The Importance of Gold and Silver in Medicine

Gold  is probably India’s favourite precious metal. Whether it is buying jewellery, coins and bars or trading in ETFs, Indians love their gold. The precious metal next in line is Silver, also known as the poor man’s gold. Both the metals are expected to be steady throughout the year. The forecast for gold is not as sure as that of silver. Many analysts see gold to be strong in the beginning and maintain that steadiness while others disagree and state that gold will start out weak and slowly build up its value. Silver, on the other hand seems to be unwavering most times. It is expected to peak during first half of the year.

Gold and silver are used in many applications in the industry, most commonly in computers and electronics. It might come as a surprise when people are told of the importance of gold and silver in medicine. The most common usage of a precious metal is silver with anti microbial properties. It breaks down the cell membranes of micro organisms. It is used in topical gels, bandages and some equipment used in hospitals. It is used to stop infections in burn victims, treat conjunctivitis in newborn babies, treat the antibiotics resistant bacteria strain, MRSA and used in hospital equipment to stop the spread of infection. The use of silver in the medical industry is slated to increase due to its ability to be effective over a range of microorganisms, including bacteria, virus and fungi.

As silver, gold too displays some medicinal properties. Gold leaves have been used since the ancient times in food either as in ingredient or as garnish. In the olden days gold was considered good for the health and well being of a person. It was taken sort of supplement for general well being. A proven treatment that uses gold is for rheumatoid arthritis. It is an autoimmune disease that affects the joints. Gold is believed to actually affect the autoimmune disease to slow its development. The most common property of gold that is taken advantage of is its anti inflammatory properties. Another latest development in the use of gold for medical reasons is using gold particles to target cancer cells. Apparently, gold allows only the cancer cells to be killed, sparing the healthy cells.

The proven medicinal properties of gold and silver have given a boost to the pharmaceutical industry. They can expand their range of medicines, which will drive the demand for gold and silver to increase.