Colloidal silver is a liquid suspension of microscopic particles of silver. A colloid is technically defined as particles which remain suspended without forming a dissolved solution. Colloidal silver with concentrations of 30 parts per million (ppm) or less are typically manufactured using an electrolysis process, whereas colloidal silver with higher concentrations of 50 ppm or more are usually silver compounds that have been bound with a protein.

Colloidal silver is currently marketed for internal and external use as an alternative medical remedy. Studies have demonstrated the anti-bacterial effect of electrically generated silver ions. Excessive ingestion of colloidal silver can result in argyria, a cosmetic condition in which the skin irreversibly turns blue or grey.

Silver’s anti-bacterial powers have been tested and proven scientifically even though its power as a bactericide has been known for centuries. The ancient Phoenicians, for example, knew that water, wine or vinegar kept in silver vessels stayed fresh during long sea voyages.

Silver interrupts a bacteria cell’s ability to form chemical bonds essential to its survival. These bonds produce the cell’s physical structure so bacteria in the presence of silver literally falls apart. Cells in humans and other animals have thick walls and are not disturbed by silver. Therefore, silver prevents bacteria growth but is harmless to humans.

One of the most important uses of silver as a biocide is in hospitals and other health care facilities because they grapple with MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), a type of life-threatening Staph germ. MRSA is resistant to almost all chemical antibiotics, so many hospitals are employing silver-imbedded equipment including surgical tools, catheters, needles, stethoscopes, furniture, door handles and even paper files.

There is too little data involving cancer and colloidal silver to definitively draw any conclusions on efficacy of any treatment. However, many personal experiences exist that show at least a beneficial effect of use, even when normal allopathic treatment is administered.