Silver Biotics Side Effects
Despite assurances that modern silver hydrosols, as in the product Silver Biotics, are safe to use on a daily basis, many consumers and physicians are concerned about the potential for side effects and drug interactions from this increasingly popular supplement. Some older formulas for colloidal silver have been documented to cause negative side effects, including argyria, a bluish discoloration of the skin, and may be associated with drug interactions and organ damage.
The formula used for producing Silver Biotics is distinctly different than previous formulas, and is considered to be much safer. Unlike homemade preparation and formulas created in decades past, the makers of Silver Biotics claim they are free of any known risk or side effect.
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Argyria
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When people take in massive quantities of very strong silver products, they run a small risk of developing argyria, or silver poisoning. The most common symptom of argryia is a benign, bluish-gray discoloration of the skin, gums and whites of the eyes. This condition has been documented only a few times, and only in people taking very large doses of strong products made of "silver salts." None of these products is still available commercially.
Though argyria does not occur from modern silver hydrosols, many physicians warn against the use of all colloidal silver products, based on the belief that argyria is a common side effect of the supplement. However, when modern colloidal silver is used as directed--or used even in hundreds of times the recommended dose--it is still completely safe and non-toxic, with no risk of side effect or interaction.
Modern Supplements
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Colloidal silver products made by Silver Biotics, Sovereign Silver and other supplement manufacturers are distinctly different from the contaminated and excessively strong preparations made in the past. Argyria is only believed to occur in people taking silver salts like silver nitrate and silver chloride--not the pure, elemental silver used by Silver Biotics.
The silver-salt products recorded to have caused argyria contained concentrations of silver that were over 3,000 times the concentration found in Silver Biotics products. Because modern colloidal silver contains only minute concentrations of the metal, they do not have the side effects associated with homemade or archaic silver preparations.
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Safety
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According to the standards of defining silver toxicity, as set by the EPA and major academic institutions, an adult would have to take 50 times the standard adult dose of Silver Biotics every day for a year before he would begin to show symptoms of argyria. Even a lifetime of daily use would result in no damage whatsoever. Compared to almost all supplements and medications on the market, this makes Silver Biotics a remarkably safe product.
If an adult were to take 50 times the standard dose of any other supplement, he would most likely die within minutes of such extreme misuse. However, modern colloidal silver products are so safe that even a year of such use would result only in cosmetic damage. Compared even to "safe" products like children's vitamins and table salt, Silver Biotics supplements are amazingly safe.
Silver Biotics and "Good" Bacteria
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Unlike conventional antibiotics, colloidal silver does not generally kill probiotics-- the "friendly" bacteria that live in the colon. Many consumers experience diarrhea, yeast infection or a "sick" feeling while taking antibiotics because these products tend to destroy even the body's beneficial bacteria. While colloidal silver can effectively kill infectious microbes, some studies have indicated that it does not harm the colon's "good" bacteria.
The pharmacology of colloidal silver is fascinating. Many of the preliminary studies of colloidal silver have indicated that it kills only anaerobic microbes, including most fungal diseases and bacterial infections. The vast majority of probiotics are aerobic, so they are less harmed by silver. Some consumers take probiotic supplements to compensate for any loss caused by silver.
Medical Interactions
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There are no documented cases of people experiencing interactions between prescribed medications and colloidal silver. However, since some drugs are based on living compounds (such as fungus-based antibiotics), silver might weaken some medications. Consumers are advised to talk to their doctors before taking colloidal silver if they are taking tetracyclines, penacillamine, thyroxine or quinolones.
Otherwise, there are no known interactions between colloidal silver and any other supplement or medication. Silver Biotics are considered safe for people with many medical conditions, including (but not limited to) diabetes, viral infection, sinusitis, pneumonia, kidney disease, hepatitis, epilepsy, heart disease, HIV/AIDS and high cholesterol.
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