It’s Shiny, But It’s Still a Scam

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Updated on March 13, 2014

I got a question last week from reader Barbara about colloidal silver supplements. For the record, this alternative health remedy is both ineffective and unsafe. It’s the latter that concerns me most, of course. A lot of the things we do for health are ineffective (homeopathy for starters; glandulars are another). Others are actually dangerous (the fat-free diet trend of the 90s that’s contributed to our metabolic syndrome epidemic). Colloidal silver supplements fall into the dangerous category.

Colloidal – a term for suspension of micro particles in liquid – silver is purported to treat or cure everything from acne to leprosy to AIDS to cancer to, most commonly, infection. Colloidal silver is touted as an all-purpose anti-viral, anti-bacterial therapy. Of course, those diabolical scientists have suppressed the truth about colloidal silver’s benefits. It’s the “natural antibiotic”! Going further, evidently Americans are suffering from a massive silver deficiency epidemic.

In truth, colloidal silver supplementation has zero health benefits and carries substantial risks. For all the talk about widespread growing resistance to antibiotics (a public health concern I cautiously share), a run of antibiotics to treat an infection is far superior to colloidal silver both in terms of efficacy and safety. Of course, the goal here is to boost your immunity naturally through a good diet, prudent supplementation and regular exercise, but everyone gets sick now and then. Colloidal silver isn’t the answer. Regular intake will result in silver “ash” deposits that can and do show up in unfortunate places like the eyes, skin and organs – permanently. (This condition is called argyria. Click here to see a picture of a bad case – but be warned that it’s very disturbing.) Moreover, silver is not an essential nutrient required by the human body.

Further Reading:

Top 10 Health Scams (hoodia, cellulite cream and more)

Top 10 Most Worthless Drugs

Source:

Colloidal Silver Products Fact Sheet (NIH)

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TAGS: Hype, marketing

About the Author

Mark Sisson is the founder of Mark’s Daily Apple, godfather to the Primal food and lifestyle movement, and the New York Times bestselling author of The Keto Reset Diet. His latest book is Keto for Life, where he discusses how he combines the keto diet with a Primal lifestyle for optimal health and longevity. Mark is the author of numerous other books as well, including The Primal Blueprint, which was credited with turbocharging the growth of the primal/paleo movement back in 2009. After spending three decades researching and educating folks on why food is the key component to achieving and maintaining optimal wellness, Mark launched Primal Kitchen, a real-food company that creates Primal/paleo, keto, and Whole30-friendly kitchen staples.