Why is Colloidal Silver such a secret medicine?

Long-term intake of high doses of certain silver products may result in argyria, a rare condition of blue or gray discoloration of the skin345. While generally considered permanent, some have claimed to have reversed it7. Argyria is non-fatal10 and has no other known negative health implications11.

Almost all known cases of argyria resulted from exposure to or use of silver compounds, such as silver oxide, silver nitrate, and silver chloridecitation needed. Even the well-known case of Stan Jones, a Montana Libertarian candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2002 and 2006, was found, after a scrutiny of his production methods, to have likely been caused by silver chloride and/or other silver compounds. This was due to (1) his use of mineral-rich well water, (2) his adding of salt as an accelerant, (3) his unusually long production times, and (4) his failure to filter the final product12.

Mr. Jones began producing and ingesting his silver product in 1999, due to fears of antibiotics being unavailable due to "Y2K" bug problems. 6Advocates of colloidal silver claim it to be a useful supplement to their diet, providing them with improved health and well being and (among other things) a low incidence of colds and flu. Citation needed They also assert that, under careful use of properly produced colloidal silver, argyria is virtually impossible.

13 These claims are anecdotal, and have not been confirmed by scientific study. Though colloidal silver was once produced by pharmaceutical companies, it gradually fell into disfavor, with the development of sulfa drugs and the later development of penicillin. By the mid 1970's, all major U.S. pharmaceutical companies had ceased production of colloidal silver14.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned over-the-counter sales of any product claiming to have therapeutic value, health benefits, or making any medical claims, unless it is a drug. Despite colloidal silver's earlier history as a drug, the product now has the status of a dietary supplement (dietary supplements cannot claim to cure diseases, only that they "support healthy functioning"). 1516 The FDA has issued warnings to internet sites selling or promoting colloidal silver as an antibiotic or for other medical purposes17.

If no medical benefits are claimed, colloidal silver is sold as a supplement, and as long as the products comply with all other FDA regulations, its sale is considered legal. In 2002, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration made a similar ruling18. The term, "colloidal silver", has been used inaccurately by some to advertise products which are mostly silver compounds or proteins bound with silver.

This has contributed to over-all confusion about the term, "colloidal silver", in the market.