Silver has been a staple component of natural treatment doctrines for thousands of years already, used as an antiseptic, antibiotic, and immunity booster. It’s safe, affordable, and utterly effective, but what does modern science say on the matter? What are the confirmed colloidal silver health benefits and are there any side effects to its miracles?
After reading this article, you’ll know why millions of people around the world (including me) always keep a bottle or two of colloidal silver in their homes. And maybe you’ll even want to join the club!
For starters: what is colloidal silver and how does it work?
A colloid is a mixture which consists of a non-solid base (a gas, a liquid, a foam, or a gel) and insoluble particles of another substance dispersed throughout it. For example, milk is a water colloid of butterfat, smoke is a gaseous colloid of ash and tar, and clouds are a gaseous colloid of water particles.
Likewise, colloidal silver is usually a liquid or a gel with microscopic particles of pure silver spreaded throughout it. The difference between silver colloids and silver salts (like silver nitrate) is that the latter are chemically derived from silver, yet have little in common with it.
The bactericidal effect of silver is explained by:
Its adhesion to the cellular walls of bacteria and outer surface of viruses. Silver is able to modify the electrical surface of the germs, making them much more vulnerable to external factors including your own immune system.
Its ability to invade the bacterial cells and damage their inner machinery.
Its immunomodulatory effects. Few studies are available on this matter, but it seems that silver can reduce inflammation and alleviate allergies by making proper adjustments in the cells of your immune system.
5 scientifically proven health benefits of colloidal silver
Cure common cold
More than 80% of common cold cases are viral infections, and colloidal silver can effectively treat those as well! This is especially great for kids, as they tend to catch the condition somewhat more often than adults. A 2011 study consisted of children with common cold syndrome that received either colloidal silver or saline solution (water and salt) to treat their condition. The results:
With colloidal silver: 90% of the patients recovered, 10% experienced complications (from the disease, not from silver) like tracheitis, otitis, and bronchitis.
Without colloidal silver: 66% recovered, 34% had complications.
How to use: tilt your head backwards and put 3-5 drops of colloidal silver into each nostril using a clean dropper. Repeat 2-3 times a day until symptoms improve.
Treat ear infections
Studies have confirmed that silver has powerful bactericidal properties that beat out even some conventional drugs. One of its most common applications is in treating ear infections, particularly otitis media. The reason why colloidal silver is so great for this matter is that it kills not only the present bacteria (like traditional antibiotics do), but also the viruses and even fungi. It’s always hard to tell which was the specific germ that caused your infection, so it’s good to have all possible options covered – with a single shot.
How to use: warm the liquid to room temperature. Tilt your head or lie on your side and carefully put 1-3 drops into the affected ear. After 5 minutes of exposure, tilt your head to the opposite direction or lie on your other side to let any excess liquid out of your ear. Repeat 2-3 times a day until the condition subsides.
Say goodbye to sinusitis
Colloidal silver in the form of a nasal spray brought significant relief of symptoms in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis caused by S. aureus, a rather nasty kind of bacteria. And when scientists decided to confirm this effect in the lab, they’ve found out that silver kills 98.9% of the bugs!
How to use: bend your head backwards and put 3-5 drops of silver colloid into each nostril using a clean dropper. Repeat this procedure 2-3 times a day. If your colloid comes in the form of a nasal spray, apply 1-2 squeezes of it into each nostril 2-3 times a day.
Heal your wounds faster
Sometimes colloidal silver comes in form of gel rather than liquid, and this can be quite handy in certain cases. By applying it to a wound, you can be sure that it will inhibit up to 100% of the microorganisms present in the injury, thus promoting a much faster regeneration.
How to use: generously apply colloidal silver to clean the wound from dirt, blood and tissue fragments. Repeat 2-3 times a day if exudate in the wound is present. If your colloid is in gel form, gently apply it to the wound 2 times a day.
Treat burns effectively
Silver colloids were traditionally used to treat burns before the advent of antibiotics. In the 1960s they were replaced by silver salts (such as silver nitrate), but these ones are somewhat more toxic and slow down the healing of wounds. Therefore, colloidal silver is still a safer approach.
How to use: rinse the wound with colloidal silver, or soak a bandage in the liquid and gently apply to the wound. As an alternative, you can put a couple of drops of the colloid on your usual Band-Aid and either let dry or apply still wet.
Colloidal silver side effects
As a rule, colloidal silver does not have any side effects when administered and taken properly, but there is a couple of important things to keep in mind.
A long-term or high-dose exposure to silver results in a condition known as argyria or argyrosis. This side effect is very rare, usually affecting only people who work with silver on an industrial scale or take an absurd amount of the substance for treating a certain disease.
Argyria is not dangerous, but it surely is quite dramatic, as it makes a person’s skin and mucous membranes acquire a grey or blueish tone.
In other words, taking too much silver can turn you into a Smurf (or Silver Surfer, whomever you like most), and this isn’t treatable. Not dangerous, but neither pretty.
Here’s a list of safety measures you should keep in mind while using colloidal silver:
DO NOT inhale or drink your colloidal silver for the treatment of respiratory or gastrointestinal diseases. This substance is safe to use topically on the skin and wounds, as it isn’t absorbed there, but not recommended to take internally. Ear drops, nasal drops, and sprays are safe due to the minuscule amount of substance administered (3-5 drops at most).
DO NOT use colloidal silver for long periods of time. As a rule, you should aim for a 10 days’ maximum. This period is enough for the beneficial effects to manifest, but not even close to put you at risk of going blue.
Although certain sources say that using colloidal silver for the treatment of eye infections is generally safe, I do not recommend trying it. Prolonged use of silver-containing solutions to treat eye conditions results in localized argyria of the conjunctiva.
In other words: yes, taking a huge dose of silver will turn you into a Smurf, but here’s the trick. Drinking 8 liters of plain water in a single day can also kill you (that’s called water toxicity), yet no one in their sane mind would do that. Likewise, people don’t binge on silver and no one gets blue.
The bottom line
Colloidal silver is one of the most powerful and effective natural antibiotics and antiseptics that I know of, and it’s great that so many scientific studies were conducted to confirm these feats.
It speeds up wound healing, improves regeneration of burns, treats all kinds of infections and has virtually zero side effects. Of course, you should still take it carefully and follow appropriate safety measures, but all in all, it’s an incredibly safe and effective natural remedy that I absolutely recommend for everyone to have at home. Try it once and you’ll know what I mean. If your interested in trying colloidal silver as a ready to hand, fix-all remedy you can find it on Amazon by clicking here.
You will find lot’s of similar brands that are selling colloidal silver but the one that is tried and tested for me is Sovereign Silver. It is the leading brand in colloidal silver, providing quality and affordability to people looking for a cure-all natural home remedy.
Please feel free to share your experiences of using colloidal silver or if you have any questions about using it for a specific ailment, just leave a comment in the section below.