Colloidal Silver: Is it Safe for Treating Human Maladies?

Metals are in our bodies and environment, though we often may not think about it. All sorts of minerals and metals are in our drinking water and food. Vitamins contain metals, like iron, copper and zinc. Our bodies need these metals to function properly. Other metals are highly damaging to our systems and can cause neurological damage or death, like mercury, cadmium and lead. Even essential metals can be fatal if take in large doses. Iron is one of the leading fatal poisoning causes in children, since they may eat a large quantity of chewable vitamins thinking they are candy.

Alternative medicine and homeopathy often make use of essential oils, herbs, minerals and metals to treat health conditions. Since these items are not considered drugs they do not go through thorough testing and screening, which results in some low quality products. These only add to the problems caused by misuse of certain elements. (I don't advocate a government agency like the FDA controlling the dispensing of over the counter supplements, but a better quality control system is needed.)

One popular holistic treatment product is colloidal silver. It is a liquid mixture containing silver particles. The concentration of silver varies from product to product. Some people even make their own colloidal silver. The silver in the product is the same silver that is used to make jewelry and silverware.

Colloidal silver is purported to help with many health conditions, including: boost the immune system; kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi; an alternative to prescription antibiotics; or treatment for cancer, HIV, AIDS, diabetes, tuberculosis, syphilis, scarlet fever, shingles, herpes, pneumonia, and prostatitis.

There are virtually no studies supporting any of these claims. However, there is evidence of some harmful side effects of colloidal silver, including: headaches, upset stomach, fatigue, reduction of prescription medication effectiveness, kidney damage, seizures and argyria.

Argyria is a strange condition that mainly affects the skin, hair, internal organs, gums, eyes and nails. It permanently stains the skin a bluish-grey color. Cessation of silver consumption does not reverse the condition. Over time the color can fade, becoming a lighter, more grayish color.One man with argyria developed myoclonic seizures and became comatose after taking colloidal silver on a daily basis for an extended period of time.

Silver salts and solutions are used in medicine from time to time, generally as a topical treatment for burns and abrasions. Silver does have some antimicrobial properties. It isn't generally prescribed for a prolonged or high dose treatment, so the risks of silver related complications are small.

If you decide to take colloidal silver, discuss it with your doctor or at least a qualified alternative health care practitioner or an open-minded health care professional (Doctor of Naturopathy, nutritionist, chiropractor, etc). Blood tests may be used to monitor silver levels to make sure that you are within a healthy threshold for silver consumption. It is a heavy metal, and some people do not excrete heavy metals as efficiently as others, which may lead to a toxic build up in one person but not another.

Sources:
Clinical Study on Colloidal Silver in an Individual, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3429229

Colloidal Silver: Is it Safe or Effective, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/colloidal-silver/an01682

Colloidal Silver, http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69189.cfm#References