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Brent A. Bauer, M.D.
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Brent A. Bauer, M.D.
Brent A. Bauer, M.D.
Brent Bauer, M.D., is board certified in internal medicine. He is a consultant in the Department of Internal Medicine and director of the Department of Internal Medicine's Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dr. Bauer, a native of Madison, Wis., is also an associate professor of medicine at Mayo Medical School and a graduate of Mayo Medical School.
He serves on the editorial board of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter and EmbodyHealth Newsletter and has been with Mayo Clinic since 1992, first practicing at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., before joining Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., in 1996.
Dr. Bauer's principal research focus is the scientific evaluation of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies that patients and consumers are using with increasing frequency. He has authored several book chapters and papers on this topic, and is the medical editor of the "Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine." Dr. Bauer also spearheaded a collaboration between Mayo Clinic and Gaiam in the creation of a series of 10 DVDs (Mayo Clinic Wellness Solutions). These DVDs address common health problems (for example, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure) with integrative medicine approaches that empower people to take charge of their health.
Dr. Bauer is a member of NIH-NCCAM study section and is currently collaborating on over 20 studies being conducted at Mayo Clinic evaluating CAM therapies ranging from acupuncture to valerian. He is also a member of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society; the American Federation for Medical Research; the North Central Cancer Treatment Group and other professional organizations.
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Question
Colloidal silver: Is it safe or effective?
My dad takes colloidal silver because he says it helps him maintain good health, and he hasn't been sick in years. But is colloidal silver safe, and is there any evidence that it does improve health?
Answer
from Brent A. Bauer, M.D.
Colloidal silver isn't considered safe or effective for any of the health claims manufacturers make. Nor is it an essential mineral, as some sellers of silver products claim.
Colloidal silver products are made of tiny silver particles suspended in a liquid — the same type of precious metal used in jewelry, dental fillings, silverware and other consumer goods. Colloidal silver products are usually marketed as dietary supplements that you take by mouth. Colloidal silver products also come in forms to spray, to apply to your skin or to inject.
Manufacturers of colloidal silver products often claim that they are cure-alls, boosting your immune system, fighting bacteria and viruses, and treating cancer, HIV/AIDS, shingles, herpes, eye ailments and prostatitis. However, no sound scientific studies to evaluate these health claims have been published in reputable medical journals. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration has taken action against some manufacturers of colloidal silver products for making unproven health claims.
It's not clear how much colloidal silver may be harmful, but it can build up in your body's tissues over months or years. Most commonly, this results in argyria (ahr-JIR-e-uh), a blue-gray discoloration of your skin, eyes, internal organs, nails and gums. While argyria doesn't pose a serious health problem, it can be a cosmetic nightmare because it's not reversible, even when you stop taking silver products.
Rarely, excessive doses of colloidal silver can cause possibly irreversible serious health problems, including:
- Seizures and other neurological problems
- Kidney damage
- Skin irritation
Colloidal silver products also may interact with medications, including penicillamine, quinolones, tetracycline and thyroxine medications.
Next questionPsoriasis treatment: Can fish oil supplements reduce symptoms?
- Colloidal silver products. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/silver/. Accessed June 8, 2009.
- Mayr M, et al. Argyria and decreased kidney function: Are silver compounds toxic to
- the kidney? American Journal of Kidney Diseases. 2009;5:890.
- Kim Y, et al. A case of generalized argyria after ingestion of colloidal silver solution. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2009;52:246.
- Fung M., et al. Colloidal silver proteins marketed as health supplements. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1995;15:1196.
- Mirsattari SM, et al. Myoclonic status epilepticus following repeated oral ingestion of colloidal silver. Neurology. 2004;62:1408.
