Why you definitely shouldn't drink silver water

What is Silver Water

This is the name of water with the addition of the smallest particles of silver. The scientific name for such solutions is colloidal Colloidal Silver. This liquid has a long and even legendary history.

The famous Hippocrates used Topical Antimicrobials for Burn Wound Infections sheets and dressings soaked in water infused in silver bowls to heal wounds. The no less famous ancient Greek historian Herodotus mentioned that in the troops of the Persian king Cyrus II the Great, silver vessels were used to transport water: this made it possible to keep the liquid suitable for drinking in conditions of long campaigns.

It was also noticed that ordinary warriors who drank from pewter dishes were more likely to get sick with gastrointestinal infections than the nobility who drank from silver cups.

The antimicrobial activity of colloidal silver was also used in the 20th century. On its basis, drops were made for the treatment of eye infections, it was taken orally for a variety of diseases - from colds to gonorrhea.

The popularity of silver water only declined with the advent of antibiotics. But to this day, colloidal silver is used in alternative medicine. Producers call My dad takes colloidal silver for his health, but is it safe? its a panacea that fights bacteria and viruses, strengthens the immune system, treats eye diseases, herpes and shingles, prostatitis and even cancer and HIV.

However, scientists have already taken a closer look at the water. And they were somewhat horrified.

Is it true that silver water is good for you

Let's start with the most herbivorous claim: there is no scientific study that convincingly demonstrates the benefits of drinking silver water.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reported Over-the-counter drug products containing colloidal silver ingredients or silver salts. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Public Health Service (PHS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Final rule. about this back in 1999. And 10 years later, Consumer Advisory: Dietary Supplements Containing Silver May Cause Permanent Discoloration of Skin and Mucous Membranes (Argyria) updated the same press release, adding information that colloidal silver can even be harmful to health.

In terms of evidence-based medicine, ingesting metal (drinking silver water) is a bad idea.

First, silver is not involved in human metabolism. In simple words: our body does not know how to use it. Therefore, in principle, there is no talk of any strengthening of the immune system or treatment of diseases.

Secondly, the metal accumulates in organs and tissues. If you drink silver water, over time it can stain the skin and mucous membranes in a distinct blue-gray color. This condition is called argyrosis (argyria). Today, doctors do not consider such a condition in itself dangerous, but pay attention to its irreversibility: the color remains forever.

Another unpleasant side effect of Colloidal Silver consuming colloidal silver is its ability to interact with certain medications. In particular, the effect of taking antibiotics and thyroxine, a drug that is prescribed for low thyroid function, decreases.

That is, if you are treated with an antibiotic, for example, for sore throat and at the same time drink silver water "for health", your illness will be more severe and longer than usual.

Where did the opinion come from that water with silver is useful?

Hippocrates was still right to some extent: colloidal silver really has antimicrobial functions - it can destroy some bacteria. Therefore, for example, the nobility who drank rotten water from silver cups suffered from diarrhea less often than ordinary soldiers, and a silver leaf applied to the wound healed it.

But silver is a very controversial material.

If you are hoping to feel like nobility by throwing a silver spoon into the water, or by other means of disinfecting it with silver, we have bad news. A 2017 study found Common water treatments could damage DNA that drinking such a liquid can damage DNA and harm the health of future generations - your heirs. These findings are based on animal experiments and need to be verified in humans. But preliminary data looks unoptimistic.

But to heal wounds with silver is perhaps a good idea. One study Comparative evaluation of silver ‑ containing antimicrobial dressings and drugs. found that silver water included in dressings inhibits bacterial growth and promotes healing of skin wounds. The American National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health also supports Colloidal Silver's idea of using colloidal silver in dressings.

So, as a topical treatment for burns or other skin lesions, it is most likely helpful. But to use it internally in the form of silver water, hoping for better health, is at least pointless. As a maximum, it is dangerous.