Colloidal Silver Health Products - Safe or Not?

Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2009/09/02 - Updated: 2024/11/30
Publication Type: Informative
Category Topic: Alternative Medicine - Academic Publications

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: This page on colloidal silver is a valuable resource for those interested in alternative medicine and the potential uses of colloidal silver. It provides a comprehensive overview of what colloidal silver is, its historical use, and its purported health benefits, including its antimicrobial properties. The page also discusses the different methods of preparation, safety concerns, and potential side effects, offering a balanced view that helps readers make informed decisions. Additionally, it may include user testimonials and scientific studies, making it a useful and insightful source for individuals seeking information on this alternative treatment option - Disabled World (DW).

Introduction

What is Colloidal Silver?

Medical professionals have used the solution in eye drops for ophthalmic problems, a number of infections and so forth; it was also supposedly a, 'cure,' for epilepsy, gonorrhea, the common cold, and tropical sprue. The creation of modern antibiotics found the end of the use of colloidal silver in the medical field. Colloidal Silver is something that has been around for many years, even prior to 1938, and is a substance that was used as both a germicide and a disinfectant.

Main Content

In the early 1990's colloid silver found a form of, 'rebirth,' being touted as a treatment in alternative health. Colloidal silver products are available at health food stores and online in various forms and as a dietary supplement. The United States and Australia have made it illegal to market colloidal silver products for medical purposes, although there are some websites that market such products as cures for everything from tuberculosis, the common cold, HIV/AIDS, flu, cancer, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome and more. There is no medical research or information substantiating colloidal silver as an effective treatment for any of these conditions; silver is not an essential mineral that human beings require.

Colloidal silver is a form of liquid suspension of silver particles - colloidal is a term that is used to describe the particles of silver that do not dissolve, remaining suspended in the liquid that is used. Commercially, the term, 'colloidal silver,' refers to products that are made with silver colloids, silver proteins, ionic silver compounds or ionic silver. The solutions are marketed for either external or internal use or as alternative medical remedies. There is no verifiable, scientific evidence suggesting that any of them are effective in treating any type of medical condition.

Colloidal silver has been used as a disinfectant and has been added to the water supplies of the Russian space station and the International Space Station. The World Health Organization includes the solution as one of the ways of disinfecting drinking water in third-world nations. Colloidal silver has been used in horticulture as an ethylene inhibitor. Solutions containing silver particles are used by florists to keep flowers fresher for a longer period of time. Colloidal silver has also been used in the cultivation of marijuana.

A number of independent studies have concluded that colloidal silver may be an effective agent to use in the fight against various types of infections; it is toxic in specific amounts to several kinds of parasites, fungus, bacteria, viruses, and bacteria. Products containing colloidal silver are sold in topical preparations, oral solutions, nasal, ear, or eye drops today. Silver may be applied directly to scrapes, open sores, cuts and abrasions for antiseptic purposes. In several cultures, over a number of centuries, silver has been used as an infection-killing agent and a preservative. Colloidal silver is an effective solution for the disinfection of drinking water. The solution has natural antibacterial properties, is antiseptic and antimicrobial.

Risks and Side-Effects of Colloidal Silver

The Food and Drug Administration does not consider colloidal silver to be either safe or effective at treating any kind of disorder or disease. There are no credible research studies that have been done to back up claims made by manufacturers of colloidal silver products. There have been no definitive studies published through any credible medical journals to support the use of colloidal silver.

Taking colloidal silver may present serious side-effects and cause unnecessary health risks. These risks include:

• Fatigue
• Indigestion
• Headaches
• Skin irritation
• Kidney damage
• Neurological problems and seizures
• Can interact with penicillin, quinolones, tetracycline and thryroxine drugs
• Blue-gray skin discoloration to the skin, fingernail beds and gums which is permanent

August of 1999 found the Food and Drug Administration prohibiting colloidal silver manufacturers and sellers from making therapeutic claims about the substances they make and sell. The FDA has banned over-the-counter sales of colloidal silver products because of the lack of safety and efficacy studies. As it stands, colloidal silver is considered to be a, 'dietary supplement.' The FDA has implemented a policy and issued a stern warning to Internet sites that promote colloidal silver for either medical treatment or antibiotic purposes.

There are a number of ways that colloidal silver might be beneficial, although the product is not being promoted as something that is a health necessity, or for use in more traditional medical treatment. The colloidal silver solution cannot cure any form of disorder or disease; it has been shown to be detrimental to human health and should be avoided. Prior to taking any form of alternative health medication or treatment it is wise to speak with a physician first regarding any dangerous or otherwise adverse health-related consequences.

There are two key questions to ask before taking any new dietary supplement:

• The first is, 'Will this product do what the manufacturer claims it will'?
• The second is, 'Is this is safe product for me to use'?

Your doctor is the best person to assist you in answering these questions. As with any health-related decision, it is vital to weigh the evidence and consult with healthcare experts before incorporating colloidal silver into one's treatment regimen. Where colloidal silver is concerned, it is probably best to leave the silver for your jewelry.

Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.