What Is Colloidal Silver?
Colloidal silver is a supplement that consists of tiny silver particles suspended in a liquid base. Silver is a metallic element that is mined as a precious metal. People are exposed to silver, usually in tiny amounts, through:
- Their environment
- Drinking water
- Food
- Possibly work or hobbies.
Silver has had some medicinal uses going back for centuries; however, more modern and less toxic drugs have eliminated the vast majority of these uses.
Colloidal silver is often marketed with a variety of unproven health claims, such as being an effective treatment for:
Colloidal silver has also been marketed as an alternative to antibiotics.
Colloidal Silver and Hepatitis C: Is It Effective?
There are no research studies that have shown colloidal silver to be effective in treating hepatitis C.
What these studies have shown is that:
- Silver is not an essential mineral supplement or a cure-all and should not be promoted as such.
- Claims that there can be a "deficiency" of silver in the body and that such a deficiency can lead to disease are unfounded.
- Claims made about the effectiveness of colloidal silver products for numerous diseases, including hepatitis C, are unsupported scientifically.
- Colloidal silver products can have serious side effects.
- The amounts of silver in these supplements vary greatly, which can pose risks to the consumer.