Colloidal silver
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Colloidal silver is a colloid of silver particles in water. It has antimicrobial properties and is used on external wounds and burns to prevent infection. It is also claimed by some to be a beneficial nutritional supplement and to be a powerful antibiotic[1] [2]. The ingestion of colloidal silver in large quantities or over a long period of time carries a high risk of argyria, a condition in which the skin turns permanently blue-gray.[3][4][5]
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[edit] Properties and Use
Colloidal silver can be used to keep drinkable water potable over a long period [6]. It is also used externally for health benefits.
Silver has been used as a topical antiseptic for minor burns for more than 100 years [7] High concentrations of colloidal silver kill bacteria and the topical, or external, use of colloidal silver to kill microbes is well established. Though colloidal silver was a prescribed treatment in the U.S. Navy's corpsman's manual until 1973, the use of colloidal silver as an ingested medication remains controversial.
[edit] Controversy
Continued ingestion of high doses (more than 1 gram of accumulated silver, or 5 mg per day) of colloidal silver may result in argyria, an extremely rare condition causing a permanent discoloration of the skin.[3][4][5] A high-profile case of this is Stan Jones, a Montana Libertarian candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2002 and 2006, who overdosed on colloidal silver.[8]
Advocates of colloidal silver claim it to be a useful supplement to their diet, providing them with improved health and well being and (among other things) a low incidence of colds and flu.[citation needed] They also assert that, under careful use of properly produced colloidal silver, argyria is virtually impossible. [9] These claims are anecdotal, and have not been confirmed by scientific study.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned over-the-counter sales of colloidal silver products claiming therapeutic value, or their advertisement as providing health benefits.[10][11] The FDA has issued warnings to internet sites selling or promoting colloidal silver.[12] If no health benefits are claimed, and colloidal silver is sold as a supplement, its sale is legal as long as the products comply with all other FDA regulations.[12] In 2002, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration made a similar ruling.[13]
[edit] References
- ^ Stephen Barrett, M.D. - Colloidal Silver: Risk Without Benefit (Quackwatch) [1]
- ^ Essay on Colloidal Silver - Isolated Silver as used in Natural Medicine (on Silvermedicine.org). [2]
- ^ a b U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2003). Silver. Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
- ^ a b Hill, W. R., Pillsbury, D. M. (1939). Argyria: The pharmacology of silver. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins Co., 131.
- ^ a b Gaul, L. E., Staud, A.H. (1935). "Seventy cases of generalized argyria following organic and colloidal silver medication, including biospectrometric analysis of ten cases". AMA 104: 1387-1390.
- ^ [3]
- ^ Complementary Medicine - Information about complementary & alternative medical therapies, Cedars-Sinai Health System
- ^ True-blue bids for Senate, 2002-10-03, BBC
- ^ Argyria - Colloidal Silver Safety. The Truth Behind the Hype: Argyrosis Exposed. (on Silvermedicine.org) [4]
- ^ COLLOIDAL SILVER NOT APPROVED FDA reports "Use of colloidal silver ingredients in food-producing animals constitutes a potentially serious public health concern", Wednesday, February 12, 1997
- ^ FDA ISSUES FINAL RULE ON OTC DRUG PRODUCTS CONTAINING COLLOIDAL SILVER FDA, 1999-08-17
- ^ a b FDA warning healthymagnets
- ^ Colloidal Silver: Risk Without Benefit, Stephen Barrett, M.D., 2005-08-17
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Argyria information website
- Frequently Asked Questions about colloidal silver
- Wadhera, Akhil, Max Fung (2005). "Systemic argyria associated with ingestion of colloidal silver". Dermatology Online Journal 11: 12. Retrieved on 2006-02-25.. A report on one of the few known cases of argyria caused by colloidal silver.
- Rosemary's Story - Argyria after using silver as an alternative medicine.
- Worth more than its weight in silver for burns - Mass. firm taps growing market for dressings infused with the metal, Ross Kerber, The Boston Globe, 2005-05-10
- The Silver Medicine Research Website, - A non-commercial venture based out of Las Vegas, Nevada, organized to provide the public with accurate and comprehensive information and research about "electrically isolated" ionic silver and particle silver as used in allopathic and alternative medicine.[citation needed]
