Colloidal Silver: Risk WITHOUT BENEFIT
a_weisman_at_yahoo.com
Date: 03/25/05
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Date: 24 Mar 2005 16:12:14 -0800
Silver:
NOT safe
NOT effective
NOT approved for human use internally
ILLEgal
Don't listen to the LIARS and silver cult profiteers like BRENT THE
LIAR!
Colloidal Silver: Risk without Benefit
http://quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/PhonyAds/silverad.html
Colloidal Silver:
Risk Without Benefit
Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Colloidal silver is a suspension of submicroscopic metallic silver
particles in a colloidal base. Long-term use of silver preparations can
lead to argyria, a condition in which silver salts deposit in the skin,
eyes, and internal organs, and the skin turns ashen-gray. Many cases of
argyria occurred during the pre-antibiotic era when silver was a common
ingredient in nosedrops. When the cause became apparent, doctors
stopped recommending their use, and reputable manufacturers stopped
producing them. The official drug guidebooks (United States
Pharmacopeia and National Formulary) have not listed colloidal silver
products since 1975.
Dubious Ads
In recent years, silver-containing products have been marketed with
unsubstantiated claims that they are effective against AIDS, cancer,
infectious diseases, parasites, chronic fatigue, acne, warts,
hemorrhoids, enlarged prostate, and many other diseases and conditions.
Some marketers claim that colloidal silver is effective against
hundreds of diseases.
During 1997 and 1998, Changes International, a Florida-based multilevel
company, stated:
Our colloidal silver contains 99.99% pure silver particles suspended
indefinitely in demineralized water that kills bacteria and viruses. It
can be applied topically and/or absorbed into the blood stream
sub-lingually (under the tongue), thereby avoiding the negative effects
of traditional antibiotics that kill good bacteria in the lower
digestive tract.
An all natural antibiotic alternative in the purest form available. The
presence of colloidal silver near a virus, fungi, bacterium or any
other single celled pathogen disables its oxygen-metabolism enzyme, its
chemical lung, so to say. The pathogens suffocates and dies, and is
cleared out of the body by the immune, lymphatic and elimination
systems.
Unlike pharmaceutical antibiotics which destroy beneficial enzymes,
colloidal silver leaves these beneficial enzymes intact. Thus colloidal
silver is absolutely safe for humans, reptiles, plants and all
multi-celled living matter.
It is impossible for single-celled germs to mutate into
silver-resistant forms, as happens with conventional antibiotics. Also,
colloidal silver cannot interact or interfere with other medicines
being taken. Colloidal silver is truly a safe, natural remedy for many
of mankind's ills. Colloidal silver can be taken indefinitely because
the body does not develop a tolerance to it [1]
Seasilver International, a California-based multilevel company, claims
that American are suffering from "silver deficiency." Although silver
is not an essential nutrient, product information posted on the
company's Web site states:
The depletion of minerals in our soil has left us deficient of silver,
one of our most essential trace minerals, causing a drastic increase in
immune system disorders in our society in the last decade. Research has
taught us that all disease is allowed to manifest itself because of a
weakened immune system. In over 20 years of worldwide research on
Colloidal Silver, numerous interviews with government agencies, health
care practitioners and their patients, no other nutrient, herb or drug
(prescription or over-the-counter) is as safe and effective against all
known forms of unfriendly virus, bacteria, and fungus. Additionally,
while it is generally known that most antibiotics kill only perhaps 6
or 7 different disease organisms, reports have shown that Colloidal
Silver has been used successfully in the treatment of over 650
diseases! Furthermore, strains of disease organisms fail to develop in
the presence of Colloidal Silver. Colloidal Silver's greatest attribute
is its unique ability to function as a superior second immune system in
the body! [2]
The ad below is from the July 1996 issue of Alternative Medicine
Digest.
Critical Studies and Case Reports
In 1995, an herbal distributor named Leslie Taylor tested nine commonly
marketed colloidal silver products available at health-food stores and
concluded:
Two of the products were contaminated with microorganisms.
The amount of silver suspended in solution varied from product to
product and would gradually decrease over time.
Only five products actually showed antibacterial activity in a
laboratory test. To perform the test, she prepared a culture plate with
Staphylococcus aureas bacteria, which can cause infections in humans.
She then placed a drop from each product on the plate and used disks of
two common antibiotics as controls. After eight hours of incubation,
she found that bacterial growth had been inhibited around the
antibiotics and four of the products.
Of course, the fact that a product inhibits bacteria in a laboratory
culture doesn't mean it is effective (or safe) in the human body. In
fact, products that kill bacteria in the laboratory would be more
likely to cause argyria because they contain more silver ions that are
free to deposit in the user's skin.
FDA laboratory studies have found that the amount of silver in some
product samples has varied from 15.2% to 124% of the amount listed on
the product labels. The amount of silver required to produce argyria is
unknown. However, the FDA has concluded that the risk of using silver
products exceeds any unsubstantiated benefit [3]. So far, nine cases of
argyria related to silver products have been reported:
A 56-year-old man who had sold and used colloidal silver for three
years, developed blue/gray discoloration of his fingernails accompanied
by a very high blood level of silver [4].
A married couple who had three years of daily consumption of a drink
prepared by administering an electrolytic charge to a bowl of water
that contained a silver bar [5].
Another couple had been taking a silver-containing "dietary supplement"
prescribed by a naturopath [5].
A mentally ill man who had been drinking silver-containing herbal tea
for about 10 months [5].
Stan Jones, Montana's Libertarian Party candidate for the U.S. Senate,
who reportedly started taking colloidal silver in 1999 for fear that
Y2K disruptions might lead to a shortage of antibiotics. He made his
own concoction by electrically two silver wires in a glass of water
[6].
Two men, ages 63 and 76, developed argyria after a year of product use
inspired by Internet claims [7].
Enforcement Actions
Between October 1993 and September 1994, the FDA issued warning letters
to five colloidal silver marketers::
Higher Education Library Publications (H.E.L.P.), of Springfield, Utah,
was ordered to stop claiming that its colloidal silver product was
effective as a natural antibiotic and might be effective against
cancer, genito-urinary diseases, tuberculosis, and AIDS.
Nutrition, Inc., of Arvada, Colorado, was ordered to stop stating or
implying that its Silvicidal, when administered orally or
intravenously, was nontoxic, FDA-approved, and was a broad-spectrum
antibiotic that killed bacteria and all virus and fungal infections. In
addition, it was falsely claimed to be effective against a long list of
specific diseases.
Reseau International of Cincinnati, Ohio was ordered to stop claiming
that its colloidal silver product was a "natural antibiotic and
anti-inflammatory immune system stimulant" and that it was effective
against cancer, staph, strep, influenza, general body infections,
inflammation, impaired immune system, fungus toxicity, tonsillitis,
Meniere's symptoms, whooping cough, shingles, syphilis, cholera, and
malaria. The labeling also stated that colloidal silver could cause
major growth stimulation of human tissues and can regenerate
Silverado Inc., of Bountiful, Utah, was warned to stop making false
claims that its colloidal silver product was effective as an
antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-fungal agent and
that it could stimulate the immune system.
Unic, of Carmichael, California, was ordered to stop claiming that its
colloidal silver product was effective against many diseases and could
heal burn-damaged tissue without scarring.
In October 1996, the FDA proposed to ban the use of colloidal silver or
silver salts in over-the-counter products [8]. A Final Rule banning
such use was issued on August 17, 1999 and became effective September
16th. The rule applies to any nonprescription colloidal silver or
silver salt product claimed to be effective in preventing or treating
any disease [9]. Silver products can still be sold as "dietary
supplements" provided that no health claims are made for them. During
2000, the FDA issued warnings to more than 20 companies whose Web sites
were making illegal therapeutic claims for colloidal silver products.
In 2000, the Federal Court of Australia banned Vital Earth Company Pty
Limited and its director Darryl John Jones from falsely representing
that the colloidal silver produced by their "Vital Silver 3000 Zapper,"
"Vital Silver 2000 Automatic" and "Vital Silver 2000":
Can kill all disease-causing bacteria, fungi and virus within six
minutes of contact
Has no harmful side effects; that colloidal silver could be used as an
antibiotic for all the acquired diseases of active AIDS
Is effective with more than 650 different pathogenic bacteria and virus
types
Has been used successfully against diseases including AIDS, cholera,
diabetes, leprosy, leukemia, lupus, skin cancer, syphilis and whooping
cough.
The company was also ordered to pay AUS$9000 in costs and to provide
refunds [10].
In 2001, the FTC obtained consent agreements with two companies:
Robert C. Spencer and Lisa M. Spencer, doing business as Aaron Company
(Palm Bay, Florida). Colloidal silver has been medically proven to kill
over 650 disease-causing organisms in the body and is effective in
curing diseases ranging from cancer and multiple sclerosis to HIV/AIDS
[11].
ForMor, Inc., doing business as ForMor International, and its
president, Stan Gross (Birmingham, Alabama) agreed not to make
unsubstantiated claims that colloidal silver is effective in treating
over 650 infectious diseases, has no adverse side effects, and is
effective against arthritis, blood poisoning, cancer, cholera,
diphtheria, diabetes, dysentery, gonorrhea, herpes, influenza, leprosy,
lupus, malaria, meningitis, rheumatism, shingles, staph infections,
strep infections, syphilis, tuberculosis, whooping cough, and yeast
infections [11].
In 2002, the FTC obtained a consent agreement with Kris Pletschke,
doing business as Raw Health, agreed to stop making unsubstantiated
claims that its colloidal silver product could treat or cure 650
different diseases; eliminate all pathogens in the human body in six
minutes or less; and is medically proven to kill every destructive
bacterial, viral, and fungal organism in the body, including anthrax,
Ebola, Hanta, and flesh-eating bacteria [12].
In 2002, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration amended its
rules so that water-treatment products containing substances like
colloidal silver for which therapeutic claims are made must meet the
requirements of medicines included in the Australian Register of
Therapeutic Goods. This means that such products can no longer be
legally marketed without proof that they are safe and effective for
their intended purpose. The amendment was based on clnclusions that:
There is little evidence to support therapeutic claims made for
colloidal silver products;
The risk to consumers of silver toxicity outweighs the value of trying
an unsubstantiated treatment, and bacterial resistance to silver can
occur
Efforts should be made to curb the illegal availability of colloidal
silver products, which is a significant public health issue [13] .
References
Product brochure. Changes International, 1997. Downloaded in 1998.
Seasilver International Product Information, accessed October 12, 1998.
Fung MC, Bowen DL. Silver products for medical indications:
risk-benefit assessment. Journal of Toxicology and Clinical Toxicology
34:119-26, 1996.
Gulbranson SH and others. Argyria following the use of dietary
supplements containing colloidal silver protein. Cutis 66:373-374,
2000.
Hori K and others. Believe it or not -- Silver still poisons!
Veterinary and Human Toxicology 44(5):291-292, 2002.
Blue Is the color of my candidate's skin. Associated Press, Oct 2, 2002
Cohen LE and others. Effects of Internet quackery: Argyria in the
silver state. Federal Practitioner 21(4):9-17, 2004.
Federal Register 61:53685-53688, 1996. (To access this document, search
the 1996 volume for "colloidal silver.")
FDA. Final rule: Over-the-counter drug products containing colloidal
silver ingredients or silver salts. Federal Register 64:44653-44658,
1999. Download PDF version
Refunds for buyers of alternative therapy devices. News release,
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission., May 5, 20
"Operation Cure.All" wages new battle in ongoing war against Internet
health fraud. FTC news release, June 14, 2001.
FTC announces first two enforcement actions against purveyors of
bioterrorism defense products. FTC news release, Feb 27, 2002.
Regulation of colloidal silver and related products. Therapeutic Goods
Administration Web site, Aug 19, 2003.
For Further Information
Rosemary Jacobs, an argyria victim, has made a detailed study of the
colloidal silver marketplace and is willing to answer questions.
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