NYC’s Leading Integrative Health Care Center
NYC’s Leading Integrative Health Care Center
At Patients Medical in New York City, we believe that understanding your toxic load—including exposure to heavy metals—is critical to healing chronic conditions like diabetes, fatigue, hormonal imbalance, and neurological issues. While many metals are harmful, others, like gold, sit in a grey area.
Let’s explore whether gold qualifies as a heavy metal—and if it plays any role in toxicity or health.
Yes, gold is technically considered a heavy metal. It has a high atomic weight (197 amu) and a dense structure, both hallmark features of heavy metals. However, unlike toxic heavy metals like lead, mercury, arsenic, or cadmium, elemental gold is generally non-toxic in its pure form.But there’s more to the story.
While gold itself may not contribute directly to metabolic or endocrine dysfunction, chronic exposure to gold-based compounds or contamination in supplements may have immune or detox pathway implications—especially in patients already dealing with metabolic disorders like diabetes.
In functional medicine, we evaluate how even low-level exposures affect detoxification, immunity, and inflammation. For patients with:
This is why we often include heavy metal testing, even for less conventional culprits like gold, when unexplained symptoms persist.
At our NYC clinic, we use advanced testing to detect toxic metals and their impact on the body, including rare metals like gold:
Urine provocation testing (before and after chelation)
Hair mineral analysis
Serum or whole blood metal panels
Methylation markers (MTHFR, COMT, etc.)
Liver/kidney detox markers
Inflammatory cytokine testing
Micronutrient testing to assess depletion caused by metal burden
Even trace metals—including gold—can interfere with insulin signaling, mitochondrial function, and adrenal balance. That’s why our root-cause approach evaluates and supports detoxification and liver pathways in every patient with:
Jasmine, age 47, came to our clinic with persistent fatigue, joint stiffness, and rising A1C despite a healthy diet. She had a long history of RA and had been prescribed gold salt injections in her 30s.
Functional testing revealed:
Her protocol included:
Within 10 weeks, her symptoms improved, inflammation markers dropped, and she reported renewed energy. Her A1C also stabilized without medication changes.
Yes—due to its high density and atomic weight, gold qualifies as a heavy metal.
Elemental gold is largely inert. However, gold compounds (like those used in some medications or poorly regulated supplements) can be toxic in certain individuals.
No direct link, but gold compounds may influence immune function and detoxification, which indirectly affect metabolic health.
Yes, especially if used in medical compounds or nano-formulations. It may accumulate in tissues and organs.
Generally no, but allergic or immune responses can occur in sensitive individuals.
Only if testing shows a high burden or symptoms correlate. Detox should always be supervised.
Through urine, blood, or hair analysis using specialized labs.
Some studies suggest gold compounds may impact immune and endocrine function, especially in autoimmune patients.
We don’t recommend colloidal gold unless under medical supervision, due to questionable efficacy and unknown long-term effects.
We are an out-of-network provider but offer superbills for reimbursement. Some lab tests may be partially covered by insurance.
Patients Medical specializes in gently helping the patient identify the root cause of their medical issues and then assist them to recover from their problems to help them move forward to good health.
To schedule an in person on Tele-medicine appointment, please call our office at (212) 794-8800 or email us at info@PatientsMedical.com We look forward to hearing from you
Patients Medical PC
1148 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1B New York, NY 10128
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All information presented in this website is intended for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of rendering medical advice. Statements made on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information contained herein is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Patients Medical.
