Colloidal silver is a liquid with small pieces of silver submerged in water. The substance is believed by some to be an essential supplement with numerous health benefits, although many experts believe colloidal silver is not beneficial to health.
The substance was used as a widespread and mainstream antibiotic until 1938 when the pharmaceutical industry began pursuing well-researched drugs that were not as costly to produce. Today, colloidal silver is considered by many to be outdated. In 1991 the FDA announced that colloidal silver “products may continue to be marketed . . . as long as they are advertised and labeled for the same use as in 1938 and as long as they are manufactured in the original manner,”
according to the Natural Healing Resource Center.
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Still, some proponents of alternative medicine advocate for colloidal silver’s merits.
Regardless of the controversy, the substance has some proven features. Below are three facts about colloidal silver:
1. It Has Side Effects
“Colloidal silver can cause serious side effects,” warned
the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). The substance’s most common side effect is argyria, a condition in which areas of skin turn blue when exposed to the sun as a result of excess buildup of silver within bodily tissue. Colloidal silver can also make the absorption of certain antibiotics difficult.
2. It Is a Homeopathy Method
Homeopathy is a 200-year old method of alternative medicine that generally embraces the use of colloidal silver. The practice is based off of the idea that certain symptoms can be cured by low doses of substances that induce similar symptoms. NIH does not encourage the use of homeopathic cures, like colloidal silver.
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3. Silver Can Be Beneficial in Other Ways
Although medical professionals mostly dismiss the benefits of colloidal silver taken orally, silver can have medicinal uses. Used topically, silver has antibacterial properties that are often used to treat wounds, burns, and other skin infections. Silver is also used to treat eye infections in newborns.
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