Colloidal silver - Shorts

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Jan, 2003 by Jule Klotter

Silver's anti-microbial properties have long been recognized, according to a Wall Street Journal article. For centuries, food was stored in silver containers to slow spoilage. Before penicillin, silver compounds were used to treat some burns and wounds. In recent years, colloidal silver has been widely promoted on the Internet as a virtual cure-all. In January 2000, the FDA and FTC sent warnings to Internet retailers for making unapproved health claims about colloidal silver that include its ability to cure acne, herpes, leprosy, bubonic plague, and cancer. Some retailers claim that colloidal silver can kill "more than 650 different disease-causing viruses," implying that it can also prevent 650 diseases. The FDA and FTC are also perturbed that the amount of silver ontained in these products does not always match the labeling.

Many of the websites do not include information about one documented side effect of ingesting colloidal silver, a condition called argyria. Argyria is the non-reversible buildup of silver in the skin, which gives the flesh a blue-gray color. Sunlight can make the discoloration darken. This condition is not known to develop into anything more serious. Rosemary Jacobs developed argyria as a teenager after her doctor prescribed colloidal silver nose drops to treat allergies. Angered at the mass marketing of colloidal silver without warnings about this side effect, the 58-year-old set up her own website (http:/together.net/~rjstan/rose2.htm) that includes color pictures of herself and disputes the claims made by many colloidal silver retailers.

In June 2001, the FDA and the FTC began to take legal action against some Internet colloidal silver retailers. While doing a web search over a year later, I found that colloidal silver websites now advertise silver generators, encouraging consumers to make their own colloidal silver since the government is beginning to restrict its sale. Warnings about argyria were rare on these websites.

Carroll, Jill. Regulators Crack Down on Web's New Miracle Cure: Colloidal Silver. The Wall Street Journal. 2001 June 14; p. B1+