Let's talk about colloidal silver a minute. For one thing colloidal silver is not an herb. It is also not grown in the ground. So, what is it and where does it come from and is it really beneficial to us?

Colloidal silver consists of silver particles suspended in a liquid. It is often produced by home-made generators. Colloidal Silver is the result of an electro-magnetic process that pulls microscopic particles from a larger piece of silver into a liquid, such as water. You can buy gadgets over the Internet to make batches of colloidal silver at home.

Silver is not an essential mineral and does not serve any physiological function in the body. It actually denatures proteins by binding to their reactive groups. It can inactivate some enzymes by forming hemisilver sulfides with sulfhydryl groups of the enzymes ⁽¹⁾. Silver when taken orally 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 ^{(2) (3) (7)}.If it does that to the skin, imagine what it does to your insides! Other adverse effects include seizures ⁽⁶⁾ and kidney damage. Pregnant women should not consume colloidal silver as it can cause developmental abnormalities in fetus ⁽¹⁾.

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)}.

In October 1996, the FDA proposed to ban the use of colloidal silver or silver salts in over-the-counter products . A Final Rule banning such use was issued on August 17, 1999 and became effective September 16th. The rule applies to any nonprescription colloidal silver or silver salt product claimed to be effective in preventing or treating any disease . Silver products can still be sold as "dietary supplements" provided that no health claims are made for them. During 2000, the FDA issued warnings to more than 20 companies whose Web sites were making illegal therapeutic claims for colloidal silver products.

Colloidal silver isn't considered safe or effective for any of the health claims manufacturers make. Nor is it an essential mineral, as some sellers of silver products claim.

Manufacturers of colloidal silver products often claim that they are cure-alls, boosting your immune system, fighting bacteria and viruses, and treating cancer, HIV/AIDS, shingles, herpes, eye ailments and prostatitis. However, no sound scientific studies to evaluate these health claims have been published in reputable medical journals. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration has taken action against some manufacturers of colloidal silver products for making unproven health claims

A report from the National Institutes of Health warns that large doses of colloidal silver could cause seizures, kidney damage, stomach trouble, headaches and fatigue.

If colloidal silver really were some sort of super bug-fighter, it would have been embraced by mainstream medicine long ago.