Gold is completely edible and chemically inert inside the human body
Pure gold (24-carat) does not react with anything in the human body — it passes through the digestive system completely unchanged and exits entirely. It has no taste, no nutritional value, and causes no harm. This is why gold leaf is used in luxury food and drinks worldwide and carries a EU food additive designation (E175). Gold has been used as a food decoration since at least medieval times. The ancient Aztecs and some South Asian cultures used gold in ceremonial foods. Your body treats 24-carat gold exactly as it would treat a small piece of glass.
Gold's extreme monetary and cultural value makes it feel like something that should interact meaningfully with the body — either nourishing or toxic. Its complete biological inertness makes it simultaneously the most expensive and least useful thing you could eat.
“Gold is completely edible and passes through your body unchanged. It's chemically inert, has no taste, and causes no harm. EU food additive E175. The most expensive thing you could eat with zero benefit. 🥇 #OddlyHuman”