Colloidal silver is a type of dietary supplement and medicine that has undoubtedly skyrocketed in popularity over recent years due to its ability to treat bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.
However, a common question many people will want to know the answer to before buying this supplement is how long does it last?
And how important really is the shelf date?
This is crucial to know since taking vitamins and supplements after their expiration date can make them a lot less potent, with some even causing some nasty side effects depending on how many you take and the type of supplement you’re using.
So that you can make sure you’re taking colloidal silver which works as best as it can with no unwanted side inflictions, here is the full breakdown on if it expires, and any potential risk factors that come with using it too late after you first pick it up.
Can Colloidal Silver Go Bad?
Similar to other supplements and vitamins, while there is technically an expiration date for colloidal silver which can often be found on the labeling or packaging, this date tends to be several years from when you first picked it up with most bottles having a minimum shelf life of two years.
It should be noted however that colloidal silver can only really go bad once it has been opened, due to the fact that contaminants and germs can become attached to the mixture or the bottle, making it a lot less potent and disrupting the effectiveness of the nanosilver particles.
While its shelf life can therefore often be considered fairly long as opposed to some other supplements, most companies and pharmacists will advise users to consume a bottle of colloidal silver in at least six months by the time they have opened it, so that it still retains its maximum potency.
One major reason why colloidal silver takes so long to go bad is simply because of its structure, being made through a pairing of silver nanosilver particles and water, and since water doesn’t expire, this allows the mixture to stay potent and safe to drink for a lot longer.
What About When It’s Unopened?
If you’ve bought a bottle of colloidal silver and aren’t planning to open it for a few months or maybe just want to use it at some point down the line when you really need it, the good news is that it will not go bad since it cannot come into contact with any contaminants that can make the silver nanosilver particle mixture unhealthy to drink.
When stored correctly, unopened colloidal silver can last several years, allowing you to keep it safe for when you might really need it to treat viruses or bacterial infections in the future, however a lot of this comes down to how you store it since this can drastically affect how long a bottle will remain effective for.
How To Properly Store Colloidal Silver
Whether you have a recently opened or unopened bottle of colloidal silver, it’s extremely important to know how to store it so that it can last as long as possible.
Correct storage is especially important for colloidal silver compared to other dietary supplements since the silver ions and particles used in its mixture contain an electric charge which keeps them colloidal, meaning that electromagnetic fields that are in close proximity to the bottle can end up diluting its potency and shortening how long its benefits and healing properties will last.
Because of this, the primary thing to keep in mind when putting away a bottle is to keep it as far away from devices with electromagnetic frequencies as possible.
This includes TVs, laptops, and any electronic devices.
Keeping a bottle in a kitchen cupboard is usually the most ideal option rather than a bedroom for example which can have multiple electromagnetic frequencies dotted around the room.
Kitchen cupboards and bathroom cabinets are also the best way to store colloidal silver since it needs to be stored at room temperature to avoid any disruption to the nanosilver particles.
Extreme temperatures can instead dilute the potency of the ions, so you should also avoid leaving it near any windows or outside where it would be exposed to direct sunlight.
Can You Freeze Colloidal Silver?
While it can be tempting to think about freezing colloidal silver to potentially lengthen its lifespan, this should be avoided at all costs because freezing can damage a true colloid.
Since the water will freeze, the suspended particles will become detached and fall to the bottom, meaning it will no longer be a colloid and just simply be water, losing all the healing properties in the process.
How To Tell If Colloidal Silver Is Still Good
The best and easiest way to tell if a bottle of colloidal silver is still in date and effective is simply through its appearance.
If the mixture is a dark blue or a light gray color when you shine a light onto it, this means that the particles are still suspended, so you can expect all the healing benefits to work as they should when you use it.
If however the mixture is clear with the only sign of any silver being near the bottom, this means that the particles have dropped off and that it is now primarily just water, losing its potency.
Frozen colloidal silver will take this appearance very soon after being taken out from the refrigerator.
Side-Effects Of Using Expired Colloidal Silver
The good news is that similar to most other dietary supplements, taking colloidal silver which has gone past its expiration date, or that has gone bad due to exposure to extreme temperatures or electromagnetic fields, is highly unlikely to cause any physical harm.
Instead, the minerals will simply become far less potent, meaning you can end up just simply drinking pure water rather than ingesting any of the silver nanosilver particles which is the ingredient that grants all the healing benefits.
While it’s therefore not a cause of major worry if you’ve left your colloidal silver out for a little too long or if it’s passed the date found on its label, it can be a huge waste of money and can let you down in the future when you need it to help with an infection or other health issues, which is why storing it properly and using it within a few months after being opened is advised.
Summary
While colloidal silver will be safe to consume no matter how long you keep it for, it is always recommended to use it within six months of opening it, along with storing it correctly so that the nanosilver particles remain suspended and efficient rather than becoming diluted.
Always remember to keep a bottle of colloidal silver away from electronic devices and never store it in the freezer so that you can extend its lifespan for as long as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Okay To Store Colloidal Silver In Metal Bottles?
While metal water bottles are less likely to disrupt the nanosilver particles as opposed to devices with strong electromagnetic fields, it is still recommended to avoid them since they can still sometimes cause a reaction.
Instead, try storing it in a glass or plastic water bottle.