A popular "cure-all" prior to the 1940s, the 1990s saw the beginning of a resurgent interest in colloidal silver. The proponents of colloidal silver claim that it can do everything from stop the cold to cure AIDS. These claims lack supporting research and all available evidence highlight the harmful effects of ingesting colloidal silver. The Food and Drug Administration listed colloidal silver as an unclassified drug in 1999 making it unlawful to market any of its purported health benefits.
Argyria
The body does not use or metabolize ingested colloidal silver. It is non-essential, and for the most part, just passes through your system. However, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, not all of the silver particles are eliminated and as much as 10% becomes permanently bound to tissues throughout your body. As you continue a regimen of colloidal silver, the amount of silver your body retains increases. The rate of accumulation depends both on the length of time you take the supplement and its relative concentration. If taken continually, you will eventually begin to take on a pronounced blue-gray skin tone, a benign yet irreversible condition called argyria.
Myoclonic status epilepticus
Serious complications associated with the ingestion of colloidal silver prove rare in the medical literature, with only one death directly tied to the supplement. Scientists from the London Health Sciences Centre determined that a 71-year-old male had developed myoclonic status epilepticus as the result of his daily use of colloidal silver over a period of four months. He eventually became comatose and died from the condition five months later. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke defines myoclonic status epilepticus as an unremitting continuous brain seizure.
Kidney damage
Your kidneys function to assist the body in filtering particulates and maintaining the correct water balance in your body. Healthy kidneys have no problem removing the silver that passes through them (most is bound to bile and leaves the body via the feces). However, patients that have experienced kidney failure should consult a doctor before starting a regimen of colloidal silver.
Drug Interactions
Medications that are functionally altered or inhibited by the ingestion of colloidal silver include tetracyclines, quinolones, thyroxine, and penacillamine according to the US Food and Drug Administration. Before taking colloidal silver supplements, consult your doctor if you are currently on any prescribed medications.
References
- National Institutes of Health: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Colloidal Silver Products
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Food and Drug Administration: Consumar Advisory: Dietary supplement containing silver
- MayoClinic.com: Colloidal silver: Is it safe or effective?
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Seizures and Epilepsy: Hope Through Research
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: About Herbs: Colloidal Silver
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