My grandma swears by colloidal silver for basically everything - she's been taking it for years and gives it to us when we get colds. I'm skeptical but also don't want to dismiss something that might actually help. Is there any real science behind this or should I be worried about her using it regularly?
The science on colloidal silver is pretty thin - while silver does have antimicrobial properties in lab settings, there's not solid evidence it actually helps infections when taken orally or applied topically on wounds. The real concern is that regular use can lead to argyria, a permanent bluish-gray discoloration of the skin, plus it may interfere with antibiotics and other medications. If your grandma's been taking it for years without issues that doesn't necessarily mean it's safe long-term, and for actual infections you'd want to see a doctor who can prescribe something proven to work rather than rely on something unproven. I'd gently suggest steering her toward conventional treatments when she's actually sick, even if the colloidal silver hasn't caused obvious harm yet.
You're right to be cautious - colloidal silver's track record in actual human bodies is pretty disappointing compared to what happens in petri dishes. The FDA stopped allowing it in over-the-counter drugs back in 1999 because there wasn't enough evidence it worked, and regular use can cause argyria, a permanent bluish-gray discoloration of the skin. If your grandma's been taking it for years, that's worth a gentle conversation with her doctor about.
Here's a practical angle though: if she's convinced it helps and it makes her feel better psychologically, that placebo effect isn't worthless - but it also means she might skip actually effective treatments when she really needs them. For colds specifically, most get better on their own anyway, so it's hard to know what's actually helping. If she wants something with actual antimicrobial backing, plain salt water gargles or honey (which does have some legitimate antimicrobial properties) are safer bets for sore throats without any risk of long-term side effects.
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