Conservative media pundit Candace Owens has come under fire for hawking colloidal silver—which can turn users’ skin permanently blue—as a viable supplement.
Colloidal silver, comprised of tiny silver particles suspended in liquid, is the same metal used in jewelry, dental fillings and silverware. Manufacturers of the supplement have claimed it can boost the immune system and even cure cancer.
However, as noted by The Mayo Clinic, "no sound scientific studies evaluating these health claims have been published in reputable medical journals."
But none of this stopped Owens from claiming she uses colloidal silver as a daily supplement and deceiving her audience into thinking any benefits exist.
“I take colloidal silver every single day, I love colloidal silver. That is a great one. That is another one that people probably know nothing about.”
Owens is wrong.
In fact, scientists and medical professionals know plenty about colloidal silver–including it can actually turn people's skin blue.
The condition, called argyria, is a blue-gray discoloration of the skin, eyes, internal organs, nails and gums due to a buildup of silver in the body. In rare cases, high doses of colloidal silver can cause seizures and organ damage.
Owens isn't the first right-wing media personality to promote colloidal silver either.
In March 2020, New York Attorney General Letitia James ordered Alex Jones—the conspiracy spewing Trump ally best known for InfoWars—to stop selling and promoting fake COVID-19 treatments including colloidal silver. He claimed a number of the supplements he sells act as a “stopgate” against the virus.
Many criticized Owens for making these baseless claims and urged others not to follow her advice and ingest hazardous materials.
No, no, no, no, please don\u2019t ingest silverpic.twitter.com/I1mnU9r5pu— Molly Jong-Fast (@Molly Jong-Fast) 1640564196
Imagining Candace Owens in 2022 doing the same stuff she\u2019s doing now with the same obnoxious self assuredness, but she\u2019s blue.https://twitter.com/willsommer/status/1475322003225776128\u00a0\u2026— Sam Sacks (@Sam Sacks) 1640609947
So, these #Covidiots will ingest silver, bleach, and horse paste but they won't take a vaccine that's science-based and developed by medical professionals. Tells you all you need to know about these morons.https://twitter.com/thedailybeast/status/1475562137896603656\u00a0\u2026— Hildegarde Dewfoot (@Hildegarde Dewfoot) 1640636584
If you believe Candace Owens ingests colloidal silver or that she isn't triple-vaccinated already, I got a bridge to sell you. She's acting.pic.twitter.com/4ijQi5Ef1B— Chad Loder (@Chad Loder) 1640583179
Hey Candace Owens, I call Bullshit. You aren't using Colloidal Silver. You're lying and putting people in danger. Anyone even remotely contemplating doing so \u2014 ask your own physician 1st (they'll say, "No. Don't use it") Also image search "colloidal silver skin" discoloration".— Dr. Jack Brown (@Dr. Jack Brown) 1640596372
If you listen to that loser you deserve all the blue skin you get.\nAnd the digestive and organ issues too.https://twitter.com/willsommer/status/1475322003225776128\u00a0\u2026— Stephanie Gridley (@Stephanie Gridley) 1640623761
It's so weird how people who 'do their own research' never stumble upon side effects like this.https://twitter.com/willsommer/status/1475322003225776128\u00a0\u2026— Please get vaxxed and boosted (@Please get vaxxed and boosted) 1640601371
God I can't stand this chick and I don't know where the hell she even came from.https://twitter.com/willsommer/status/1475322003225776128\u00a0\u2026— bea15 \ud83c\udfb6\ud83d\udeae\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udf0a\ud83e\udd18\ud83d\udc99 (@bea15 \ud83c\udfb6\ud83d\udeae\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udf0a\ud83e\udd18\ud83d\udc99) 1640617799
Candace Owens is urging her fans to consume colloidal silver, a quack medical cure known for turning users\u2019 skin permanently blue. People who won't take the vaccine because it's "experimental" will gladly swallow anything their cult leaders tell them to do.pic.twitter.com/JcG7cFqpda— Nita Cosby (@Nita Cosby) 1640613619
Stupid is as stupid does.https://twitter.com/thedailybeast/status/1475562137896603656\u00a0\u2026— I Shat the News (@I Shat the News) 1640636565
Owens faced harsh criticism for undermining public health experts, including but not limited to, her suggestion COVID-19 vaccines do not work.
Owens made headlines last week for her claim "more people have died under COVID this year," even though "more people took the vaccine this year" which is misleading.
While the United States has certainly lost more lives to COVID-19 this year than last year, the higher death toll was attributed to lower-than-needed vaccination rates in addition to a relaxation of everyday precautions to curb the virus' spread. The rise of the highly contagious Delta variant also contributed to higher death rates, largely among the unvaccinated population.
Owens' statements received considerable pushback from former President Donald Trump, whom she was interviewing at the time. Although Trump has consistently downplayed the pandemic's severity, he shut her down by correcting her on claims about vaccine efficacy, stunning Owens and viewers in the process.
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