What Is Colloidal Silver Good For?

Colloidal silver’s benefits may extend to minor infections, irritations, skin wounds, and burns and in bandages and dressings for the treatment of burns. However, colloidal silver drugs that are marketed for oral intake are not legal for sale.

Manufacturers of colloidal silver supplements often promote colloidal silver to be an effective treatment for a wide range of ailments, such as:

• Infections
• Common cold
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• Cancer

Although, there is no scientific evidence to support these claims.

Studies suggest that silver has no known function in the body and using it as a dietary supplement or for health conditions can be unsafe.

Colloidal silver is made up of tiny (less than 100 nm) particles of silver suspended in a liquid base.

The earliest recorded medicinal use of silver dates to 1500 BC in China. Ancient civilizations commonly used silver because of its antimicrobial properties.

It is often promoted as a dietary supplement or alternative medicine remedy. However, evidence supporting its health-related claims is lacking.

The exact working mechanism of silver is not yet known, but some studies suggest that it may work in the following ways:

• When silver encounters moisture, such as body fluids, it sets off a chain reaction, which leads to a release of silver ions.
• Scientists believe the silver ions then destroy bacteria by damaging proteins on their cell membranes (barriers that protect the inside of a cell).
• These damaged proteins make it easier for silver ions to pass through the cell membrane into the bacteria’s interior surface.
• Once inside, the silver wreaks havoc, causing certain metabolic processes and DNA damage, which eventually leads to bacterial death.

In 1999, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled that these colloidal silver products were not considered safe or effective. All over-the-counter products that contain colloidal silver ingredients or silver salts are not generally recognized as safe or effective.

There are currently no FDA-approved over-the-counter or prescription drugs containing silver. However, colloidal silver products are still being sold as homeopathic remedies and dietary supplements.

The FDA warns against using colloidal silver internally. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health suggests that it can cause serious side effects when consumed orally.

Scientific evidence does not support the use of colloidal silver dietary supplements for any disease or condition because

• Silver has no known function or benefits in the body when taken by mouth.
• Silver is not a nutritionally essential mineral or a useful dietary supplement.
• People may be exposed to silver, usually in tiny amounts, through the air, water and food, and certain activities, such as jewelry-making or soldering.
• Colloidal silver products are sometimes sold as homeopathic remedies.

The only effective but debatable use of colloidal silver in humans is the topical application to wounds and burns.

Manufacturers sell colloidal silver as a spray or liquid. Most products contain colloidal silver in the range of 10 to 30 parts per million (ppm).

Other products that you can see on the store shelf be labeled as:

• Colloidal silver nebulizer
• Colloidal silver spray
• Silver hydrosol
• Silver sol
• Silver water

Although these claims are not backed by research, many companies market colloidal silver supplements as an immune system booster, which can ease chest congestion and treat or prevent viral infections, such as the common cold.

Besides that, they claim that colloidal silver helps treat conditions, such as:

• Lyme disease
• Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
• Tuberculosis
• Shingles
• Herpes
• Eye problems
• Cancer

Some in vitro (test-tube) research report that colloidal silver can kill a wide range of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, but the same is not yet reflected in human studies.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the daily exposure to silver should not be more than 2.27 mcg per pound of body weight.

Over time, silver may build up in the body and cause side effects, including:

• Argyria
  • Argyria is a permanent bluish-gray discoloration of the skin, especially in those exposed to the sun, due to the accumulation of silver in the body tissues.
  • Apart from skin, bluish discoloration may occur in other parts of the body, such as the intestines, liver, kidneys, nails, and gums.
• Kidney damage
• Stomach trouble
• Headaches
• Seizures
• Poor absorption of certain drugs, such as antibiotics (penicillamine, quinolone, and tetracycline) and thyroxine