THE SUPPOSED BENEFITS of colloidal silver supplements include, but are not limited to, the following: bolstering the immune system, fighting bacteria and viruses, supporting respiratory and gut health, and treating cuts, pink eye, eczema, acne, and warts. Oh, and it’s also an effective hand sanitizer.
If all that sounds incredible to you, well here’s the truly wild thing: None of it is true.
Yes, influencers will argue that colloidal silver has been around for centuries, and Big Pharma doesn’t want you to harness its superpowers. And then just by coincidence those same influencers also have a colloidal silver product they’d like to sell you—just like it’s any other supplement.
But colloidal silver is not just like any other supplement.
Colloidal silver can cause serious side effects. Major health organizations have warned consumers repeatedly of its dangers. And using colloidal silver as a replacement for proven healthy behaviors—like basic hand-washing—can further jeopardize your health.
But let’s back up. What even is colloidal silver, anyway? Is it safe? Is the supplement good for anything?
Here’s the truth.
What is colloidal silver?
LET’S BREAK IT down. The word “colloidal” means “a mixture that has particles ranging between 1 and 1000 nanometers in diameter, yet are still able to remain evenly distributed throughout the solution.”
(If that sentence was scintillating to you, there’s plenty more here.)
So, “colloidal silver” is a mixture that “consists of tiny silver particles in a liquid,” according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Institutes for Health (NIH).
Tons of companies sell this stuff as a dietary oral supplement and the products all look relatively the same: a brownish, semi-transparent bottle, fitted with an eye dropper. The mixture inside often appears pale yellow.
There are also several sprays and diffusers available, as well.
Can colloidal silver help with disease prevention?
NO.
“Scientific evidence doesn’t support the use of colloidal silver dietary supplements for any disease or condition,” according to the NIH. In fact, the institution goes on to reinforce their stance with the following statements.
- Silver has no known function or benefits in the body when taken by mouth.
- Silver is not a nutritionally essential mineral or a useful dietary supplement.
- Colloidal silver and other complementary products or practices that have not been proven safe and effective should never be used to replace conventional medical care or as a reason to postpone seeing a health care provider about a medical problem.
And if you read that last one closely, now you might be wondering…
Wait, hold up, is colloidal silver even safe?
NO.
Harvard’s Medical School warns that taking colloidal silver may cause brain, nerve, and kidney damage, as well as cause stomach distress and headaches.
And it can also turn your skin blue.
Like, Smurf-blue.
Permanently.
Harvard: “The most common problem associated with silver exposure is argyria: The skin turns a bluish gray as granules of silver accumulate in the body. The conjunctiva (the membrane that covers the eyes) and internal organs may also be affected. Once silver is deposited, there’s no way to get it out, so the discoloration may be permanent.”
So when it comes to colloidal silver supplements, just don’t, okay?
Paul Kita is a Deputy Editor at Men’s Health, where he has covered food, cooking, nutrition, supplements, grooming, tech, travel, and fatherhood at the brand for more than 15 years. He is also the author of two Men’s Health cookbooks, Guy Gourmet and A Man, A Pan, A Plan, and the winner of a James Beard Award.
