Colloidal Silver for Cold and Flu

Silver droplet

Colloidal silver is a toxic solution of microscopic particles of silver suspended in a liquid, generally purified water. Claims have been made about its effectiveness in treating many ailments; some distributors even tout it as a cure-all. These claims are bogus - colloidal silver is dangerous for human ingestion.

Colloidal Silver in the Treatment of Cold and Flu

Method

• Colloidal silver may be taken in liquid form according to package directions, or it may be inhaled by use of a nebulizer.

Why It Works

Most proponents of colloidal silver argue that silver is an antibiotic, able to kill hundreds of disease-causing microorganisms by disabling an enzyme they require for life. Others claim that a deficiency in silver causes disease, and taking colloidal silver cures this deficiency, thereby curing the disease. However, modern medicine regards ingesting silver as ineffective at best, poisonous at worst. Furthermore, silver is not a mineral required by the human body, so deficiencies in silver do not exist.

Precautions

There has been no scientific research showing the efficacy of drinking or inhaling colloidal silver, and there have been several reports of health problems related to this practice. One risk is argyria, an irreversible condition occurring when too much silver is taken into the body, building up in skin and other tissues, and turning the skin, nails, and gums a bluish-gray. Larger doses have been shown to cause neurological problems and organ damage. Do not take colloidal silver if you are allergic to silver.

More Remedies

• Click here for all Cold and Flu remedies