Colloidal Silver: Is It Safe?

The first use of colloidal silver for medical reasons was by a surgeon in 1891, who used it to clean wounds. In the years that followed, some doctors believed that if you swallowed colloidal silver, it could cure a range of conditions like stomach ulcers, mental illness , and epilepsy . It got more popular until the 1940s, when doctors started using antibiotics instead. Today, you’ll see it marketed and sold as a dietary supplement .

A colloid is a mixture of two substances. One part of the blend is split into tiny pieces and mixed into the other part. Colloidal silver is made up of tiny particles of silver in water . The bits of silver are so small they stay afloat in the liquid.

Silver is an ingredient in some treatments you put on your skin , such as bandages or creams that treat burns , wounds, or skin infections. But unlike colloidal silver supplements that you take by mouth or inject into a vein, these skin treatments are proven to work well and are approved by the FDA.

Is It Safe?

Colloidal silver makes it hard for your body to take in antibiotics and other medicines. On top of that, it builds up in your body and causes some side effects may include:

• Argyria, a condition that turns your skin a bluish-gray color. It mostly affects areas exposed to the sun, but can turn your eyes, internal organs, nails, and gums blue, too. The discoloration doesn’t cause any other health problems. But it will not go away when you stop taking silver.
• Kidney damage
• Stomach trouble
• Headaches

Because colloidal silver products are sold as dietary supplements, they are regulated by the FDA as food instead of medicine. That means they don’t have to meet the same measures of safety and effectiveness as medications do before they go on the market. Although it’s not against the law for businesses to sell colloidal silver, there’s no good way to know how safe a product is before you buy it.