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Colloidal Silver

Uses

Colloidal silver is a suspension of the element silver in a solution usually water.

What Are Star Ratings?

This supplement has been used in connection with the following health conditions:

Used forWhy
1 Star
Burns
Refer to label instructions
Colloidal silver has been used as a topical antiseptic for minor burns for over a century.

has been used as a topical antiseptic for minor burns for over a century. Internal use of colloidal silver is not recommended for this condition.

How It Works

How to Use It

The typical recommendation is 1 teaspoon per day, with each teaspoon (5 ml) containing 10 parts per million (ppm) of silver or 50 mcg of silver. This amount is in keeping with the average amount of silver consumed from food and water: roughly 350 mcg per day for most people. However, little in known about the relative absorption and toxicity of colloidal silver, compared with that of the silver naturally present in our diet. Because of the lack of long-term safety or efficacy data for colloidal silver, its use cannot be recommended.

Where to Find It

Colloidal silver is sold as a water-based solution.

Possible Deficiencies

Silver is not an essential nutrient, and thus no deficiency state exists.

Interactions

Interactions with Supplements, Foods, & Other Compounds

At the time of writing, there were no well-known supplement or food interactions with this supplement.

Interactions with Medicines

As of the last update, we found no reported interactions between this supplement and medicines. It is possible that unknown interactions exist. If you take medication, always discuss the potential risks and benefits of adding a new supplement with your doctor or pharmacist.
The Drug-Nutrient Interactions table may not include every possible interaction. Taking medicines with meals, on an empty stomach, or with alcohol may influence their effects. For details, refer to the manufacturers’ package information as these are not covered in this table. If you take medications, always discuss the potential risks and benefits of adding a supplement with your doctor or pharmacist.

Side Effects

Side Effects

When taken in low amounts (e.g., 50 mcg daily), the body appears able to efficiently excrete silver. However, any silver the body is unable to excrete accumulates in body tissues and can result in argyria—the depositing of silver in the internal organs, tissues, and skin.1 Argyria causes the skin to turn gray or bluish gray and to turn dark on exposure to strong sunlight. This discoloration is permanent and there is no known effective treatment for it. In addition to argyria, the intake of very large amounts (far in excess of the amount that causes discoloration of the skin) of silver can cause neurological and organ damage and atherosclerosis.

The estimated amount of silver accumulation over a one-year period that is required to produce argyria is 1 to 6 grams. This amount is very large compared to the 50 mcg typically recommended and consumed by people using OTC colloidal silver products. Using the most conservative figure, 1,000 mg (1 gram) of silver corresponds to the silver content in 100 liters of 10 ppm colloidal silver, 50 liters of 20 PPM colloidal silver, or 33.3 liters of 30 PPM colloidal silver.

References

1. Hollinger MA. Toxicological aspects of topical silver pharmaceuticals. Crit Rev Toxicol 1996;26(3):255-60.

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