Colloidal silver cannot cure cancer, AIDS, or diabetes. Taking too much colloidal silver by mouth can cause skin discoloration, seizures, and kidney damage.
Colloidal silver is a suspension of tiny silver particles in a liquid. Silver compounds are used externally to stop or prevent infections but recently, many people have started taking colloidal silver as an alternative medicine. It is being promoted as a cure for cancer, diabetes, and AIDS although there is no proof it works in humans. Our body does not need silver to function normally. Silver actually denatures proteins and can make many enzymes lose their effects.
Long-term oral use of silver can make the skin turn bluish-gray or gray-black in color. It can also cause seizures and kidney damage. Pregnant women should not consume colloidal silver as it has harmful effects on the fetus.
Purported Uses
Immune system stimulant
No scientific studies support this use.
Diabetes
There are no data to support this use.
AIDS
There is no scientific evidence to support this use.
Cancer
This use is not supported by scientific studies.
Infections
Silver compounds have been used as topical antiseptics but there are no scientific studies to support the oral use of colloidal silver for infection.
Patient Warnings
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are no safety or effectiveness data on dietary supplements containing colloidal silver.
Do Not Take If
You are pregnant (colloidal silver can cause developmental abnormalities in the fetus).
Side Effects
Reported (Oral): Accumulation of silver in the body causes argyria, a bluish-gray discoloration of the skin, which is typically permanent.
Reported (Oral): Myoclonic seizures were reported in a 75-year-old man following self-medication with silver.
Reported (Topical): Topical use of silver nitrate for burns may cause methemoglobinemia.
Exposure to high concentrations of silver, such as in an industrial setting, leads to systemic toxicity.
Clinical Summary
Colloidal silver consists of silver particles suspended in a liquid. It is often produced by home-made generators. The use of silver medicinals to treat disorders such as epilepsy, gonorrhea, and colds was not uncommon until the mid-20th century. However, silver was replaced by safer therapies in the recent decades. It is not an essential mineral and does not serve any physiological function in the body. It denatures proteins by binding to their reactive groups and can inactivate some enzymes by forming hemisilver sulfides with sulfhydryl groups of the enzymes (1). Whereas silver compounds are still used in external preparations as antiseptics, there has been a growing interest in using the colloidal form, orally, as an alternative medicine. In vitro studies indicate antitumor effects (8), but no human data support the use of oral colloidal silver. Despite lack of evidence, it is being promoted as a cure for AIDS, cancer, and diabetes.
When taken orally, silver can interact with, and reduce the effectiveness of tetracycline, quinolone, and penicillamine. Long term use can cause silver deposition in the skin and mucous membranes leading to an irreversible condition called argyria, characterized by bluish-gray to gray-black pigmentation (7). Other adverse effects include seizures (6) and kidney damage. Pregnant women should not consume colloidal silver as it can cause developmental abnormalities in the fetus (1).
Purported Uses
AIDS
Cancer treatment
Diabetes
Immunostimulation
Infections
Mechanism of Action
Silver is unstable in suspension form and can bind to proteins. Silver compounds form hemisilver sulfides with sulfhydryl groups that leads to inactivation of enzymes. Silver also has the ability to bind amino, carboxyl, phosphate and imidazole groups (1). Studies have shown that silver accumulates in rat liver and binds with various tissues and basal membranes. It also affects the activities of lactate dehydrogenase and glutathione peroxidase and the peroxidation of membrane lipids (4).
Warnings
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are no safety or effectiveness data on dietary supplements containing colloidal silver (7).
Contraindications
Pregnant women should not use colloidal silver as it can cause developmental abnormalities in the fetus (1).
Adverse Reactions
Reported (Oral): Accumulation of silver in the body causes argyria, a bluish-gray discoloration of the skin, which is typically permanent (2)(3)(7)(9)(10)(11)(12).
Reported (Oral): Myoclonic seizures were reported in a 75-year-old man following self-medication with silver (13).
Reported (Topical): Topical use of silver nitrate for burns may cause methemoglobinemia.
Exposure to high concentrations of silver, such as in an industrial setting, leads to systemic toxicity (1)(5).