Minerals

According to experts our bodies contain a trace of at least 60 detectable chemical elements of which 25 are thought to play an active role in keeping us healthy.

Do our bodies contain gold?

Our bodies are made up of all sorts of things including copper and nickel so it begs the question: do we harbour anything more precious? Gold, like any other mineral, can be found in trace amounts in food and water. This means we may ingest it but any levels are miniscule. So unless your mouth is flush with gold fillings, the percentage of mass of gold found in the average 70kg person is around 0.000014 - so not enough to get rich on!

Women with an iron-rich diet are less likely to develop PMT

Women who consume the most ‘non-heme iron’ - found in supplements, plant foods and iron-fortified cereal (as opposed to ‘heme’ iron which is found in meat) are at less risk of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS). PMS is the condition that affects many women in the run-up to their period, causing bloating, headaches, pain and mood swings. In the study, from the USA, the researchers found that the iron-rich women had a 30-40% lower risk of PMS compared to the women who consumed the lowest amount of non-heme iron. Zinc was also associated with less PMS. Reason indeed, to take a daily dose of multi minerals.