colloidal silver - FYI

May 3, 2003

By Patrick H. Bellringer

Colloidal silver (CS) is a natural antibiotic which has been used throughout the world for centuries as a means to destroy microbes of all kinds and to correct many health problems. It was removed from public use in the United States in the 1920's and 1930's by the medical profession in their move to purge natural health remedies from the marketplace. As late as August, 1998 the FDA ordered all colloidal silver removed from all U.S. Health Stores, but due to public outcry, that order has been temporarily relaxed. Today, the use of colloidal silver is spreading rapidly throughout the medical community in the healing of burn victims. Medical doctors have never denied the merits of silver in the form of silver nitrate as a bactericide. Silver nitrate is routinely used in drops put into a baby's eyes at birth to prevent blindness from venereal disease.

Silver acts as a second immune system for humans by destroying bacteria and viruses of all kinds. It is toxic to bacteria, viruses, yeasts, fungi (molds), protozoa, and parasites in the egg stage. Therefore, CS will destroy staph and strep bacteria which are so common in today's health problems. In the silver literature there are listings of over 650 diseases and health problems that silver in colloidal form will effect in very positive ways. The frequency of silver is higher than almost all of the known harmful crystal-headed viruses such as that of AIDS, Ebola, West Nile, and SARS and thus will destroy them. Usually these viruses are no problem to a person with a strong immune system and good nutrition. Those dying from these diseases today usually have neither of these.

A colloid is a substance of ultramicroscopic particles. Colloidal silver is nothing more than very tiny particles of pure silver suspended in distilled water through the process of electrolysis. The smaller the particles in CS the better the body can assimilate them. Colloidal silver is odorless, tasteless and has no known negative reaction to any medication, health problem, diet, or artificial alteration to the human body. It is considered, along with gold and titanium, to be Creator God's natural antibiotic provided for the good health of the people of planet Earth. Gold has a higher frequency then silver, while the frequency of titanium is higher than gold. Nothing on planet Earth in microbe form can survive the frequencies of colloidal titanium and colloidal gold, while colloidal silver will destroy nearly all of them.

Dr. Hulda Regehr Clark has done extensive research and application in the field of holistic health. She has published her works in various books and newsletters. For further information on colloidal silver, I am drawing from an edited copy of one of Dr. Clark's Newsletters on the subject.

[Quoting]

"What Do We Know About Colloidal Silver?" Edited By: Christine Doyle

From Dr. Clark Newsletter: http://www.silverpuppy.com/drclarknews.html

This article was taken, shortened and altered, from the Dr. Clark Newsletter for practitioners, 'Finding the Way', by courtesy of the editor, Clinical Nutritionist and practitioner, Christine Doyle, PO Box 33, Carmarthen SA33 6YE, UK, Tel/Fax +44-1994-484 682.

The 1994 issue of "Newsweek" featured a six page article, "Antibiotics, The End of Miracle Drugs?" as the cover story. "The rise of drug-resistant germs is unparalleled in recorded history", according to the article. "Penicillin and tetracycline lost their power over staph back in the 1950's and 60's. Another antibiotic, methicillin, provided a backup for a while, but methicillin-resistant staph is now common in hospitals and nursing homes worldwide. Trying to cripple bacteria's defenses will not do much more than buy us five to ten years. A better strategy might be to abandon antibiotics altogether in favor of different kinds of drugs." Not a very pretty picture: bacteria have a tremendous ability to adapt to substances. They can and do mutate to overcome antibiotics. When the antibiotics destroy the bacteria which are susceptible to them, they can clear the way for resistant bacteria to move in uninhibited.

Still another problem that has plagued the medical profession from the beginning with modern antibiotics has been that beneficial bacteria and organisms play various important, natural functions in the body. Antibiotics often play havoc with some of the friendly organisms, producing long lasting side effects that may be difficult to correct.

One reason that the antibiotics have been so popular in the medical field is due to the fact that they can be patented. Therefore, the pharmaceutical companies find it financially worthwhile to keep the doctors educated in their medicines, while other products go unnoticed. Silver, on the other hand, is not patentable and there are no huge profits in it, so it is not worth heavy promotion. The high-priced products run over the low cost products, simply because of profitability. All of this is happening at the same time that disease bacteria are developing immunity to antibiotics all over the world. The medical profession is alarmed.

Science Digest suggested an answer to all of these catastrophic problems back in March of 1978 in an article titled "Our Mightiest Germ Fighter". This article by Jim Powell stated: "Thanks to eye-opening research, silver is emerging as a wonder of modern medicine. An antibiotic kills perhaps a half-dozen different disease organisms, but silver kills some 650. Resistant strains fail to develop. Moreover, silver is virtually non-toxic."

Silver has been known to be a bactericide for at least 1200 years. Even in ancient times, it was known to prevent disease, and it was said that disease could not be transmitted in drinking from a silver cup. Silver coins were commonly dropped into a jar to prevent the spoilage of milk and other drink, and silver containers were used to prolong the freshness of foods in general. Wealthy people used to feed their babies with a silver spoon, which was considered to be a cause of strong healthy growth. Even today, some commonly call all tableware "silverware" although it is more commonly stainless steel. In the 1920's, 30's and 40's, silver was ground very fine like flour, suspended in water and was used orally for many infections and disease conditions, topically on burns, and for fungal infections. Until almost 1970 it was common for scientists to put a silver dime in a Petri dish to sterilize the dish. Silver was long used for plates for the surgical repair of bones. After the development of the patented antibiotics, silver was forgotten in the United States and most other places, although the antibiotics are only effective against bacteria, not viruses, yeast, or fungi. Now, with the greatly improved modern colloids, the tables are turning and silver may be the most effective treatment of all.

What exactly is Colloidal Silver (CS)?

Simply put, colloids are extremely minute silver particles suspended in water, with a positive electrical charge. The smaller the silver particles, the more effective CS has proven to be. The best Colloidal Silver is produced at the molecular level. A small DC current is passed through an electrolyte (distilled water) with silver electrodes. Minute, molecular sized particles are drawn off the positive electrode, having a positive electrical charge. This electrical charge is of primary importance to healing and antibacterial qualities. The charge slowly dissipates, especially when exposed to light, and therefore, the freshness of the colloid is important.

In "Colloidal Silver", a booklet produced by the Association for Colloidal Research, it is reported that: "Medical Journal Reports and documented studies spanning 100 years indicate no known side effects from oral or IV administration of properly manufactured Colloidal Silver in animal or human testing. There has never been a reported reaction with Colloidal Silver to any prescription medication."

The evidence appears to support the theory that Colloidal Silver is highly effective against all strains of pathogenic bacteria, while any one antibiotic is only effective against a few certain bacterial strains. Furthermore, antibiotics have never been effective against viruses, yeast or fungi. Yet, researchers are telling us that Colloidal Silver has produced phenomenal results in tissue healing and reconstruction, as well as reducing scar tissue in clinical tests. Severe cuts and wounds have healed in much less time. Laboratory tests have shown CS to kill over 650 destructive bacteria, viruses and fungi within minutes of contact.

UCLA ran some tests on Colloidal Silver and their report states: "The silver solutions were antibacterial for Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Neisseria gonorrhea, Gardnerella Vaginalis, Salmonella Typhi, and other enteric pathogens, fungicidal for Candida albicans, Candida globata, and M. furfur, and it killed every virus that was tested in the lab".

Other voices:

Dr. Hirschberg, John Hopkins: "...remarkable for their beneficial action in infective states". Dr. Henry Cooks: "I know of no microbe that is not killed in laboratory tests within six minutes". Dr. Gary Smith: "When silver was present the cancer cell was de-differentiated and the body was restored".

Certain bacteria are essential to healthy body function. Several researchers claim Colloidal Silver only attacks the unfriendly pathogens and will not harm the friendly ones, but one must wonder how it can possibly differentiate. The explanation is that the friendly bacteria are aerobic, while unfriendly bacteria are anaerobic. Silver does not attack bacteria directly, but rather decomposes certain enzymes the anaerobic bacteria, viruses, yeast, and molds require. The silver acts as a catalyst and is not consumed in the process. It is probable that this indirect action is also the reason bacteria cannot develop a resistance to silver, as they do to antibiotics.

Some researchers do tell us, however, that in prolonged, very heavy doses, some silver compounds will leave gray deposits in the heavier skin folds such as the knuckles. This condition is known as "Argyria". The only problem to these deposits is said to be the cosmetic appearance and the condition is said to be rare. Some experts say this condition has never been known to occur from silver in the colloidal state. Other experts do, however, warn that this might be a problem with extremely high, prolonged dosages (such as drinking many quarts of CS per day over months of time). The very small particle size in the Colloidal Silver would seem to make this possibility remote. Argyria is correctable with laser treatment, like a tattoo. (It should be noted that there has been only one case of Argyria reported in the world in the last 100 years.)

Medical Uses

In the 1970's Dr. Carl Moyer, Chairman of Washington University's Department of Surgery, received a grant to develop better treatments for burn victims. Dr. Harry Margraf worked with Dr. Moyer and other surgeons, a chief biochemist on this project. They tested 22 antiseptic compounds and rejected all of them. The problem was that infections in burns often failed to respond to antibiotics. Most antiseptics actually destroy the delicate healing tissues in severe burns and were very painful. The greatest problem was the bacterium Pseudomonas acruginose, which is particularly infectious to burns and fails to respond to all common antibiotics.

In his research into medical history, Dr. Margraf found numerous references to silver as an antimicrobial agent. Dr. Margraf therefore tried silver nitrate, the same solution used in newborn babies' eyes at birth to prevent blindness from venereal disease. It worked! However, he found it disturbed the balance of body salts, stained everything it touched, and in high concentrations was corrosive and painful. After further study he found that all of these problems were solved by Colloidal Silver. With Colloidal Silver as the base, he then developed a salve that has been extremely effective in treating the infections and healing in serious burns. Colloidal Silver is now routinely used for severe burn victims, resulting in a large reduction of scarring and a heavy reduction of deaths for extensive severe burns.

The article in Science Digest, March, 1978, relates: "A speeding car overturned and burst into flames. The 18-year-old driver suffered burns all over his face, neck, arms, hands, back, stomach, and legs. Burns covered more than 80 percent of his body. Until recently, this would have been a death sentence. Doctors knew how to restore vital body fluids and salts, but had no way to fight infection, the primary cause of death in burn cases. Fortunately, for this youth, a new silver compound killed deadly bacteria and enabled him to heal. He was out of the hospital within four months."

Another line of research that has led to this change of thinking is described in the best seller: "The Body Electric", in which Robert O. Becker, leading research scientist in the field of bone regeneration, states: "The germ killing action of silver has been known for some time. The Soviets use silver ions to sterilize recycled water aboard their space stations. It kills even antibiotic-resistant strains, and also works on fungus infections." He goes on to say: "It stimulates bone-forming cells, cures the most common stubborn infections of all kinds of bacteria, and stimulates healing in the skin and other soft tissues."

Certainly that is a broad statement, but Dr. Becker further relates a fascinating story which would seem to substantiate his belief. A man's broken right tibia and fibula refused to bond and the skin refused to heal over a large area of the leg for a year and a half. The leg was infected with five kinds of bacteria, all of which refused to respond to antibiotics. As a last resort before amputation, Dr. Becker treated the condition with silver charged with a very minute electrical current. This produced silver ions in the bone area and at the surface area. "I debrided (cleaned) the wound, removing the dead tissue and all grossly infected or dead bone. There wasn't much left afterward. It was an enormous excavation running almost from his knee to his ankle. In the operating room, we soaked a big piece of silver nylon in saline solution and laid it over the wound. We packed the fabric in place with saline-soaked gauze, wrapped the leg, and connected the battery unit."

"About two weeks later", Dr. Becker tells us, "all of our bacterial cultures were sterile -- all five kinds had been killed. The soft healing tissue, called granulation tissue, was spreading out and covering the bone. In two weeks the whole base of the wound, which had been over eight square inches of raw bone, was covered with this friendly pink carpet. The skin was beginning to grow in, too, so we could forget about the grafts we thought we'd need to do. I decided to take an X-ray to see how much bone he'd lost." He was expecting the bone to start withdrawing before the knitting process began. "I could hardly believe the picture. There was clearly some bone growth! I removed the cast, felt the leg, and found that the pieces were all stuck together. John watched, and when I was done, he lifted his leg into the air triumphantly."

After extensive experiments along these lines, Dr. Becker concluded: "Cells exposed to positive silver ions profoundly stimulate healing in a way unlike any known natural process. Whatever its precise mode of action may be, the electrically generated silver ion can produce enough cells for blastomas; it has restored my belief that full regeneration of limbs and other body parts can be accomplished in humans."

Dr. Becker's experiments seem to show that Colloidal Silver not only kills the pathogens, but also produces dramatic healing of tissue such as his statement of the skin growth on the leg quoted above. The silver ion produces some cells with no differentiation. These cells can turn into any cell that is needed. Only these de-differentiated cells can be used to create the cells necessary to replace destroyed cells such as in a wound or rebuild missing tissue. It seems to be for this reasoning that Colloidal Silver heals injuries without scarring, or at last greatly reduces scarring, while greatly accelerating the reconstruction or general healing of wounds. Scar tissue develops when de-differentiated cells are in short supply. Therefore it would seem, from the evidence at hand, that CS could reduce or prevent internal scarring and promote internal healing after surgery.

Other medical uses:

In "Report: Colloidal Silver, Health Consciousness, Vol. 15, No. 4", it is stated "Silver aids the developing fetus in growth, health, and eases the delivery and recovery." Hospitals routinely use it in new-born infants' eyes to prevent 'infection caused' blindness. Silver seems to be even more promising against AIDS, and there seems to be no doubt that silver supports the T-cells in their fight against foreign organisms in the blood. It virtually forms a second immune system, actually protecting and defending T-cells. It is strongly suggested by research scientists such as Dr. Gary Smith and others that silver ions are essential to the immune system. Marvin Robey, has personally used a strong dose of Colloidal Silver (4 oz. of 500 parts per million) for a 'cold' in its early stages. It provided relief in two hours and cured the cold completely in about 24 hours. Others say that it quickly cures their colds in more advanced stages.

Physiological information about CS

The body's ability to process the tiny atoms of Colloidal Silver makes silver build-up in the body impossible. The Environmental Protection Agency's Poison Control Center reports a 'no toxicity' listing for CS. If particles are small enough you can even drink arsenic! Examining a bottle of colloidal minerals from a local health store you may notice nickel, arsenic and lead among the trace minerals on the ingredients list.

CS is the only form of silver that can be used safely as a supplement. It is absorbed into the tissues at a slow enough rate that is not irritating to tissues, unlike silver nitrate which reacts violently with tissues because of its caustic action.

The body has a vital need for silver to produce new healthy cells. Since our blood is also a colloid, the harmonious way the colloids enter the body may well make Colloidal Silver the safest medicine on earth

Dr. Robert O. Becker, MD, says that a deficiency of silver in the diet contributes to disease. In fact he found that those with low levels of silver in their body had frequent colds, flu, and sicknesses. He feels that a silver deficiency can be the cause of improper functioning of the immune system.

"Used in the space shuttle"

When will we see silver in our everyday life for non-medical use? It seems it is already more prominent in our lives than most people realize. In Health Consciousness, Vol. 15, No. 4, Pg. 5 we read: "In the former Soviet Union, silver is used to sterilize recycled water aboard space shuttles. NASA has also selected a silver/water system for its space shuttle. Internationally, many airlines use silver water filters to guarantee passenger safety against water-borne diseases such as dysentery. The Swiss government has approved use of such silver water filters in homes and offices. In the U.S some city municipalities use silver in the treatment of sewage. Silver works so well in purifying water that it is sometimes used to purify swimming pool water. It does not sting the eyes as chlorine does, and it does kill mosquito larva. An experiment conducted in Nebraska demonstrates its effectiveness. Fifty gallons of raw sewage were pumped into a pool without any disinfectant. A standard measure of contamination is the count of E. coli, a bacteria organism found in the intestinal tract. The count soared to 7000 E. coli cells per milliliter of water. When the water was exposed to silver electrodes, within three hours it was completely free of E. coli."

How you can use Colloidal Silver

Add CS to drinking water when on holiday or camping. Sterilize anything from tooth brushes to surgical instruments, spray on garbage to prevent decay odors, disinfect dish cloths, cutting boards; add when canning, preserving or bottling fruits and vegetables; spray in shoes and between toes to kill fungus; disinfect bath water, use as gargle, douche, colon irrigation, nasal spray; drop onto bandages and plasters to hasten healing time; soak dentures; spray refrigerator, freezer, food storage containers to stop mildew, mold, wood rot, fungi. Use to spray pet's bedding; use in cleaning and mopping solutions. Spray on the top of open jam jars and food lids before closing to prevent mold. Spray air ducts; use in the final washing machine rinse cycle, and dishwashers. Spray around plant roots to stop rot; spray foliage to remove aphids and mold; use inside gloves and under fingernails, rinse fruit and vegetables, use in shampoos and rinsing water; spray pets and use in pet drinking water; spray carpets, wipe telephone mouthpieces, headphones, hearing aids; spray mattresses and allow to dry to kill dust mites; clean combs and glasses. Apply to baby for diaper rash and spray inside of diapers. Clean bathrooms, kitchens, floors, underwear, pillowcases, etc., etc.

Swishing the solution briefly under the tongue before swallowing ensures faster absorption and destroys mouth bacteria. In several days CS will have accumulated in the tissues sufficiently for benefits to begin. It is eliminated via the kidneys, lymph and bowel within three weeks.

CS is painless on cuts and abrasions, in open wounds, in the nostrils for sinus stuffy nose and even in babies eyes, because unlike antiseptics it does not destroy tissue cells. Inside the body silver forms no toxic features. It cannot react or interfere with any other medication being taken.

Dr. Hulda Clark feels that sufficient CS is ingested from cleaning the teeth. Perhaps more is needed in certain conditions. Other doctors suggest one or two teaspoons daily. There is no limit for external use. In general, modern Colloidal Silver is of much better quality than it was in the 1930's and 40's due to modern knowledge of how to produce it. Still better news is that you can produce the Colloidal Silver of the finest quality yourself for pennies a bottle. This way, you know it is fresh and you have a better idea of the concentration and quality.

When current is applied to silver in solution the particles that break off will always be the same size: 1.26 angstroms (.000126 microns). This is so small that its nearest rival is an atom. Very simple, inexpensive, easily used and maintainable equipment is now available by several manufacturers to make your own Colloidal Silver of the finest quality, absolutely fresh. To purchase ready made CS is highly expensive. To make it for yourself via a little machine costs only cents. Important: Dr. Clark's comments regarding CS: "The purity of the silver is an important issue. The manufacturer of the silver should divulge this. Use only 99.99% pure silver.

[End of Quoting]

I include here a listing of medical applications for Colloidal Silver which has been complied from several medical sources.

http://fourwinds10.com/siterun_data/bellringers_corner/people_of_the_lie/news.php?q=38514158b7c2bc9db8681fdf05a18d18

Colloidal Silver used for treating health conditions is a waste of money.

In August 1999, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned colloidal silver sellers from claiming any therapeutic or preventive value for the product.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colloidal_silver

Take too much of it and you'll turn blue
Like Paul Karason and Montana politician Stan Jones before him,

While argyria is usually benign and limited to skin discoloration, there are isolated reports of more serious neurologic, renal, or hepatic complications. A death has been reported in the medical literature as a result of colloidal silver use; in that case, a 71-year-old man developed status epilepticus which the authors felt was due to silver toxicity.[29][31]

Mary008 wrote: looks like blue grease paint...

That guy is really blue and you can see hundreds of pictures of him over the years in his everyday life. He's not the only one as there is a small population of permanently blue people from taking colloidal silver.

Look at all the blue people in these pictures for a start. You'll also see blue women ands politicians.

It also messes with your eyes.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&safe=off&client=safari&rls=en&um=1&sa=1&q=colloidal+silver+blue&btnG=Search+images&aq=f&oq=&aqi=&start=0






Rosemary Jacobs has been living with blue skin since her childhood doctor prescribed colloidal silver for a stuffy nose.
(Courtesy Rosemary Jacobs )


You might think you're not blue YET so you're totally safe. Wrong, spend some time in the sun down the road and you risk turning blue depending on how much colloidal silver you've used. Its permanent so use caution.

 

Argyria that covers the entire body is not seen following skin contact with silver

 

compounds, although the skin may change color where it touches the silver.

 

 

 (the poor fellow rubbed it on his face)

 

 

 

 

 

Tech...hello ..

 

You are giving examples of extremes of misuse
.................................................................................

to try to prove that something ....   beneficial when used in correct solution/amounts

is what?

capable of being misused?

Because if this element was not useful in some way or had no benefit,

Pubmed wouldn't publish it...

and the US Government wouldn't require it's use in newborns eyes.

.......................

Mary008 wrote: Tech...hello ..

I'm just allowing people to see both sides of the fence and every time you use it you will alter your pigmentation to some degree. It might be so little as to be "totally and completely undetectable" or it might build up to make you look like a freak. The effects are accumulative and permanent and slowly turning blue is dose dependent. It's not a random event. Everyone will slowly turn blue if enough colloidal silver is digested. If the amount you digest is minimal then you'll blend in fine.

If you want to reflect altered colors on the Kelvin Color Temperature Scale then have fun.

As for the health effects of ingesting colloidal silver. Its actually illegal for a seller to falsely claim it will cure people or help peoples health.


Don't get me wrong. I see many of the Pharmaceutical companies no better then the Tobacco companies. I also see many alternative health companies selling anything to make a buck. Regardless of the ill effects it may have on people.

Mary008 wrote:   (actually I'm thinking it should be illegal to be stupid in all 50 states :) Tech... you know I agree that false claims ( should be illegal)

Hey stop picking on me! I have a wooden spoon!

I might be an Idiot Savant but at least I passed the adult version of the Mensa test at age 12
I passed the Mega Society test at age 15.

We shouldn't comment on that.... for fear of being correct.

You do know you can make colloidal silver for less then 1 penny per gallon? I've done enough electroplating and electrolysis to know it's very simplistic to make.

At first I felt bad that Smurfs are blue but to see a badly faded Smurf is heartbreaking. Cheers to Colloidal Silver. Drink up my little Smurf buddies.

Current preparations of Colloidal Silver are unregulated by the FDA, and may contain from as little as 1-3 parts per million of silver (PPM) to as much as 70 PPM.

Some toxicologists estimate that it could take as few as 200 cumulative doses (1 tsp) of a 10 PPM solution to cause argyria in some people, while others may tolerate up to five times that amount.

BTW: 1 US gallon = 768 US teaspoons so that's about 1 quart at 10 parts per million or 3.5 ounces at 70PPM to turn you into a permanent Smurf. You might get lucky and only look 20% Smurfish.

Since silver is eliminated from the body through the kidneys and the colon, patients with renal or gastrointestinal disease may be particularly susceptible.

Technologist wrote: Colloidal Silver used for treating health conditions is a waste of money. In August 1999, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned colloidal silver sellers from claiming any therapeutic or preventive value for the product. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colloidal_silver Take too much of it and you'll turn blue Like Paul Karason and Montana politician Stan Jones before him, While argyria is usually benign and limited to skin discoloration, there are isolated reports of more serious neurologic, renal, or hepatic complications. A death has been reported in the medical literature as a result of colloidal silver use; in that case, a 71-year-old man developed status epilepticus which the authors felt was due to silver toxicity.[29][31]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To
Tech
and readers from Med:

http://www.raysahelian.com/colloidalsilver.html

Colloidal silver as an antimicrobial agent: fact or fiction?
J Wound Care. 2004 Apr;13(4):154-5.
Colloidal silver preparations are marketed on the internet as omnipotent antimicrobial agents, but scientific support for these claims is lacking. This study reports the results of in vitro tests of colloidal silver's antimicrobial activity against several pathogenic or non-pathogenic microorganisms. METHOD: Three samples of colloidal silver were tested: one available commercially on the internet (silver concentration of 22 ppm) and two samples (concentrations of 403 and 413 ppm) which were prepared in our laboratory using standard chemical methods. In an agar-well diffusion assay none of the three colloidal silver solutions had any effect on the growth of the test organisms. All tested bacterial strains were sensitive to ciprofloxacin. Colloidal silver 22 ppm showed no bactericidal activity in phenol coefficient tests. CONCLUSION: As the tested colloidal silver solutions did not show any antimicrobial effect in vitro on the microorganisms, claims of colloidal silver's antimicrobial potency are misleading and there is no place for it as an antiseptic.

Myoclonic status epilepticus following repeated oral ingestion of colloidal silver.
Neurology. 2004 Apr 27;62(8):1408-10.

Colloidal Silver provides detailed information on Colloidal Silver, Making Colloidal Silver, Colloidal Silver Generators, Benefits Of Colloidal Silver and more. Colloidal Silver is affiliated with Coral Calcium Benefits.

But there's no evidence that taking colloidal silver can do anything to fight disease or improve health, says Dr. Edmund Pribitkin, a professor of otolaryngology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

"Those studies haven't been done," says Pribitkin, who co-wrote a 2008 article on silver nasal sprays and colloidal silver published in the Ear, Nose and Throat Journal. In his view, just because something kills germs on contact doesn't mean it will fight infections inside the body. He notes that sulfuric acid kills germs too, but nobody touts it as a health tonic.

If colloidal silver really were some sort of super bug-fighter, it would have been embraced by mainstream medicine long ago, Pribitkin says. In fact, he says, he'd be one of the first in line. "I've had a terrible cold for the last week. I'd love to be able to order something over the Internet that would make me feel better."

Contrary to claims made by some websites, silver in large enough doses can cause side effects. In rare cases, it can collect under the skin and react with sunlight to create a permanent bluish tint, a condition known as argyria. Although unsightly, argyria is not dangerous. Victims include Stan Jones, a frequent candidate for office in Montana who has publicly stated that he turned blue after taking colloidal silver in preparation for Y2K. In 2002, he speculated on "The Daily Show" that Montana was ready "for a senator of color."

A report from the National Institutes of Health warns that large doses of colloidal silver could cause seizures, kidney damage, stomach trouble, headaches and fatigue.

The EPA estimates that a person could safely take up to .005 milligrams of silver per kilogram of body weight each day without side effects. Because almost no research has ever been conducted on colloidal silver, the agency warns that this figure is a very rough guess. But, by that standard, a 150-pound (68-kilogram) person could safely take seven times the recommended dose of Sovereign Silver or 1.2 times the recommended dose of Silver Shield.

Homemade batches of colloidal silver are a little less predictable and potentially more dangerous. Dr. Christopher Baker, a pediatric pulmonologist at the Children's Hospital in Denver, recently treated an 11-year-old boy who had turned slightly blue after being given homemade colloidal silver for his cystic fibrosis. "People are spending a lot of money on something that has never been proven to work," he says.

Is there a consumer product you'd like us to examine? E-mail health@latimes.com.

Read more Healthy Skeptic columns at latimes.com/skeptic.

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/feb/09/health/he-skeptic9?pg=2

comment: many readers may be surprised- especially Tech- at my posting here. As we face the Second Wave of the Pandemic we are going to no doubted run into the 'lo here, lo there syndrome.'.

This is a rather ancient remedy which still uses a potentially toxic metal. There are other natural way to strengthen the immune system - but this does not prevent a thriving vitamin and self medication from thriving. In all fairness, many FDA approved drugs are fairly useless, and some are quite dangerous.

comment:  People are commonly exposed to silver, usually in tiny amounts, through the environment (such as the air), drinking water, and food, and possibly their work or hobbies.1 Silver has no known biological function in living organisms.

Colloidal silver products consist of tiny silver particles suspended in a liquid base. Sometimes other ingredients are added, such as proteins, coloring, etc. The products are usually taken by mouth (in which case the products are considered dietary supplements; see the text box below). Some other types are sprayed, applied to the skin, or injected into a vein.

http://www.isetmed.com/alter.html

Do colloidal silver products work?
Reviews in the scientific literature on colloidal silver products have concluded that:
- Silver has no known function in the body.
- Silver is not an essential mineral supplement or a cure-all and should not be promoted as such.
- Claims that there can be a "deficiency" of silver in the body and that such a deficiency can lead to disease are unfounded.
- Claims made about the effectiveness of colloidal silver products for numerous diseases are unsupported scientifically.
- Colloidal silver products can have serious side effects (discussed further below).
- Laboratory analysis has shown that the amounts of silver in supplements vary greatly, which can pose risks to the consumer.

conclusion: in the words of James Taylor-

you can believe if it helps you to sleep...

There are many other organic and natural healing herbs and teas and substances that can strongly boost your immune response or control it (as per cytokine storm).  In these rather stressful times we are going to see many folk remedies and for one- I have always, as part native American - with an herbalist mother- leaned toward natural cures however militant the drug industry has become in stifling that which cannot be patented and sold as a high price versus common aspirin which in patient who have no problems with it, can prevent heart attacks and arteriosclerosis somewhat as using as per prescribed by your doctor for this reason. 

No doubt at a point in the Pandemic Skye will point as a confirmed Silver colloid users walk  and and he'll say

"I see blue people."

Medclinician

Loribearme wrote: That guy kinda looks like the umpla loompa on charlie and the chocolate factory

Hey Lori- I am usually with you on much of what you put up there. I met with a doctor yesterday who is very on top of this whole flu thing and in contact with many other doctors and people in the administration.

They are bitterly divided on the vaccine- and we have a few more days until I think we are actually going to see civil unrest. The gist of what we have been posting is all over the the media- and the truth.

People, the grassroots, are the greatest enemy to misinformation. I have terabytes of data supporting the bottom line to the facts being put out there are wrong.

On this site we usually have one person in whatever form that attacks the data miners. Too bad this person has so much power on the site that they cannot ever be truly stopped. They simply leave as one handle and the same person comes back or one of the inner circle.

We are getting to the final 30 days. And I am starting the thread now on Discussion- The Final Days...

Medclinician

Technologist wrote: Medclinician wrote: I have terabytes of data supporting the bottom line to the facts being put out there are wrong. Med I have half of a kilobyte of data and a 300 baud modem that says you are wrong. The electric grid is not going down because of the swine flu, civil anarchy is not going to happen. The swine flu is not going to collapse the infrastructure and cause the destruction of the US Government. Iran is not going to nuke Europe and my telling a joke about smurfs on this forum is not going to kill millions of people. Did I forget something? Yes, the internet is not going to vanish in 2012.

  J.

Medclinician wrote: Chemo is pretty cool Tech- but Quantum is way beyond your world. Actually Chaos theory is way beyond your empirical Newton based mind set. You are 30 years behind where we are technologically.

Nurse Med, I would say my decades in Quantum physics, Chaotic Theory and the study of things like 7-D+ Einsteinian Hyperspherical Universe put me way above your simplistic paranoid delusional ignorance. I doubt you could even challenge me on trivial things like your own misguided field of expertise.

If you drank a couple gallons at the same time I'm sure you could get your pee to turn green....

There are alot of safe alterantive natural products that dont risk tyurning you blue

not to sound ignorant here, but if you can use orego oil for healing wouldn't it make sense that you could just eat lots of oregano as well; off the plant of course not store bought??

I appreciate what you have written here about colloidal silver. You have really given such a nice information. You have mention each and every thing about colloidal silver. This will be useful for so many  people who are writing blogs on colloidal silver. I also got so many thing about colloidal silver here that I didn’t know earliar. Colloidal silver is really good for so many purposes. It has been defined in the last 103 years by physicians for treatment of known bacteria.