The metallic element silver is used in making silverware, electronic equipment, dental fillings, jewelry, and in disinfecting water. Humans are exposed to minute amounts of silver every day in drinking water, food, and the air, and silver is generally considered benign at the concentrations we normally encounter it. Silver was also once used for its purported medicinal properties, but for the most part modern drugs have rendered it obsolete. Colloidal silver is an exception. This alternative medicine has become popular in recent years despite the lack of evidence supporting its medicinal properties and in defiance of evidence linking it to a host of health concerns.
Argyria
A consequence of the prolonged ingestion of colloidal silver is the development of a bluish-gray cast to the skin, gums, and nails called argyria. Argyria develops from the deposition and accumulation of silver in bodily tissues. The condition is permanent; there is no treatment to remove the silver particle from the body once they have become bound to the tissues.
Impaired Kidney Function
Your kidneys filter out unneeded compounds from the body and return the residual water back into the body via the circulatory system. Colloidal silver particles do not pose a problem for healthy kidneys. However, those who have experienced kidney failure in the past, should avoid colloidal silver. Anyone thinking about adding supplements to their diets should consult a physician first.
Neurological Disorders
At least one death has been linked to the ingestion of colloidal silver. The London Health Sciences Center reported that a 71 year-old man developed an unremitting continuous brain seizure (clinically termed myoclonic status epilepticus) after taking colloidal silver once a day for four months. He became comatose and died five months later.
References
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Caner Center: About Herbs: Colloidal Silver
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Food and Drug Administration: Consumar Advisory: Dietary supplement containing silver
- National Institutes of Health: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Colloidal Silver Products
- Amazing Data: 9 Most Bizarre and Rare Skin Conditions
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