BioStacks

Supplement

Silver

Evidence

Limited
Evidence: 2 of 5 (Limited)

What the evidence says

Silver has no known essential biological function in humans and no FDA-approved use as an oral supplement. NIH's National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health states there is no high-quality evidence supporting oral colloidal silver for infections, immunity, or any other health condition, and the FDA has stated colloidal silver is not safe or effective for any disease.

No RCT evidence of efficacy for any indication; FDA and NIH both advise against oral use given lack of benefit and documented argyria risk.

Top Silver supplements

About Silver

Silver has no known essential biological function in humans and no FDA-approved use as an oral supplement. NIH's National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health states there is no high-quality evidence supporting oral colloidal silver for infections, immunity, or any other health condition, and the FDA has stated colloidal silver is not safe or effective for any disease. Chronic oral use is the leading cause of argyria (irreversible blue-gray skin discoloration) and can impair absorption of certain antibiotics (fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines) and thyroid medication.

What Silver supports

  • No clinical evidence of benefit for any condition — carries a real risk of permanent skin discoloration (argyria) with regular use

Clinical evidence

Limited clinical evidence. No RCT evidence of efficacy for any indication; FDA and NIH both advise against oral use given lack of benefit and documented argyria risk.

NIH Fact Sheet