Colloidal Silver…has it gotten a bad rap?
When taking colloidal silver as a mineral supplement, it’s said to boost one’s immune system. Unfortunately, most people can’t get past the rumor that it might turn your skin blue. Never mind what your migraine meds might be doing to you.
At one point, researchers had looked into the major side effect known to colloidal silver called argyria, a condition that causes the skin to turn a bluish-gray. In fact, even Dr. Oz on Oprah Winfrey’s show told a guest whose skin was blue that he’d turned that color because of taking colloidal silver. However, many people take it and have no side effects. Why is that? And can it actually help with migraine relief?
What is colloidal silver?
According to Wikipedia, colloidal silver is a liquid suspension of microscopic particles of silver. In other words, it’s where different concentrations of silver particles have been added to filtered water. Colloidal means silver particles.
Here’s the jist of science behind colloidal silver. When colloidal silver contains 30 ppm (parts per million) or less, it is usually created through a process called electrolysis. If it has higher concentrations of 50 ppm or more, the colloidal silver can be either one of two compounds, silver iodide or silver chloride, or are protein bound solutions that disperses particles.
Silver ions are said to eliminate bacteria by using the oligodynamic effect (the discovery that heavy metals, like brass and copper, disinfect and kill germs - for example, according to Wikipedia, brass doorknobs disinfect themselves within eight hours, while aluminum and stainless steel doorknobs never do. Also that’s why pools use copper and brass.)
You can find colloidal silver online or at many health food stores.
However, you need to know which one you are buying, and which one truly has silver particles.
There are three different types of colloidal silver:
1. Ionic Silver Solutions
- Most of the colloidal silver products fall into this category due to it being less expensive and is easier to manufacture. The content of silver contains both silver particles (only 10%) and silver ions (90%). Silver ions are not the same as silver particles. This solution may be called "dissolved silver." Some manufacturers refer to their ionic silver solution as silver hydrosol or monatomic silver.
- Ionic silver solutions are clear and not a real silver colloid. To know if the solution is ionic silver, add a few grains of salt to the water. If it becomes cloudy, then the water contains silver. If no cloud forms, there is no silver.
- According to scientific reports on colloidal silver, if you follow the direction on ionic silver solutions, it will not cause argyria.
2. Silver protein
- This form of colloidal silver is created by adding silver protein powder to water. Labeled Silver Protein or Mild Silver Protein, the companies who sell silver protein claim the solution is made of 30 to 20,000 ppm. Note the word "claim."
- To know if it’s silver protein, shake the product. If foam forms on the surface, there is protein in it.
- There are dangers to this form of "colloidal silver". This product can cause argyria, where the skin turns a bluish-gray because of the high levels of large silver particles.
- Do not add protein to colloidal silver as bacteria grows on protein and it will enable the colloidal silver to reach and kill the bacteria.
3. True colloidal silver
- True colloidal silver products are less prevalent in the market because of its price and manufacturing. Silver particles make up the majority solution with 50-80% being particles and 20-49% being silver ions.
- If the liquid contains true colloidal silver, then it will appear dark.
- True silver colloid products will not cause argyria.
Research has found that taking colloidal silver as a mineral supplement can help with migraine relief. Although colloidal silver has many functions, the key to migraine sufferers is feeling better. Just make sure you know what you’re buying before you begin taking it. There are many companies out there claiming to have the real deal, and only few do.
This article is not to claim a cure, nor has colloidal silver been approved by the FDA.
Sources:
Silver Colloids, Scientific Information on Colloidal Silver, retrieved September 29, 2008 from http://www.silver-colloids.com/Reports/reports.html
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