Wednesday, March 24, 2010

How Do We Know Colloidal Silver Actually Works?

How Do We Know Colloidal Silver Actually Works?

A skeptical visitor to the Colloidal Silver Secrets Group on Facebook recently asked, regarding colloidal silver, “So, what’s the evidence that this stuff actually works?”

Here’s my reply:

The evidence is overwhelming.

Medical Studies

For starters, read the medical study overviews on these two web sites:


Then read these articles about the effectiveness of colloidal silver in a serious lung infection as well as against fungal pathogens:


What the Experts Say

Then check out what doctors, medical researchers and other experts have to say:


Are all of these people just crazy? Or does colloidal silver and other silver based antimicrobials really work?

Why Would Municipal Water Suppliers and Even NASA Use Silver?

Then check out these articles on the use of electrically generated silver to kill pathogens in municipal water supply systems, as well as in the water supplies of the NASA and Russian manned space vehicles:



Why Is Big Business Now Using Silver?

You can read the article titled “Big Business Moves Into Silver-Based Antimicrobials in a BIG Way,” and ask yourself, if silver doesn’t work as an infection-fighting agent, why are all of these businesses investing millions of dollars in it?

Patents for the Use of Silver Against Infections

You can also do an internet search on patents having to do with silver and its usage. If you’re a careful researcher, you’ll find dozens of them, ranging from patents for:

…preventing the spread of HIV during sex using silver-based compounds

…using silver-impregnated catheters to prevent infections at catheter sites

…using silver-laced stockings to help severe diabetic patients prevent their leg ulcers from becoming infected

…using silver in house paint to help keep microbial populations inside the home down

…using silver in textiles such as countertops to help stop the spread of pathogens in hospitals, laboratories, office buildings, etc.

…and much, much more!

Testimonials

Finally, read these testimonials from dozens of satisfied colloidal silver users: http://thesilveredge.com/mpgtest.shtml

No Real Benefit?

I could go on and on. But I won’t. The proof is in the pudding.

I know there are critics out there who say silver has no real benefit.

But they’re either ignorant of all of the studies and the plethora of information now available, or they’re shills for the pharmaceutical industry whose job it is to cast aspersions on effective natural remedies.

Read the literature. Decide for yourself. If you actually read the literature without prejudice, you can only conclude that the evidence for silver as nature’s most powerful antimicrobial is overwhelmingly in its favor.

Helpful Links:

2 comments:

Zap2000 said...

I think the question is a good one and your answer provides a lot of support, but what I don't see too much of, and what most skeptical reports on CC indicate, is that it doesn't do much/anything when taking INTERNALLY. Can you specifically point out some sources where it's been shown to work internally? I'm a supporter of CC, but have never used it yet. I have been VERY happy with my 3 year old Samsung SILVERCARE washer which uses ionic silver (instead of bleach- hate the stuff) as an antimicrobial. I believe all their washers now have this as a standard feature. No, I don't work for samsung, but I've never seen it mentioned and thought you're readers might like to know about it. Even Consumer Reports found it to be effective. Hopefully I will be trying CC soon and plan to join your facebook group.Thanks. -J

Steve Barwick said...

Actually, the study on the Cystic Fibrosis lung disease was on a human.

Dr. Farber's book, although not a study, also explained how he overcame chronic wasting Lyme Disease through oral use of colloidal silver.

And many of the clinical studies conducted in the 1980's by the late Dr. Robert O. Becker, M.D., of Syracuse Medical University were conducted on humans. Dr. Becker demonstrated, for example, cured every case of "incurable" bone disease (osteomyelitis) they sent to him, and found that the electrically generated silver ions caused no discernible harm to the cells and tissues of the human body.

But you are basically right -- there is a dearth of actual human studies, because no medical university is willing to spend the millions of dollars on human studies for a natural substance that can't be patented and sold as a "drug." They simply can't make their money back on the studies, when there is nothing to patent and sell.

So we have to go by the handful of human studies conducted way back in the early 1900's (published in the early medical journals both here and in England). Here's a quote from 1919 that you might find interesting:

"Applying colloidal silver to human subjects has been done in a large number of cases with astonishingly successful results...it has the advantage of being rapidly fatal to parasites without toxic action on its host. It is quite stable. It protects rabbits from ten times the lethal dose of tetanus or diphtheria toxin."

-- Colloids In Biology and Medicine (1919) by Alfred Searle, founder of the giant Searle Pharmaceuticals firm

BTW, as soon as Dr. Becker found that he could make complex cancer cells dedifferentiate into simple, non-cancerous cells using electrically generated silver ions, his university pulled his funding, and he was forced to write his two bestselling books, The Body Electric and Cross Currents, explaining the clinical studies he had conducted at the university and the amazing results he had achieved before his funding was pulled.

Finally, a number of large commercial manufacturers of colloidal silver have conducted some very good human studies on oral use of colloidal silver. ASAP brand colloidal silver comes to mind. Due to the costs, and bureaucratic red tape here in the U.S., and the general anti-silver attitude among the medical profession here, they've had to go to countries like Ghana or Costa Rica or others to have the human studies performed in hospitals there.

Generally, these human studies have proved out colloidal silver's effectiveness against illnesses ranging from yellow fever to serious lung infections and much more. However, those studies belong to the companies that conducted them, and cannot be reproduced by others, including myself. But you can do some research on your own and probably find the study references on their web sites.