The Scoop on Colloidal Silver Supplements (Will You Turn Blue? 😰)

It’s Kate Mahoney, your food-first supplement expert and founder of the Supplement Academy, popping by with what is hopefully a helpful Supplement Scoop about colloidal silver supplements.

The question on many people’s lips [heh😉] is, “Will colloidal silver turn you blue?!”

Short answer: It depends.

Now, if I were to try to cover and address every nuanced layer about colloidial silver, we’d be here all week (or possibly all month). And that means summarizing!  

To start things off… 

Like always, any supplement links I share are clean links [aka affiliate-free] to ensure I continue to provide you with comprehensive supplement information, free from affiliate bias or brand influence, as is in alignment with my integrity. 💜

Now let's dive in! 😀

Many people understandably have concerns about colloidal silver because of the horror stories that abound. As a dietary supplement expert, I’ve been asked many times if colloidal silver can accumulate, and/or if it could create some kind of heavy metal-type toxicity in the body if too much is taken. The nuanced answer to that question is that it can happen if you take a product that is not processed/manufactured correctly.

Perhaps you’ve seen or heard about the Blue Man [*not* the vintage 90’s performance group 😂] who literally turned himself kind of blue-gray by taking homemade colloidal silver. Here’s how that happened.

When silver is turned into nanoparticles to make colloidal silver, like all metal when torn into pieces, the particles naturally have very jagged edges. That is, unless a highly specialized process is used. Those jagged edges left behind from *not* using the specialized process can damage healthy cells and cause the metal particulates to get stuck in tissue. This is exactly what happened to the Blue Man (and clearly is not the desired effect when taking something that is supposed to be beneficial), because he consumed HOMEMADE colloidal silver, which I do NOT recommend. 😬 

Unfortunately, low-quality colloidal silver with nanoparticles that have naturally occurring jagged edges is the norm. It results from colloidal silver made at home, such as what was consumed by the Blue Man, and by companies that don't know or understand that there’s a specialized [and usually patented] process to make the colloidal silver nanoparticles safe, aka smooth and round.

The Blue Man made his own colloidal silver at home (which—again--I do not recommend) and drank it as if it were water or a beverage vs. using it medicinally. If I remember correctly, he was drinking about a pint or a quart a day, when less than 2 teaspoons per day is the HIGHEST recommended dose, and only meant to be consumed in that quantity therapeutically, aka for a short period of time (which is all that’s needed with high-quality colloidal silver supplements). 

My advice as a supplement expert is to make sure you're taking colloidal silver that’s made using a specialized [usually patented] process to ensure the silver nanoparticles have smooth, round edges. The smooth, round silver nanoparticles easily move through the body, making the colloidal silver optimally effective and safe so it doesn’t damage healthy cells or get stuck in tissue.

In case being aware of a product/company that makes safe and effective colloidal silver is helpful, I recommend the over-the-counter brand Sovereign Silver, or their professional line Argentyn 23.

That concludes this Supplement Scoop!

I hope this information is helpful. 💜  

Until next time, remember that critical thinking + discernment is a SUPERPOWER. 🌟

Warm regards,
Kate 💜 

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The Supplement Scoop blog is written by Kate Mahoney, a food-first dietary supplement expert, functional nutrition practitioner, and former international functional nutrition instructor with 30 years of experience. In 2020, she founded the Supplement Academy, where she helps health professionals and consumers around the world learn to evaluate supplement quality and effectiveness, free from affiliate bias and brand influence.  

Her mission is to empower everyone to identify the less than 15% of supplements worldwide that are worth using so they can confidently make informed choices.  

In her free time, Kate is a Muppet whose inner spark is rejuvenated by nature, dancing to super loud music with friends, caring for her rescued feline furbabies with her beloved spouse, and enjoying delicious homecooked food with loved ones.