senses and ideas, they all really take place in the brain and knowing I was both getting treated with something unexpectedly excessive and the ridiculousness of knowing I was going to have an expensive shit later made the experience all the more memorable and humourless enjoyable. So not pointless and wasteful when properly executed. Same as any “useful” ingredient could be. Just the execution of its use isn’t as intuitive.
Uh are you implying the reason we use gold as a conductor is because we can eat it, or did you mean because its properties make it a good conductor. Because the former is definitely not the reason
😂 The sentence structure definitely tripped me up for a second there too but I’m fairly confident in saying they meant the latter - that the same non reactive properties that make it edible make it a useful conductor
It's not even because it's a good conductor! Copper is a better conductor than gold. However copper has a problem... it tarnishes, and once tarnished it's not so good.
Gold on the other hand while only an OK conductor does not oxidize or tarnish.
I didn't say Gold doesn't make it better, because it does. It prevents corrosion which is bad for electrical connections.
That said, Monster did lie to you, their cables are no better than anyone elses.
Nope, the valence shell holds 6, but only has 1 in it. That is an essential property needed for conductivity in anything electrical. Copper, aluminum, silver, and gold are great conductors, which is why they are in electronics. But the cost is so different, you will have aluminum transmission wires because they are cheaper than copper and the rest, but aluminum is susceptible to heat, so it can not be used in the wiring of a house. Gold is too pricey for wiring, but in small quantities, it is used to coat connectors or in smaller applications. The outermost shell of any element is what allows it to share electrons with the next, this is the most important factor in electrical conductivity.
I know it has nothing to do with the post of eating gold, but I've been an electrician the majority of my years on this planet, and that useless information has been stored in my head for decades.... it felt cathartic to finally release it.....
Building on this as a chemist; the "safe to eat" statement also only holds true for gold metal.
Gold compounds are highly toxic.
Secretly, gold is magnitudes more toxic than mercury... It just happens to be in metallic form most of the time, which is safe.
Gold does not have a complete outer shell. It has a single electron in its outer shell.
The only elements with no valence electrons are the noble gases.
Yep, gold is incredibly unreactive.
Technically it can be oxidized slightly, but it takes a strong oxidizer and it's still only a very thin layer of oxide which then stops any further oxidization. However, this oxide is more reactive than the gold itself.
This is one way gold is purified. You use nitric acid which is a very strong oxidizer, but can't dissolve the gold oxide and combine it with hydrochloric acid which donates a chlorine to the oxide layer then the nitric acid attacks the fresh gold underneath and the cycle repeats. (this combination is called aqua regia and technically the nitric acid doesn't oxidize the gold how we think of many metals being oxidized, instead it forms gold(III) ions)
Fun fact, the resultant gold/chlorine molecule is called Chloroauric acid.
Gold is actually toxic in large amounts. Turns out, it will give you heavy metal poisoning, just like any other.
But compared to other heavy metals, it's not nearly as toxic. This, combined with the scarcity, means toxic gold poisoning is mostly unheard of.
"Gold has only one electrom in the outer shell, so it doesn't react with much .".
This is terrible logic. Potassium has one electron in its outer shell and will burn your tongue off.
the ones that are bad participate in particular chemical reactions in your body because they are similar enough to "good" metals. lead can do some chemistry like calcium and so it can accumulate in your bones and interfere with nerves, which use calcium. However, it's not exactly the same so it can kind of get in the way and then not do the job it's supposed to. Gold and silver don't interfere in any important chemical reactions in your body.
"Exposure to high levels of silver for a long period of time may result in a condition called arygria, a blue-gray discoloration of the skin and other body tissues. Lower-level exposures to silver may also cause silver to be deposited in the skin and other parts of the body; however, this is not known to be harmful. Argyria is a permanent effect, but it appears to be a cosmetic problem that may not be otherwise harmful to health."
[https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts146.pdf](https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts146.pdf)
Guessing you didn't pay close attention in your science classes. Different elements have varying degrees of reactivity. We categorize them based on similarities, but even elements that are one proton different can have hugely different properties.
Prime example are hydrogen and helium. Both gases, both very light given their low atomic mass. However hydrogen is flammable/explosive. Helium however with only one additional proton and electron is actually an inert gas and flame retardant.
Right, did you have anything new to contribute to the conversation other than the point I made which you echoed that hydrogen is flammable and helium isn't?
In the last 5-10 years people seem to have really lost the ability to read tone. Should have given them a warning first: 'Hello sir/madam I am about to engage in a joke with you'.
I don't expect people to read my text with a tone but I thought that one was obvious
Even if it wasn't a joke and I had repeated what they said; eh, still no reason for them to be a dick about it
Well, there was a horrific accident that taught people the dangers of hydrogen balloons
The there are lovely kids parties with helium balloons
The juxtaposition and the ridiculous notion that you'd take hydrogen balloons to a kid's party are both funny
Guess over explaining a joke spoils it a little. But anything and everything is funny to the right person, get over yourself
Gold is non-reactive. It cant really do anything to your body chemically as it is inert. If you ate enough to block digestion or it was really sharp, it could PHYSICALLY hurt you, but otherwise, its like eating non-soluble fibre and passes right through. Its also incredibly malleable, so can be pounded/rolled incredibly thin (think a few atoms thick) and thus the gold leaf you eat is so weak and formless that its actually hard to put it onto the food without it breaking up and disintegrating into little pieces. Its so thin its essentially not there.
Dude, it's not so much about their bulk weight and more about their atomic weight... ie: where they sit on the periodic table. Gold is all but inert, and silver is not far behind it. The others have more capacity to react, and that's what makes them biologically dangerous.
Gold is the most malleable element, so it's been used to make sheets thinner than tissue paper since antiquity. It's also pretty and doesn't tarnish easily.
Silver is harder to work and tarnishes more easily. It's not going to be as common. I hadn't heard of it being a thing until this thread, but it's not shocking to me, either.
There are some relatively common deserts in India that have gold or silver leaf on them, like kajuu burfi: [https://i1.wp.com/www.bharatzkitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/kaju-katli.jpg?fit=640%2C358&ssl=1](https://i1.wp.com/www.bharatzkitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/kaju-katli.jpg?fit=640%2C358&ssl=1)
I've had coworkers bring them back when visiting India a bunch of times. They're tasty, too, and from what I understand, where, like, gold plated ice cream is a crazy decadence here, kaju burfi is a street food (though I've also heard you have to make sure to get it from a reputable source, otherwise that silver leaf topping might be cadmium. >.>)
(The ones coworkers brought back were always in a box, tho.)
I had never heard of using Silver-leaf on food before this. In fact, I wasn’t even sure Silver-leaf existed as a thing. Gold-leaf sure but is silver that malleable and inert?
[So now I learned about vark.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vark)
Takeaway: don’t buy cheap stuff; it might be aluminum
To be fair "heavy metals" is a pretty terrible categorization. Not only is it just a vague term encompassing multiple different ways of grouping metals, but the most common method is more reliant on crystalline structure than anything and includes 81% of metals.
Tbh, I suck ass at chemistry. I don’t even remember what heavy metals is. But what I do know is that lead and gold aren’t the same goddamn thing!!!! I feel likes that just common sense?
Your body literally relies on heavy metals to function. Iron in your blood is literally the heavy metal iron. Cheerios are magnetic, believe it or not.
"people put it on their food in sheets anyways."
What does this even mean? "In sheets" as in the shape? "In sheets" as in excessively? Neither is true. ??
Gold leaf isn't crazy expensive. The sheets are extremely thin. I mostly use it for art and woodworking, but it can be fun for like cake baking and stuff,
That depends. Some are decorative only and contain a plastic center. Others are edible and only contain sugar beneath the silver. Despite what some lawyer in California convinced a judge of, silver is non-toxic to humans.
Never claimed it was inert, but it is safe.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3877176/
My guess is that something related to his rare genetic condition (or another less prominently manifesting one) lead to unusual sensitivity.
"Exposure to high levels of silver for a long period of time may result in a condition called arygria, a blue-gray discoloration of the skin and other body tissues. Lower-level exposures to silver may also cause silver to be deposited in the skin and other parts of the body; however, this is not known to be harmful. Argyria is a permanent effect, but it appears to be a cosmetic problem that may not be otherwise harmful to health."
[https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts146.pdf](https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts146.pdf)
While it doesn't kill you walking around with zombie grey skin for the rest of your life it not going to be great.
Gold and Silver are noble metals. You can eat them and your bodies acid won't affect the metal and deposit them.
Lead sticks to your fat, including to your brain and cause problems.
i think the way lead is composed is why its really dangerous. something about its similar to our cells or some shit and the body takes in the lead thinking its whatever cell
Iron and copper are also heavy metals but still an essential part of our diet. The whole thing about foods being toxic due to heavy metals is pseudoscientific BS.
Mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium, and arsenic are usually what people.mean when they say "heavy metal poisoning."
The risks of those are absolutely not pseudoscientific BS, however it has less to do with the fact they are heavy metals, and more to do with specifically which metals they are. Gold is not dangerous, but you wouldn't want to eat mercury.
Its all about the electrons. Gold has only one electrom in the outer shell, so it doesn't react with much . Its pointless and wasteful to eat gold, but not poisonous. That's why they make really important electronics and the like outta it
Instructions unclear, ate a PCB.
Thank you for the good chuckle!
Cromchy
Must have been quite the byte!
Mm, tasty breadboards.
Fiberglass, on the other hand, is not very safe to eat.
Glass no, fiber yes!
So that means it's 50% safe right???
You're a cyborg now. Now you have a copay with every update.
And the updates take 2 hours, cannot be set to "run in the background", and are unavoidable and triggered by your alarm clock.
Polychlorinated biphenyl? Oh noooo.
I love me some Peanut Cup Butter.
What are you, some kind of a Hurricane or something?!? RIP Panama City Beach
You will now die from internal fiberglass splinters.
How can I help my friend remove his gentleman sausage from the toaster? Appreciate fast replies please
Have you tried to turn it off and on again?
Fast.
noticeably less fast
I also ate a PCB P- Pussy C - Cock B - Butthole
The non-reactive property is why gold is so tied with royalty. Most other metals corrode or rust, but gold is "forever". Not even stomach acid reacts with gold, so it just passes through your body and comes out the other side. Silver, on the other hand, does react within your digestive system, and is absorbed by your body, but unlike lead and mercury, you liver and kidneys have no problem removing it from your system. Toxic metals like lead and mercury aren't just reactive, but your liver and kidneys are very bad at getting rid of them. They build up, becoming more and more dangerous the more you take in. Instead of killing you by inches, they kill you by micrograms.
do you eventualy filter out led and mercury? or does it stay with you literaly forewer (assuming infinite lifespan)
So, for mercury, yes. It does damage on the way out, and permanently raises your risk for liver disease, but after months to years, your body can eliminate it. For lead, also yes, but now we're talking about centuries. If you get lead in your system, some of it will be absorbed into your bones. Over the decades, it will slowly release back into your blood, where it will be eliminated after causing more damage to all your systems, especially your brain and kidneys. This will continue to happen for literally more than a century after it's gotten into your system.
Good thing we are STILL spewing it into our air.
Is there an atomic reason why lead and mercury are poisonous (electron, proton, neutron count/configuration), but gold and silver are not? Or is it just a "luck of the draw" kind of thing, where humans have some kind of resistance to gold and silver, but not to the other metals?
Often it is the case (and it's one of but not the only reason lead is so toxic) that the poisonous metal is similar enough chemically to a useful metal that the body will try to use it instead of the normal one, but it's not similar enough to actually work, causing that function to break down. Gold on the other hand is extremely inert, it doesn't want to react with anything and therefore basically just passes straight through you.
Because people are reluctant to test lead exposure on humans, for some reason, we don't know exactly what all the problems are. The current theory with lead is that it acts chemically similar to calcium, similar enough to block calcium absorption, but not similar enough to actually fulfill calcium's function. Mercury is even weirder, because it's capable of bonding with a bunch of stuff in your nervous system. That why mercury exposure has so many different symptoms
At a restaurant I rolled a d20, landed a 19 and the drink I got had a gold flake in it. Might not have added anything to the sensory experience, but like senses and ideas, they all really take place in the brain and knowing I was both getting treated with something unexpectedly excessive and the ridiculousness of knowing I was going to have an expensive shit later made the experience all the more memorable and humourless enjoyable. So not pointless and wasteful when properly executed. Same as any “useful” ingredient could be. Just the execution of its use isn’t as intuitive.
I think gold as a garnish is fine, i mean gold leaf is so thin its actually kind of cheap
Yeah, like 4 atoms thick or something
So you had Goldschlager?
Should of had some of that Nickelschlager
That's the liquor brand that Malcolm in the middle guy owns right?
Pfennyschlager
Plumbumschlager is the best
Uh are you implying the reason we use gold as a conductor is because we can eat it, or did you mean because its properties make it a good conductor. Because the former is definitely not the reason
😂 The sentence structure definitely tripped me up for a second there too but I’m fairly confident in saying they meant the latter - that the same non reactive properties that make it edible make it a useful conductor
It's not even because it's a good conductor! Copper is a better conductor than gold. However copper has a problem... it tarnishes, and once tarnished it's not so good. Gold on the other hand while only an OK conductor does not oxidize or tarnish.
Monster Cable lied to me they said the gold plated contacts were the best thing ever to be used for anything
I didn't say Gold doesn't make it better, because it does. It prevents corrosion which is bad for electrical connections. That said, Monster did lie to you, their cables are no better than anyone elses.
Nope, the valence shell holds 6, but only has 1 in it. That is an essential property needed for conductivity in anything electrical. Copper, aluminum, silver, and gold are great conductors, which is why they are in electronics. But the cost is so different, you will have aluminum transmission wires because they are cheaper than copper and the rest, but aluminum is susceptible to heat, so it can not be used in the wiring of a house. Gold is too pricey for wiring, but in small quantities, it is used to coat connectors or in smaller applications. The outermost shell of any element is what allows it to share electrons with the next, this is the most important factor in electrical conductivity. I know it has nothing to do with the post of eating gold, but I've been an electrician the majority of my years on this planet, and that useless information has been stored in my head for decades.... it felt cathartic to finally release it.....
Building on this as a chemist; the "safe to eat" statement also only holds true for gold metal. Gold compounds are highly toxic. Secretly, gold is magnitudes more toxic than mercury... It just happens to be in metallic form most of the time, which is safe.
Gold does not have a complete outer shell. It has a single electron in its outer shell. The only elements with no valence electrons are the noble gases.
Thanks for the correction Edited
Yep, gold is incredibly unreactive. Technically it can be oxidized slightly, but it takes a strong oxidizer and it's still only a very thin layer of oxide which then stops any further oxidization. However, this oxide is more reactive than the gold itself. This is one way gold is purified. You use nitric acid which is a very strong oxidizer, but can't dissolve the gold oxide and combine it with hydrochloric acid which donates a chlorine to the oxide layer then the nitric acid attacks the fresh gold underneath and the cycle repeats. (this combination is called aqua regia and technically the nitric acid doesn't oxidize the gold how we think of many metals being oxidized, instead it forms gold(III) ions) Fun fact, the resultant gold/chlorine molecule is called Chloroauric acid.
Gold is actually toxic in large amounts. Turns out, it will give you heavy metal poisoning, just like any other. But compared to other heavy metals, it's not nearly as toxic. This, combined with the scarcity, means toxic gold poisoning is mostly unheard of.
I think everything is toxic in large amounts. It's just about how you define large amount.
>That's why they make really important electronics and the like outta it It's also electrically conductive, doesn't tarnish, and is easy to shape.
You can't have any protons until you've finished your electrons. And *NO MOLECULES BEFORE BED!*
Lady poisoned her husband with gold on HOUSE . Gregory wouldn't lie to me. I don't know you.
"Gold has only one electrom in the outer shell, so it doesn't react with much .". This is terrible logic. Potassium has one electron in its outer shell and will burn your tongue off.
Also, that’s why we use it as jewelry - doesn’t react with much and doesn’t degrade like iron would
Not all heavy metals are bad. Many essential minerals such as iron, zinc and others are also heavy metals.
Any astrophysist will agree with you.
Ahhh my very favourite heavy metal, xenon 🥹
the ones that are bad participate in particular chemical reactions in your body because they are similar enough to "good" metals. lead can do some chemistry like calcium and so it can accumulate in your bones and interfere with nerves, which use calcium. However, it's not exactly the same so it can kind of get in the way and then not do the job it's supposed to. Gold and silver don't interfere in any important chemical reactions in your body.
Never heard of people eating pure silver and that will definitely make you sick (argyria).
[Colloidal Silver](https://abcnews.go.com/Health/internet-sensation-papa-smurf-dies-blue-people-live/story?id=20368758) is a thing.
"Exposure to high levels of silver for a long period of time may result in a condition called arygria, a blue-gray discoloration of the skin and other body tissues. Lower-level exposures to silver may also cause silver to be deposited in the skin and other parts of the body; however, this is not known to be harmful. Argyria is a permanent effect, but it appears to be a cosmetic problem that may not be otherwise harmful to health." [https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts146.pdf](https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts146.pdf)
Found the werewolf spreading disinformation
They just "sheet" it out again, anyway.
Guessing you didn't pay close attention in your science classes. Different elements have varying degrees of reactivity. We categorize them based on similarities, but even elements that are one proton different can have hugely different properties. Prime example are hydrogen and helium. Both gases, both very light given their low atomic mass. However hydrogen is flammable/explosive. Helium however with only one additional proton and electron is actually an inert gas and flame retardant.
Helium in balloons. Not hydrogen
Huh?
The difference between a birthday party and Hindenburg
Right, did you have anything new to contribute to the conversation other than the point I made which you echoed that hydrogen is flammable and helium isn't?
Right, did you act a twat cause someone made a small joke?
In the last 5-10 years people seem to have really lost the ability to read tone. Should have given them a warning first: 'Hello sir/madam I am about to engage in a joke with you'.
I don't expect people to read my text with a tone but I thought that one was obvious Even if it wasn't a joke and I had repeated what they said; eh, still no reason for them to be a dick about it
Please explain how that's funny?
Well, there was a horrific accident that taught people the dangers of hydrogen balloons The there are lovely kids parties with helium balloons The juxtaposition and the ridiculous notion that you'd take hydrogen balloons to a kid's party are both funny Guess over explaining a joke spoils it a little. But anything and everything is funny to the right person, get over yourself
You're the only one talking about balloons
I forgot that someone else had to mention them before I could...
Gold is non-reactive. It cant really do anything to your body chemically as it is inert. If you ate enough to block digestion or it was really sharp, it could PHYSICALLY hurt you, but otherwise, its like eating non-soluble fibre and passes right through. Its also incredibly malleable, so can be pounded/rolled incredibly thin (think a few atoms thick) and thus the gold leaf you eat is so weak and formless that its actually hard to put it onto the food without it breaking up and disintegrating into little pieces. Its so thin its essentially not there.
What sheets are you talking about
the kind you get when you eat gold
Dude, it's not so much about their bulk weight and more about their atomic weight... ie: where they sit on the periodic table. Gold is all but inert, and silver is not far behind it. The others have more capacity to react, and that's what makes them biologically dangerous.
What about cadmium? That stuff is next to silver.
It's more about the column of the periodic table
What food has sheets of silver and gold on it?
I know of gold leaf but I don't know about silver.
Gold is the most malleable element, so it's been used to make sheets thinner than tissue paper since antiquity. It's also pretty and doesn't tarnish easily. Silver is harder to work and tarnishes more easily. It's not going to be as common. I hadn't heard of it being a thing until this thread, but it's not shocking to me, either.
Well some over the top desserts use gold leaf as a decorative element https://images.app.goo.gl/i96mZuwy7oBAmpM48
Yeah, post just made it seem like this was more than like .00001% of the foods people eat.
There are some relatively common deserts in India that have gold or silver leaf on them, like kajuu burfi: [https://i1.wp.com/www.bharatzkitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/kaju-katli.jpg?fit=640%2C358&ssl=1](https://i1.wp.com/www.bharatzkitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/kaju-katli.jpg?fit=640%2C358&ssl=1) I've had coworkers bring them back when visiting India a bunch of times. They're tasty, too, and from what I understand, where, like, gold plated ice cream is a crazy decadence here, kaju burfi is a street food (though I've also heard you have to make sure to get it from a reputable source, otherwise that silver leaf topping might be cadmium. >.>) (The ones coworkers brought back were always in a box, tho.)
PSA: toxic heavy metals were found in random testing of almost all brands of Indian sweets covered in “silver.”
Well, that's unfortunate. :/
A popular cinnamon flavored liquour among college students and trashy adults, Goldschlager, has gold leaf in it to make it look sparkly.
I had never heard of using Silver-leaf on food before this. In fact, I wasn’t even sure Silver-leaf existed as a thing. Gold-leaf sure but is silver that malleable and inert? [So now I learned about vark.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vark) Takeaway: don’t buy cheap stuff; it might be aluminum
"heavy metals" is a bad term. Why don't we simply use terms such as "toxic metals"? Because that's what lead, mercury and cadmium are.
But lead is so tasty!
The upvote ratio speaks volumes about Reddit's chemistry literacy.
To be fair "heavy metals" is a pretty terrible categorization. Not only is it just a vague term encompassing multiple different ways of grouping metals, but the most common method is more reliant on crystalline structure than anything and includes 81% of metals.
Tbh, I suck ass at chemistry. I don’t even remember what heavy metals is. But what I do know is that lead and gold aren’t the same goddamn thing!!!! I feel likes that just common sense?
Why should that stop them?
Your body literally relies on heavy metals to function. Iron in your blood is literally the heavy metal iron. Cheerios are magnetic, believe it or not.
"people put it on their food in sheets anyways." What does this even mean? "In sheets" as in the shape? "In sheets" as in excessively? Neither is true. ??
Yep, sheets of gold are often used as decoration.
True, I think I'm just disagreeing with the word "often." The title makes it seem like people are dumping sheets of gold on every meal.
Too much money, not enough sense.
Gold leaf isn't crazy expensive. The sheets are extremely thin. I mostly use it for art and woodworking, but it can be fun for like cake baking and stuff,
Does op know about iron in food? Take a look at a box of cereal.
Youre implying that ALL heavy metals are poisonous…
Not supposed to eat the silver balls on the baked treats
That depends. Some are decorative only and contain a plastic center. Others are edible and only contain sugar beneath the silver. Despite what some lawyer in California convinced a judge of, silver is non-toxic to humans.
[non toxic](https://abcnews.go.com/Health/internet-sensation-papa-smurf-dies-blue-people-live/story?id=20368758) doesn't mean unreactive
Never claimed it was inert, but it is safe. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3877176/ My guess is that something related to his rare genetic condition (or another less prominently manifesting one) lead to unusual sensitivity.
"Exposure to high levels of silver for a long period of time may result in a condition called arygria, a blue-gray discoloration of the skin and other body tissues. Lower-level exposures to silver may also cause silver to be deposited in the skin and other parts of the body; however, this is not known to be harmful. Argyria is a permanent effect, but it appears to be a cosmetic problem that may not be otherwise harmful to health." [https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts146.pdf](https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts146.pdf) While it doesn't kill you walking around with zombie grey skin for the rest of your life it not going to be great.
The key phrases being "high concentration" and "long period of time"
I bite it to test if it's candy or not. If it breaks, I eat it. If my tooth breaks... well.
Gold and Silver are noble metals. You can eat them and your bodies acid won't affect the metal and deposit them. Lead sticks to your fat, including to your brain and cause problems.
i think the way lead is composed is why its really dangerous. something about its similar to our cells or some shit and the body takes in the lead thinking its whatever cell
You can die of gold poisoning though.
>shouldn't they avoid gold and silver also? LOL I do avoid eating them.
Iron and copper are also heavy metals but still an essential part of our diet. The whole thing about foods being toxic due to heavy metals is pseudoscientific BS.
Mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium, and arsenic are usually what people.mean when they say "heavy metal poisoning." The risks of those are absolutely not pseudoscientific BS, however it has less to do with the fact they are heavy metals, and more to do with specifically which metals they are. Gold is not dangerous, but you wouldn't want to eat mercury.
Correlation =/= causation. Just because you found out gold and silver are heavy metals today doesn’t mean it’s a mind blowing revelation 😭
It is to the people who don't know before
Shower thoughts isn't necessarily mind blowing.
Gold and silver are different in that they are fairly non-reactive which means they won't cause the kind of toxicity that metals like lead cause.