| Ingredients | Amount Per Serving |
|---|---|
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Proprietary Blend
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(organic)
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deionized Water, Alcohol, Colloidal Silica
Below is general information about the effectiveness of the known ingredients contained in the product Elderberry Silver. Some ingredients may not be listed. This information does NOT represent a recommendation for or a test of this specific product as a whole.
INSUFFICIENT RELIABLE EVIDENCE to RATE
INSUFFICIENT RELIABLE EVIDENCE to RATE
Below is general information about the safety of the known ingredients contained in the product Elderberry Silver. Some ingredients may not be listed. This information does NOT represent a recommendation for or a test of this specific product as a whole.
LIKELY UNSAFE ...when used orally, topically, or intravenously. Total daily silver intake should not exceed 14 mcg/kg daily, or 980 mcg daily for a 70 kg person. Combining colloidal silver supplements with regular dietary intake of silver would likely result in exceeding this amount of silver. Silver accumulates in the body and can lead to an irreversible bluish skin discoloration known as argyria. Neurological deficits and diffuse silver deposition in visceral organs can also occur (5525,8148,8149,10647,10648,12092,92137,92138,92139,102575). In 1999, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled that there is no evidence for the safety or effectiveness of colloidal silver products (14255,92137).
PREGNANCY AND LACTATION: LIKELY UNSAFE
when used orally, topically, or intravenously.
Silver appears to cross the placenta (92140). Epidemiological evidence links increased silver levels to developmental anomalies of the ear, face, and neck (5525). Colloidal silver supplements can also lead to silver accumulation and an irreversible bluish skin discoloration known as argyria. Neurological deficits and diffuse silver deposition in visceral organs can also occur (5525,5526,8148,8149,10647,10648,12092,92137,92138,92139).
LIKELY SAFE ...when used orally in the amounts typically found in foods. Elderberry has generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status in the US (4912).
POSSIBLY SAFE ...when elderberry fruit extract is used orally, short-term. One specific elderberry fruit extract (Sambucol, Nature's Way) has been used with apparent safety for up to 5 days (5260,12235,103831); another (BerryPharma, Iprona AG) has been used with apparent safety for up to 15 days (91374). A specific elderberry fruit extract lozenge (ViraBLOC, HerbalScience) has been used with apparent safety for 2 days (17022). Other elderberry fruit extracts have been used with apparent safety for up to 12 weeks (21141,21142).
POSSIBLY UNSAFE ...when elder tree leaves and stems, or unripe or uncooked elderberries, are consumed. The unripe green fruit, as well as the leaves and stems of the elder tree, contain a cyanide-producing chemical, which can cause serious toxicity (17020,17021,21143,21144,91374). Cooking eliminates the toxin.
CHILDREN: LIKELY SAFE
when consumed in the amounts typically found in foods.
CHILDREN: POSSIBLY SAFE
when used orally for up to 3 days.
A specific fruit extract (Sambucol, Nature's Way) has been used in doses of 15 mL twice daily for 3 days in children 5 years and older (5260,103831).
CHILDREN: POSSIBLY UNSAFE
when unripe or uncooked elderberries are consumed.
The unripe green fruit, as well as the leaves and stems of the elder tree, contain a cyanide-producing chemical , which can cause serious toxicity (17020,17021,21143,21144,91374). Cooking eliminates the toxin.
PREGNANCY AND LACTATION: LIKELY SAFE
when consumed in the amounts typically found in foods.
There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of elderberry when used for medicinal purposes; avoid using in amounts greater than those found in foods.
Below is general information about the interactions of the known ingredients contained in the product Elderberry Silver. Some ingredients may not be listed. This information does NOT represent a recommendation for or a test of this specific product as a whole.
Theoretically, elderberry might interfere with immunosuppressant therapy due to its immunostimulant activity.
 Details
Elderberry has immunostimulant activity, increasing the production of cytokines, including interleukin and tumor necrosis factor (10796).
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Below is general information about the adverse effects of the known ingredients contained in the product Elderberry Silver. Some ingredients may not be listed. This information does NOT represent a recommendation for or a test of this specific product as a whole.
General
...Orally, topically, or via inhalation, colloidal silver can cause serious adverse effects.
Most Common Adverse Effects:
All routes of administration: An irreversible deposition of silver in the skin and mucous membranes with chronic use or high doses can cause a grey-blue discoloration known as argyria. Colloidal silver has also been associated with vision loss and organ damage.
Dermatologic ...Orally, topically, or via inhalation, long-term use of colloidal silver can lead to an irreversible deposition of silver compounds in the mucous membranes, skin, and nails. This condition, which is known as argyria, has been described in numerous case reports (5525,8148,8149,10647,10648,12092,44474,44493,44498,44501)(44514,44523,44528,44538,44540,44547,44593,44638,44649,44726)(44788,44825,44815,92137,92138,92139,96760,102571,102572,102573)(102575,112289). Argyria is characterized by a blueish-gray discoloration which occurs when the silver compounds from colloidal silver are reduced to elemental silver (44474,92139). Since sunlight catalyzes the reduction of silver compounds to elemental silver, sun exposed regions are usually most affected (92138,92139). The blueish-gray discoloration also occurs because colloidal silver can stimulate melanin production in skin (92139). Argyria typically first appears in the gingiva with a slate-blue silver line (5525). It can also occur in the fingernails, where it may be an early sign of silver ingestion and is also known as azure lunula (8149,10648,112289). Argyria usually occurs after ingestion of 4-5 grams of colloidal silver (92138). Although the blueish-gray discoloration associated with argyria is permanent, laser treatment may be used to lighten the skin (92139).
Hematologic ...Intravenously, severe anemia and leukopenia with elevated serum ferritin have been reported in various patients given colloidal silver. In one case, a 30‐year‐old female experienced severe anemia after receiving 48 infusions with a specific colloidal silver marketed for oral use (Argentyn 23). The infusions provided silver 883 mg and were administered over 3 months. The patient was treated for anemia with oral copper, as well as four apheresis treatments. Similar symptoms occurred in other females who were treated with oral copper and repeated blood transfusions. The anemia associated with colloidal silver is related to a decline in serum levels of copper, which is needed for the production of hemoglobin (102570).
Hepatic ...Orally and intravenously, hepatotoxicity has been reported. A 64-year-old male experienced cholelithiasis with acute encephalopathy after repeated oral dosing with colloidal silver providing 2838 ppm of silver over 4 hours (102572). Intravenously, elevated liver enzymes, up to 150 times normal, have been reported in a 30‐year‐old female who received 48 infusions with a specific colloidal silver marketed for oral use (Argentyn 23) providing silver 883 mg over 3 months (102570).
Neurologic/CNS ...At least two cases of myoclonic seizures have been reported after the use of homemade colloidal silver preparations (44485,44649). In one case, myoclonic status epilepticus and coma occurred secondary to consumption of a homemade colloidal silver drink (Schaffer's Health Center Ltd., Unity). The patient had consumed at least one ounce daily for 4 months. The seizures did not respond to benzodiazepines, valproate, phenytoin, phenobarbital, or propofol. The patient required mechanical ventilation and remained in a coma in the intensive care unit for 50 days (44485). In another case, myoclonic seizures and aspiration pneumonia occurred in a 75-year-old male who ingested "several spoons" of homemade colloidal silver up to 4 times daily whenever he "felt a cold coming on" for 4 years. The seizures were treated with clonazepam, and after being hospitalized for 2 months, he was discharged to a nursing home (44649). A more recent case report describes a 70-year-old male hospitalized after exhibiting expressive aphasia, focal seizure followed by generalized seizure, hypertension, encephalopathy, and an abnormal electroencephalogram. The patient had been self-medicating with colloidal silver 1 ounce daily, and blood tests revealed silver levels nearly 16 times that of normal. Extensive tests could not identify any other probable cause other than the silver use. The patient recovered and was discharged on levetiracetam, which was well tolerated at 2 months follow-up. The colloidal silver was a home-made electrolysis preparation using direct current, silver anodes, and steam distilled water (112290).
Ocular/Otic ...Chronic ingestion or inhalation of colloidal silver may cause silver deposition in the eye. This condition is known as ocular argyrosis, which is characterized by a blueish-gray discoloration of the eye (44514,102571). In one case report, chronic use of oral colloidal silver over 9 years resulted in a 2-week history of loss of vision in one eye (102571). Topically, use of eye drops containing colloidal silver can also cause this condition (44821). In one report, a case of ocular argyrosis reportedly occurred in a patient with long-standing herpetic keratitis after only one treatment with eye drops consisting of a 1% solution of colloidal silver (44822).
Oncologic ...Orally, chronic intake of colloidal silver over a 10-year period may have caused bone marrow damage, possibly contributing to the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia in a 72-year-old male. The patient died of respiratory failure related to recurrent pneumonia (102574).
Renal ...Orally, glomerulonephritis has been reported in a 47-year-old female who took colloidal silver to treat her T-cell lymphoma. She was treated with hemodialysis, intravenous methylprednisolone, and intravenous cyclophosphamide (102575).
General
...Orally, elderberry extracts prepared from ripe fruit seem to be well tolerated.
Most Common Adverse Effects:
Orally: When adverse effects occur, they are likely due to ingestion of raw and unripe elderberries, or seeds, leaves, and other plant parts. Due to cyanogenic glycosides, these may cause nausea, vomiting, severe diarrhea, weakness, dizziness, numbness, and stupor. Cooking eliminates the toxin.
Gastrointestinal
...Orally, nausea and vomiting have been reported after consuming a specific elderberry and echinacea product
Vogel Bioforce AG) (95650). However, it is unclear if this was due to the elderberry or Echinacea contained in the product.
Raw and unripe elderberries, and the seeds, leaves, and other elder tree parts might cause nausea, vomiting, or severe diarrhea due to cyanogenic glycosides (17020,17021). Cooking eliminates the toxin.
Hepatic ...In one case report, a 60-year-old female with underlying autoimmune disease presented with autoimmune hepatitis after taking elderberry at an unknown dose for several years. The patient presented with nausea, jaundice, abdominal pain, and abdominal distention. Liver function tests returned to baseline 4 weeks after initiating treatment with prednisone 40 mg daily and discontinuing elderberry (110123).
Immunologic ...Elder tree pollen might cause an allergic reaction characterized by rhinitis and dyspnea in some patients who are allergic to grass pollen. These patients might also experience an allergic reaction to elderberry extracts (11095).
Neurologic/CNS ...Raw and unripe elderberries might cause weakness, dizziness, numbness, and stupor due to cyanogenic glycosides (17020,17021). Cooking eliminates the toxin.
