Colloidal Silver
How much do we know about colloidal silver?
There
are no high quality studies on the health effects of taking colloidal
silver, but we do have good evidence of
its dangers.
What do we know about the effectiveness of
colloidal silver?
Claims
made about the health benefits of taking colloidal silver aren’t backed
up by studies.
What do we know about the safety of colloidal silver?
The
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said that colloidal silver
isn’t safe or effective for treating any disease or condition.
What Is Colloidal Silver?
Colloidal silver consists of tiny silver particles in a liquid.
It’s sometimes promoted on the Internet as a
dietary
supplement, but evidence supporting health-related claims
is lacking.
It can be dangerous to your health.
What the Science Says About the Safety and Side Effects of
Colloidal Silver
Colloidal
silver can cause serious side effects. The most common is argyria, a
bluish-gray discoloration of the skin, which is
usually permanent.
Colloidal
silver can also cause poor absorption of some drugs, such as certain
antibiotics and thyroxine (used to treat thyroid deficiency).
The FDA also warned in 1999 that colloidal silver isn’t safe or
effective for treating any disease or condition.
The
FDA and the Federal Trade Commission have taken action against a number
of companies for making misleading claims about colloidal
silver products.
More About Argyria
Silver can
build up in the body’s tissue, causing a bluish-gray discoloration of
large areas of skin, especially those exposed to the sun.
People have developed argyria from using homemade and commercial
colloidal silver products.
What the Science Says About the Effectiveness of
Colloidal Silver
Scientific
evidence doesn’t support the use of colloidal silver dietary
supplements for any disease or condition.
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 air, water,
and food, and in certain activities such as jewelry-making
or soldering.
Colloidal silver products are sometimes sold as homeopathic remedies.
For more information on
homeopathy,
see
nccih.nih.gov/health/homeopathy.
Topical
silver (used on the skin) has some appropriate medical uses, such as in
bandages and dressings to treat burns, skin wounds, or skin infections.
It’s also in medicines to prevent conjunctivitis (an eye condition) in
newborns. However, there are no legally marketed prescription or
over-the-counter drugs containing colloidal silver that are taken
by mouth.
More to Consider
Colloidal silver and other
complementary products or practices that have not been proven safe and
effective should never be used to replace conventional medical care or
as a reason to postpone seeing a health care provider about a
medical problem.
Tell all your health care providers about any
complementary health approaches you use. Give them a full picture of
what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated
and safe care.
Key References
- Agency
for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. ToxFAQs for Silver.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Web site. Accessed at www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=538&tid=97 on
January 18, 2012.
- Chung
IS, Lee MY, Shin DH, et al. Three
systemic argyria cases after ingestion of colloidal silver solution.
International Journal of Dermatology. 2010;49(10):1175–1177.
- Consumer
advisory: dietary supplements containing silver may cause permanent
discoloration of skin and mucous membranes (argyria). U.S. Food and
Drug Administration Web site. Accessed at www.fda.gov/food/recallsoutbreaksemergencies/safetyalertsadvisories/ucm184087.htm on May
20, 2014.
- Han
TY, Chang HS, Lee HK, et al. Successful
treatment of argyria using a low-fluence Q-switched 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser. International Journal of
Dermatology. 2011;50(6):751–753.
- U.S.
Food and Drug Administration. Rules
and regulations: over-the-counter drug products containing colloidal
silver ingredients or silver salts. Final rule. Federal Register. 1999;64(158):44653–44658.
-NIH
