Colloidal silver is a very effective home remedy, but it’s best used externally and never swallowed as it harms gut flora. More recent research has found that colloidal silver harms the brain.
What is Colloidal Silver?
Colloidal silver is one of the most effective natural antibiotics widely available to the public.
What’s more, colloidal silver is cheap and easily obtained at many health food stores. Some people make it at home. It consists of tiny silver particles suspended in liquid for use either externally or internally.
The remarkable antibiotic nature of silver has been known for centuries. In the early 1900′s, the founder of Searle Pharmaceuticals, Alfred Searle, wrote in his book The Use of Colloids in Health and Disease:
Applying colloidal silver to human subjects has been done in a large number of cases with astonishingly successful results…having the advantage of being rapidly fatal to microbes without toxic action on its host. It is quite stable. It protects rabbits from ten times the lethal dose of tetanus or diphtheria toxin.
In the 1970s, Dr. Robert O. Becker at Syracuse Medical University began to intensively research colloidal silver. He discovered that silver not only kills bacteria, but it actually killed bacteria that were resistant to all known antibiotics with no undesirable side effects.
Moreover, unlike prescription antibiotics, pathogens do not become resistant or immune to silver over time. It even has the ability to eradicate antibiotic-resistant microbes like MRSA.
This is because colloidal silver doesn’t poison the microbes like antibiotics do, but rather smothers them by adhering to their cell walls and inhibiting their enzyme production.
Internal Use of Colloidal Silver
Despite its stellar reputation as a natural antibiotic, I never swallow colloidal silver and don’t allow my children to ingest it either. I only use colloidal silver for externally based infections such as swimmers ear. Others I know use it to gargle with as a strep throat home remedy.
My reasons are fairly simple.
First of all, silver is a heavy metal that accumulates in the body over time, the same as lead, cadmium, and aluminum. Why would anyone knowingly consume heavy metals?
It never made any sense to me which is why I have always avoided consuming any silver solution including silver nitrates, ionic silvers, colloidal silvers, silver chlorides, and silver proteins.
The claim that colloidal silver is the only safe silver solution has never been at all convincing to me.
Dr. Kaayla Daniel PhD writes in her marvelous piece Mad as a Hatter: How to Avoid Toxic Metals and Clear Them from the Body:
Although the mental and physical problems from metal toxicity have escalated in recent years, our very language tacitly acknowledges the historic toxicity of certain metals: “Mad as a hatter” from the Civil- War-era’s crazed use of mercury sizing in hat manufacture, “gold fever” from the murderous greed of early prospectors, “lead poisoning” as black humor for “getting shot,” and, more recently, “get-the-lead-out” exhortations from trainers who would have us exercise long and hard in order to sweat out toxins and melt excess fat.
Certainly, occasional use of colloidal silver internally probably does no harm. This would including gargling with it to resolve strep throat without antibiotics.
Why risk it when there are plenty of natural antibiotics such as garlic, turmeric, cayenne, manuka honey, and oregano oil (oreganol) that are highly effective and present no metal toxicity issues?
Risks to Beneficial Bacteria
While the fact that silver is a heavy metal with accumulation in the body that is difficult to undo (and yes, it can permanently turn your skin blue if you get too much which happens with some forms of silver solution) is reason enough in my book to keep the colloidal silver for external use only, the biggest reason of all is to protect the gut microbiome.
You see, colloidal silver works not by poisoning microbes like antibiotics do, but by smothering them by adhering to their cell walls and inhibiting their enzyme production.
While colloidal silver’s unique method of killing bacteria is highly effective and does not lessen over time as microbes do not become resistant to it, it is not selective in the bacteria it kills.
In other words, colloidal silver can decimate beneficial bacteria in the gut just the same as pathogenic strains. Isn’t this exactly why conventional antibiotics are so problematic?
Reducing the population in the gut of beneficial bacteria is serious business no matter what the cause …natural or drug-based.
Dr. Martin Blaser MD of New York University’s Langone Medical Center who writes in the August 2011 edition of Nature, warns against harming the beneficial microbes in the gut:
Early evidence from my lab and others hints that, sometimes, our friendly flora never fully recover. These long-term changes to the beneficial bacteria within people’s bodies may even increase our susceptibility to infections and disease.
False Marketing Claims
Some colloidal silver manufacturers claim that their product does not harm beneficial microbes. Even some prominent alternative physicians deceptively claim it does not harm flora.
However, this information is usually a ploy to sell product and ignores the chemical realities of the metal’s effect on living organisms.
Silver Kills Microbes Indiscriminately
Steve Barwick, author of The Ultimate Manual on Colloidal Silver sets the record straight about this false advertising regarding colloidal silver:
But the truth is, colloidal silver does indeed act as a broad spectrum natural antibiotic. As such, if enough mineral silver reaches the intestinal tract it most certainly can kill off the friendly (i.e., beneficial) bacteria that thrive there.
Colloidal silver simply has no way of knowing a beneficial microbe from an infectious microbe. If the microbe is sensitive to silver, then silver will kill it whether it is a beneficial microbe or an infectious one.
Proponents of small amounts of colloidal silver taken internally say it won’t harm delicate gut balance. However, I choose not to take any chances given that many food-based natural antibiotics work just as well or even better for resolution of internal infections. This article details the best natural antibiotics to choose from instead of colloidal silver when an internal agent is required.
Why risk it where your delicate gut microbiome is concerned? Colloidal silver is a broad-spectrum antibiotic.
Just because it wasn’t obtained via prescription makes it no less of a risk to your delicate intestinal health.
Contraindicated on GAPS Diet
Due to its ability to upset the delicate gut balance and harm beneficial gut flora, colloidal silver is contraindicated on the GAPS Protocol for gut healing developed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MD.
Certified GAPS Diet Practitioners trained by Dr. Campbell-McBride recommend avoiding the ingestion of colloidal silver. This is necessary while attempting to rebuild the gut environment with beneficial microbes and healing/sealing the gut wall to put autoimmune disease in remission. L. D. Moore, a practicing GAPS Diet Practitioner, had this to say:
As a certified GAPS practitioner protecting the gut is the highest priority. I am SO careful at what my clients ingest that may destroy that delicate balance. I put colloidal silver in the no ingest bucket.
Do you take colloidal silver internally? Why or why not?
Wouldn’t it be better to use plant-based medicines such as garlic that have no risk in comparison, don’t build up in the body, act as food for flora, and are equally effective?
I’m interested to hear your reasons for this as my research tells me to just say no.
References
(1) The Use of Colloids in Health and Disease
(2) How to Avoid Toxic Metals and Clear Them from the Body
(3) The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual
(4) Stop the Killing of Beneficial Bacteria
(5) Does Colloidal Silver Kill Both Good and Bad Bacteria?
SilveResearched in an FDA cleared, double blind human ingestion study.
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30 safety reports and studies.
3 published and FDA cleared human ingestion studies.
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Um yeah. They may leave the body in 24 hours AFTER they have already damaged gut flora. No thanks!
my understanding is that colloidal silver particles, like bentonite clay, has a negative charge. good bacteria have a negative charge, are not attracted to the colloidal silver. pathogens have a positive charge. so whereas bentonite clay sucks in only positive charges and leaves negative charges intact, colloidal silver only interacts with positively charged organisms and leaves the negatively charged organisms intact. with bentonite clay, some people worry about what is in the clay, that it might be bad for the body, but the clay is like a black hole in that it gives nothing up. it only absorbs (acts on) positive charges.
considering everything that is happening with antibiotics, I will take my chances with natural solutions any chance i get.
Thank you Sarah. Also for confirming what my gut was telling me, it staying active even after having showered seems off. I do not trust products who are capable of this.
I have found a cream like deodorant which works wonders against bad smells but it contains colloidal silver. Since it is not taken internally would it be okay to use this? The deodorant doesn’t have to be applied daily, and even stays active while you shower. Which is kinda odd to me, but we do still sweat so it doesn’t seem to clog the pores. Other ingredients are organic and non harmful. But I’m still on the fence about that colloidal silver, I hope someone can shed some light on this. Especially since I also let my teenage son use this.
I don’t know what brand you’re referring to and so have not vetted the entire list of ingredients, but assuming they are safe, note that colloidal silver also destroys probiotics on the skin. This isn’t necessarily a problem for such small localized use for the underarms only, but it can lead to rashes and other skin imbalance issues over the long haul. So, if you notice rashes or anything like that, might want to reconsider.
Also, if it works after showering, I would be VERY skeptical about the pores being clogged. I would suggest to very carefully examine the ingredients list.
I found this on the affects of silver: ToxFAQsTM for Silver
atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/TF.asp?id=538&tid=97
July 1999
CAS#: 7440-22-4
PDF Version, 120 KB
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions about silver. For more information, you may call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-800-232-4636. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects. It is important you understand this information because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
On This Page
o Highlights
o What is silver?
o What happens to silver when it enters the environment?
o How might I be exposed to silver?
o How can silver affect my health?
o How likely is silver to cause cancer?
o Is there a medical test to show whether I’ve been exposed to silver?
o Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health?
o Glossary
o References
o Where can I get more information?
I’m sharing /copying just one of the questions for viewing
How can silver affect my health?
Exposure to high levels of silver for a long period of time may result in a condition called arygria, a blue-gray discoloration of the skin and other body tissues. Lower-level exposures to silver may also cause silver to be deposited in the skin and other parts of the body; however, this is not known to be harmful. Argyria is a permanent effect, but it appears to be a cosmetic problem that may not be otherwise harmful to health.
Exposure to high levels of silver in the air has resulted in breathing problems, lung and throat irritation, and stomach pains. Skin contact with silver can cause mild allergic reactions such as rash, swelling, and inflammation in some people.
Animal studies have shown that swallowing silver results in the deposit of silver in the skin. One study in mice found that the animals exposed to silver in drinking water were less active than unexposed animals.
No studies are available on whether silver affects reproduction or causes developmental problems in people.
Regarding intestinal flora, Howard Mitchell; a former teacher of physics and chemistry conducted a series of experiments with colloidal silver. He found that colloidal silver has no effect on acidophilus which is the ”good bacteria” found in the stomach. He used concentrations forty times higher than what might be expected to destroy other forms of bacteria. Even in large dosages it showed that the intestinal flora (good bacteria) flourished. In fact, there is speculation that the silver ions may be beneficial in stimulating a strong growth of beneficial bacteria, therefore assisting in boosting the immune system. From time to time, some may experience diarrhea if they ingest too much colloidal silver. Once they reduce the amount being ingested, the lactobacilli counts has shown to return to normal within 12 hours without any intervention. Of course there is still the issue of heavy metal toxicity.
The concern here is not the stomach but the large intestine where there are no digestive juices diluting the effect!
I would never trust any company that makes silver so for this reason I make it myself and take it internally. My rosacea has cleared almost completely.
Hi , I take colloidal silver spray when I have a sore throat. I have very sensitive bowels, IBS etc and have noticed every time I use the spray it plays havoc with my digestive system. I guess this is because I have swallowed the spray. This has happenened many times so I will not be using the throat spray again.
Good article. I am 44, female and have always been in good health. Last year a friend recommended colloidal silver for my flu (which tends to end up being strep).
I ended up on antibiotics and before I was done I was crippled with intestinal/bowel pain and actually stopped taking them before the last 2 doses.
I have since had minor health issues arise over the past year and a half and seem to always consume close to 30mg (6 5mg doses over a few days) of the colloidal silver.
EVERY single time I end off with severe intestinal pain in my bowels. Never any other symptoms of bowel issues just pain and sometime crippling.
I just went through another round of the flu, took the silver 2 5mg doses and again here I am…..in agony.
I agree Sarah, you are absolutely correct in everything I read in your article.
This product is excellent but don’t drink it! You never know until it’s too late to do anything and the consequences are life impacting.
The writer of this article is full of it, probably paid by Pharmaceutical Companies. Colloidal Silver is safe and effective, she talked about it upsets gut flora, SO DO Antibiotics but she wont say that, like I said she is full of it.
It seems you didn’t read the article at all!