Colloidal Silver for Infections

Colloidal silver is, typically, a distribution of silver particles too small to see throughout a liquid base, such as water. Colloidal silver products are being promoted, particularly on the Internet, as a treatment for a wide variety of health conditions, including infections.

History

• Silver has been used for medical purposes for centuries, reports silvermedicine.org, and was used in the treatment of syphilis until the early 20th century.

Antibiotic Action

• In laboratory testing, silver does exert an antibiotic action on some microorganisms that cause infections. Quackwatch.com reports, however, that this does not translate into a product that is safe for humans.

FDA

• The Food and Drug Administration does not recognize colloidal silver as a safe or effective treatment for any medical condition. It considers any colloidal silver product claiming to be effective for medical conditions to be misbranded.

Side Effects

• The principal side effect of consuming silver is silver toxicity, which can result in argyria. Argyria is a condition in which silver accumulates in the skin, organs and eyes and causes a gray discoloration, according to quackwatch.com.

Action Against Advertisers

• Since 1996, according to quackwatch.com, the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission have issued warnings to or received agreements from more than 20 companies to discontinue promoting colloidal silver as treatment for medical conditions.