FDA Warns Against the Use of Colloidal Silver for Farm Animals (And Pets)!

Have you ever treated a sick farm animal or pet with colloidal silver? 

Or have you ever used colloidal silver prophylactically, which is to say, to help prevent the onset of infection and disease in a farm animal or pet?

If so, you could be in violation of FDA policies.  Here’s a story of blatant FDA hypocrisy you might not be aware of…

Hi, Steve Barwick here, for www.TheSilverEdge.com...

You may not realize it, but on the Animal and Veterinary section of their website, the FDA has issued a special warning titled “Colloidal Silver Not Approved.”

The warning, originally issued in 1997 and updated in 2009, explains the FDA’s position against the use of colloidal silver in farm animals, calling it a “potentially serious public health concern.” 

In short, by FDA decree, colloidal silver cannot be used to treat farm animals, nor can it be advertised even as a nutritional intervention for farm animals for any specific disease. 

Ridiculous Reasoning…

The FDA claims the reason they've disapproved the use of colloidal silver in farm animals is because of the possibility of “residues” of silver ending up in the milk or meat once it makes it to the supermarket. 

Here’s the FDA’s own words (underlining mine):

"Use of colloidal silver ingredients in food-producing animals constitutes a potentially serious public health concern because of the possibility of residues in milk or meat.

According to several scientific publications mentioned in the October 15, 1996 Federal Register proposal, the human consumption of silver may result in argyria -- a permanent ashen-gray or blue discoloration of the skin, conjunctiva, and internal organs."

Of course, there's not a single documented incident on record anywhere in the world of a person ending up with argyria – or being harmed in any way whatsoever -- from eating meat from a farm animal that had previously been treated with colloidal silver. 

So not only is the FDA’s warning hyperbolic, but their reasoning is disingenuous, at best, and outright deceptive at worst. 

Your Pets, Too!

But the FDA doesn’t stop there.  Nope.  Instead, they double down on their warning against treating farm animals with colloidal silver by saying (underlining mine):

“In addition to the possible human health concerns, use of these products to treat a serious illness in animals (including pets) could potentially endanger the health of the animal by delaying timely, appropriate treatment.”

Note here that the FDA includes family pets in their hyperbolic warning. 

In other words, if you give some colloidal silver to a farm animal, or to one of your pets, according to the FDA you’re potentially endangering the health of your animal “by delaying timely, appropriate treatment.”

And exactly what is this “timely and appropriate treatment” the FDA is talking about?  Why, it’s Big Pharma’s antibiotic drugs, of course!

The FDA goes on to say that their inspectors “have found colloidal silver on some dairy farms,” and that they’re “continuing to investigate the promotion and use of colloidal silver in dairy and other animals.” 

Here’s what the FDA wrote (underlining mine):

Colloidal silver-containing products have not been approved by FDA for use in any animal species.

Promoting the use of colloidal silver for treating animal diseases causes such products to be misbranded veterinary drugs under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act).

Labeling colloidal silver products to treat animals causes such products to be new animal drugs which are adulterated under the Act.

FDA has taken action against colloidal silver products, and is continuing to investigate the promotion and use of colloidal silver products in dairy and other animals.

If necessary, FDA will take further appropriate regulatory action.

Indeed, since publishing this warning on their website, the FDA has issued stern warning letters to colloidal silver vendors who even dare to mention the use of their colloidal silver products for animals, calling the products “mislabeled” and “adulterated.”

And in online FDA memorandums to their own dairy inspection agents, colloidal silver is listed as a “prohibited drug” along with Nitrofurazone, Baytril, Chloramphenicol, Clenbuterol, DMSO and Dipyrone. 

And, in various online documents, the FDA continues to emphasize to its field agents that colloidal silver cannot be used for farm animals.  Even topical ointments containing miniscule amounts of colloidal silver cannot be used.

For example, check out this brief question and answer I found in a recent FDA memorandum: 

PMO-Section 7, Item 15r

(Question):  May a dairy producer use an udder and teat topical ointment that contains colloidal silver on dairy animals?

The topical ointment contains a minimal amount of colloidal silver as a preservative.

(Answer) No.  Using such a topical ointment on dairy animals may cause some of the silver to end up in the milk. 

What it boils down to is that even in the most miniscule amounts, colloidal silver cannot be used on farm animals – even topically – because of the off-chance that “some of the silver” might end up in food products that will ultimately be sold to consumers, such as milk or meat. 

The Hypocrisy Is Galling

Yes, hypocritically, to this very day the FDA allows farmers to use as many of Big Pharma’s synthetic antibiotic drugs as they want on farm animals, without any restriction whatsoever. 

Powerful antibiotic drugs can even be used on healthy farm animals, without restriction, from birth to slaughterhouse, in order to help keep them from becoming infected in the overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions they’re often raised in. 

And of course these endless rounds of antibiotic drugs being given to the farm animals end up in the meat you (and your children and grandchildren) eat.  And they contribute directly to antibiotic-resistant illness in humans. 

According to the Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming, the situation is very serious:

“…up to 70 percent of all antibiotics sold in the United States go to healthy food animals.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention all testified before Congress…

… that there was a definitive link between the routine, non-therapeutic uses of antibiotics in food animal production and the crisis of antibiotic resistance in humans.”

In other words, the more antibiotic-laden meat you eat, the more likely it is that prescription antibiotic drugs won’t work for you if you get a serious infection from a drug-resistant pathogen!

Yet, in spite of that clear connection between antibiotic drug use in food animals and antibiotic drug-resistance in humans, the FDA has adamantly refused to limit the use of antibiotic drugs in farm animals. 

And of course, farmers who would like to switch to using safe, natural colloidal silver on their animals in order to avoid selling the public antibiotic drug-tainted meat or milk are actually restricted from doing so by the FDA!

94,000 Deaths Per Year!

The result? 

Thanks to the over-use of prescription antibiotic drugs on farm animals, an astonishing 50% of all farm animals destined for a supermarket near you now test positive for superbugs like MRSA, which kill over 94,000 Americans per year!

So the FDA continues to allow the indiscriminate use of antibiotic drugs on farm animals, even though this practice is clearly endangering the health of the American public. 

But if you try to use safe, natural colloidal silver on your cows, sheep, goats or other farm animals (or pets) in order to avoid having to use antibiotic drugs, you're engaging in a “potentially serious public health concern” according to the FDA. 

And you’re in violation of their policies! 

Protecting Big Pharma

Once again, what we see here is the FDA protecting the interests of Big Pharma, as well as the medical profession (in this case, veterinarians). 

What it boils down to is that using colloidal silver as a nutritional intervention for your sick farm animal or pet, or as a nutritional means of helping prevent the onset of an infection, is represented by the FDA as a “threat” to public safety as well as to the animal’s well-being. 

But somehow, treating the same food animals indiscriminately with Big Pharma’s antibiotic drugs (that are known to lead to deadly drug-resistant bacterial infections in humans) is not considered a threat to public safety. 

Looking at the facts, one can only conclude that while the FDA is supposed to be working for the safety and well-being of the American public, it seems instead they’re working only to line the pockets of Big Pharma and the medical profession -- and the American public be damned!

Potential Criminals

In essence, they’ve turned farmers (and pet owners!) who prefer to use safe, natural colloidal silver on their animals rather than antibiotic drugs into potential criminals for violating FDA policies.

Even though there’s no evidence whatsoever that giving colloidal silver to farm animals (or to pets) has ever harmed a single animal, or a single human being, the FDA would have you think doing so is a “potentially serious public health concern.”

Interestingly, there’s never been a single documented case of a human being becoming resistant to the powerful infection-fighting qualities of colloidal silver.  Even people who have taken colloidal silver for decades find that it still kills infections when they use it.

Yet there are thousands upon thousands of documented cases of humans becoming resistant to Big Pharma’s antibiotic drugs, and of ending up with unstoppable drug-resistant infections that ultimately kill them. 

And according to the experts, this is due largely to the massive overuse of Big Pharma’s antibiotic drugs in farm animals, which drugs end up in the food chain for humans to consume. 

So through their policies, the FDA actually forces farmers to feed the American public antibiotic-tainted meat and milk from food animals that have been indiscriminately treated with antibiotic drugs their entire lives. 

Yet FDA policies restrict those same farmers from feeding the American public meat or milk from animals that have been treated with safe, natural colloidal silver. 

No Surprise

Of course, this is no big surprise.  The FDA’s heavy-handed 1999 “Final Ruling” against colloidal silver actually made it illegal for colloidal silver vendors to even mention the infection-fighting qualities of their product in their advertising or product labeling.

That’s how the FDA keeps the American public in the dark – at the behest of Big Pharma – in regards to the powerful healing and infection-fighting qualities of colloidal silver, the world’s safest and most powerful all-natural antibiotic substance. 

And that’s why it’s so important for people to spread the word about the powerful, infection-fighting qualities of safe, natural colloidal silver to your family, friends and loved ones.

After all, the FDA is doing everything in its power to keep knowledge of colloidal silver and its many healing uses from the American public.

You can learn more about making and using colloidal silver for just pennies per quart by clicking the link in this sentence. 

Meanwhile, I’ll be back next week with another great article on colloidal silver.

Yours for the safe, sane and responsible use of colloidal silver,

Steve Barwick, author
The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual

Helpful Links:

Get Your FREE Colloidal Silver Safe Dosage Report

Join the Colloidal Silver Secrets Group on Facebook

How to Make Your Own Colloidal Silver for Pennies

.999 Pure Silver Wire for Making Colloidal Silver

Subscribe to the Colloidal Silver Secrets Ezine

Videos on Making and Using Colloidal Silver

Real-Life Colloidal Silver Success Stories

Colloidal Silver Update (News & Views)

The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual

The Colloidal Silver Secrets Video

Colloidal Silver Cures MRSA

Colloidal Silver Kills Viruses

Colloidal Silver Secrets blog

Meet Steve Barwick

                                                                                                                                                  

Important Note and Disclaimer:  The contents of this Ezine have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Information conveyed herein is from sources deemed to be accurate and reliable, but no guarantee can be made in regards to the accuracy and reliability thereof.  The author, Steve Barwick, is a natural health journalist with over 30 years of experience writing professionally about natural health topics.  He is not a doctor.  Therefore, nothing stated in this Ezine should be construed as prescriptive in nature, nor is any part of this Ezine meant to be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.  Nothing reported herein is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.  The author is simply reporting in journalistic fashion what he has learned during the past 17 years of journalistic research into colloidal silver and its usage.  Therefore, the information and data presented should be considered for informational purposes only, and approached with caution.  Readers should verify for themselves, and to their own satisfaction, from other knowledgeable sources such as their doctor, the accuracy and reliability of all reports, ideas, conclusions, comments and opinions stated herein.  All important health care decisions should be made under the guidance and direction of a legitimate, knowledgeable and experienced health care professional.  Readers are solely responsible for their choices.  The author and publisher disclaim responsibility and/or liability for any loss or hardship that may be incurred as a result of the use or application of any information included in this Ezine. 

Copyright 2013 | Life & Health Research Group, LLC | PO Box 1239 | Peoria AZ 85380-1239 | All rights reserved

Colloidal Silver and Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic Fibrosis is one of the most common chronic lung diseases in children, and also one of the most devastating and life-threatening.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the disease is caused by a defective gene that in turn causes the body to produce copious amounts of abnormally thick and sticky mucus.  

The mucus tends to build up in the lungs, digestive tract and other areas of the body, often resulting in life-threatening infections that must be treated with higher-than-usual doses of antibiotics. 

The condition is so serious that most people afflicted with it have dramatically shortened life spans.  Indeed, the average lifespan for Cystic Fibrosis victims who make it to adulthood is only about 37 years. 

Death is usually caused by lung complications as the infections grow more and more difficult to control over time. 

Hi, Steve Barwick here, for www.TheSilverEdge.com...

Unfortunately, there’s very little research available on the use of colloidal silver for victims of Cystic Fibrosis.  But what little research is available is quite interesting.

In some cases, at least, colloidal silver has been demonstrated to stop the chronic lung infections so often associated with the disease, even when prescription antibiotics were failing to work.

Here’s an article titled “Colloidal Silver, Cystic Fibrosis and Lung Disease,” in which a young child afflicted with severe antibiotic-resistant infections from the dread disease was able to return to a fairly normal life after his parents began treating him with small amounts of colloidal silver daily, ingested orally.

Here’s a link to the actual clinical study discussed in the above article.  The doctors were so fascinated with the young child’s astonishing results with colloidal silver, they wrote up the case and had it published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine so other specialists would know about it: 

The Pseudomonas aeruginosa Connection

The article at the following link, titled Colloidal Silver, Allergies and Inflammation, discusses recent research demonstrating that in some cases, a pathogen known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa can trigger serious lung infections and inflammatory allergic reactions.

This is important because, as medical specialists know, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is “frequently isolated in the lungs of Cystic Fibrosis patients.”  

What’s more, as the following article on Colloidal Silver and Pseudomonas Infections points out, additional recent research demonstrates this pathogen is extremely susceptible to colloidal silver. 

Nebulizing Colloidal Silver

In an animal study conducted at the Washington University School of Medicine and presented at the 105^th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society, it was demonstrated that inhalation of tiny silver nanoparticles protected mice that had been infected with Pseudomona aeroginosa. 

According to an article at this link, “Researchers infected a group of mice with the bacteria Pseudomona aeroginosa, a common cause of bacterial pneumonia in humans, especially those on ventilators, those with cystic fibrosis or those with compromised immune systems.”

The mice were allowed to inhale the aerosolized silver particles once per day, while a control group of similarly infected mice inhaled only a placebo. 

The mice that inhaled the antimicrobial silver particles ended up with “significantly lower concentrations of bacteria in their lungs than the mice inhaling placebo nanoparticles.” 

What’s more, all of the infected mice that were given the silver nanoparticles survived the infection, whereas none of the mice given the placebo nanoparticles survived.

This leaves wide open the speculation that stubborn Pseudomonas lung infections so frequently found in Cystic Fibrosis patients might be healed by inhaling colloidal silver through a medical nebulizer –

-- a process, which, by the way, should only be conducted under the supervision of a medical specialist who can monitor lung function carefully and make sure no harm is being caused by the silver itself.

Other Pathogens

Of course, there are many other pathogens that can create havoc for victims of Cystic Fibrosis. 

And while there’s little clinical information on these pathogens in relation to colloidal silver, there are a number of Cystic Fibrosis patients who have discovered colloidal silver for themselves, and have found it to be extremely helpful for their condition.

Naturally, anecdotal accounts are not the same as scientific evidence.  But here is an example of what some people are saying on online Cystic Fibrosis boards:

"My 'normal' bugs are Staph A, and Achromobactor X. I also culture Aspergillis from time to time.

This past April I learned about using colloidal silver (i.e., the ionic form) through a nebulizer, and I started inhaling about 4 mls a day for about two weeks.

My next two cultures no longer had Achromobactor. But I stopped using the colloidal silver, and it came back.

Over the course of the summer, I cultured many new things for the first time including Stenotroptamonas and Burkholderia cepacia.

I spent 17 weeks on IV antibiotics and all the bugs were still showing up, I had enough and got my PICC line pulled. Two days later I was sick again.

I started the silver again, this time using 5 mls twice a day in my nebulizer (no other form antibiotics at all). 

Within a couple days I was feeling good again. Four weeks later I went back to clinic and my culture showed 'light growth Aspergillis'. That's all!

Sorry for the long rant, but silver is amazing stuff!!"

Again, admittedly, anecdotal information is not the same as clinical evidence. 

But the bottom line is that there are some Cystic Fibrosis patients who are finding the use of colloidal silver to be very helpful in keeping microbial growth in check

Dearth of Information

Unfortunately, there’s not much more information available on colloidal silver and Cystic Fibrosis. 

But any doctor having trouble controlling infections in a Cystic Fibrosis patient might want to take a look at the available evidence, and weigh whether or not trying colloidal silver either through a nebulizer as discussed above, or orally as discussed in the first study linked to at the beginning of this article, might be helpful.

In general, colloidal silver can safely be taken in conjunction with antibiotic drugs.  However, the FDA warns, with some equivocation, that colloidal silver “may” interfere with the absorption of quinolone class antibiotics as well as tetracycline. 

(The FDA’s answer to my Freedom of Information Act request on this claim was less than stellar; turns out they had no corroborating information whatsoever to back up their claims that colloidal silver “may” interfere with the absorption of these antibiotics.  See “FDA Admits:  No Proof Colloidal Silver Interferes With Drug Absorption”.)

Indeed, as demonstrated in the famous BYU Medical Center study, in many cases colloidal silver has a demonstrable additive effect on antibiotic drugs, which is to say, it tends to increase the efficacy of antibiotic drugs that have lost their effectiveness against certain pathogens. 

Cystic Fibrosis patients may want to present this information to their specialist for further analysis and consideration.

Meanwhile, I’ll be back next week with another eye-opening article on colloidal silver.

Yours for the safe, sane and responsible use of colloidal silver,

Steve Barwick, author
The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual

Helpful Links:

Get Your FREE Colloidal Silver Safe Dosage Report

Join the Colloidal Silver Secrets Group on Facebook

How to Make Your Own Colloidal Silver for Pennies

.999 Pure Silver Wire for Making Colloidal Silver

Subscribe to the Colloidal Silver Secrets Ezine

Videos on Making and Using Colloidal Silver

Real-Life Colloidal Silver Success Stories

Colloidal Silver Update (News & Views)

The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual

The Colloidal Silver Secrets Video

Colloidal Silver Cures MRSA

Colloidal Silver Kills Viruses

Colloidal Silver Secrets blog

Meet Steve Barwick

                                                                                                                                                  

Important Note and Disclaimer:  The contents of this Ezine have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Information conveyed herein is from sources deemed to be accurate and reliable, but no guarantee can be made in regards to the accuracy and reliability thereof.  The author, Steve Barwick, is a natural health journalist with over 30 years of experience writing professionally about natural health topics.  He is not a doctor.  Therefore, nothing stated in this Ezine should be construed as prescriptive in nature, nor is any part of this Ezine meant to be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.  Nothing reported herein is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.  The author is simply reporting in journalistic fashion what he has learned during the past 17 years of journalistic research into colloidal silver and its usage.  Therefore, the information and data presented should be considered for informational purposes only, and approached with caution.  Readers should verify for themselves, and to their own satisfaction, from other knowledgeable sources such as their doctor, the accuracy and reliability of all reports, ideas, conclusions, comments and opinions stated herein.  All important health care decisions should be made under the guidance and direction of a legitimate, knowledgeable and experienced health care professional.  Readers are solely responsible for their choices.  The author and publisher disclaim responsibility and/or liability for any loss or hardship that may be incurred as a result of the use or application of any information included in this Ezine. 

Copyright 2012 | Life & Health Research Group, LLC | PO Box 1239 | Peoria AZ 85380-1239 | All rights reserved

Colloidal Silver and the Flu Epidemic

What do you do when a particularly nasty flu strikes, and your colloidal silver doesn’t seem to be working?  Well, taking careful note of your body’s symptoms and using additional nutritional intervention based on those symptoms often turns the tide.  Here’s one example, from my own recent experience…

Hi, Steve Barwick here, for www.TheSilverEdge.com...

I just got over a nasty bout of flu which struck over the Christmas and New Year's holidays and left me bedridden for a good week.  Very severe.  And missing Christmas and New Year’s was a real bummer. 

And of course, the news media is now rife with reports that this flu bug is sweeping the nation, with some sources calling it an “epidemic.”

So I thought I’d document what I did in order to deal with the symptoms of this nasty flu bug and get back on the road to recovery inside of one week.

What Did and Didn’t Work…

First, I tried the red wine, lemon juice and colloidal silver trick for beating flu viruses, which I documented in my previous article Beating the Winter Cold and Flu Season With Colloidal Silver.

The gist of this “trick” is that if you take a small amount of red wine mixed with colloidal silver and lemon juice, the alcohol and lemon juice help dissolve the lipid coating of the flu virus, and allows the colloidal silver to penetrate and exterminate the virus.

But I found I couldn’t tolerate the alcohol with the colloidal silver due to the waves of nausea that accompanied this particular flu bug during the first few days.  Maybe the nausea was a defense mechanism of the virus. 

So the red wine, lemon juice and colloidal silver trick didn’t work for me, in this case, though it’s worked previously in other cases. 

Instead, I just sipped on my colloidal silver "straight" throughout the day, from time-to-time as needed – which actually helped relieve the nausea tremendously.  I took between two ounces and four ounces a day of 10 ppm, depending upon how I felt. 

What’s more, thanks to the colloidal silver I didn't end with some of the more severe symptoms that others here locally have suffered, such as sudden projectile vomiting and uncontrollable diarrhea.  Blecch! 

So in my case I do credit the colloidal silver with prevention of some of the more severe symptoms of this particular flu virus. 

But for other symptoms, it didn’t seem to help at all until I began really taking note of my symptoms, and adding other nutrients to my regimen to counteract them. 

The Worst Symptoms

For example, the worst symptom I had from this particular flu virus was overwhelming fatigue and extremely cold body temperature, combined with 101 degree fever at the same time.

Plus, I had some pretty painful joint aches, particularly in the knees and hips and between my shoulder blades. 

The body chills were so bad I couldn't even feel the fever on my forehead with my own hand.  Only with the aid of a thermometer did I come to discover I had a 101 degree fever the same time I was having these intense body chills.

The flu bug also dropped my blood pressure uncommonly low, to about 100 over 70, which is very abnormal for me (I've been at 140/90 for 20 years). 

This told me that the virus was disrupting my cellular mitochondrial functioning in an attempt to lower my metabolism and thereby circumvent my immune system. 

Nutritional Intervention

So to compensate and aid my body nutritionally, I added 400 mg. twice a day of Vitamin D-3 (not regular Vitamin D, but Vitamin D-3), which has been shown to be more antiviral than prescription drugs like Tamiflu or flu vaccinations.

And I added about 75 micrograms of iodine from sea kelp daily (I used Physician's Formulas brand Iodine from sea kelp; just took one-half of a 150 microgram tablet per day) to help my thyroid regulate my metabolism, body temperature and immune system function better.  This got rid of the horrific cold chills by day two.  Yay!

And once every other day I took a 20 mg. tablet of Adenosine Triphosphate (I used Douglas Laboratories brand "ATP-20") in order to get my cellular mitochondria back functioning at peak levels, and eliminate the extreme fatigue that accompanied this flu virus.

That’s important, because mitochondrial function, which governs your body’s energy stores, is absolutely vital to peak immune system function, which in turn is needed to defeat the virus. 

And finally, for the fever and body aches, I took 400 mg. of Motrin at night, with food. 

The first night I took the Motrin I woke up sopping wet from sweating after about four hours in bed, which is the result of the Motrin breaking the fever.  I literally had to change the T-shirt I was sleeping in, plus my pillow case and sheets that first night.  But the fever was gone directly afterwards.

I did all of this, in addition to continuing to sip my homemade colloidal silver throughout the day whenever I felt the need for it.  If I felt nausea coming on, for example, I’d take a little extra colloidal silver.  If I didn’t have the stomach symptoms, I’d cut back a bit on my colloidal silver intake. 

I don’t think I took more than four ounces of my homemade colloidal silver on any single day, or less than two ounces on any single day.

Just Reporting…

Naturally, I'm not prescribing here.  I’m not a doctor.  I’m a natural health journalist.  And I'm just reporting on what worked for me, nutritionally, to help get this particularly nasty flu bug under control. 

Even with all of this, it still took a full week for me to get back on my feet.  And there are still some mild upper respiratory symptoms remaining (coughing and slight congestion, particularly at night), so I'm continuing the colloidal silver at a reduced rate, plus the Vitamin D-3 and low-dose iodine from kelp for a few more days.   

Of course, because of biological individuality, this very nasty flu virus might affect other people differently.  And a completely different supplement regimen might be necessary. 

But I thought I'd document what’s worked for me, nutritionally, in case others with this very nasty flu bug that’s sweeping the nation might want to try it.

Tricky Little Bastards

As I’ve mentioned in the past, flu viruses are tricky little bastards. 

Over the years I’ve had cases of the flu that have responded splendidly to colloidal silver usage alone, alleviating even the most severe flu symptoms virtually overnight.  And I’ve had cases of the flu that have not responded to colloidal silver usage at all. 

It all seems to depend upon the specific type of virus causing the flu symptoms. 

For example, one year, about a decade ago, the Hong Kong strain of flu hit this country like a ton of bricks.  And colloidal silver seemed to have no effect on it whatsoever.  People were calling and emailing me in total frustration because no matter how much colloidal silver they ingested, there was no relief from this devastating flu.

But the very next year the Sydney strain of flu hit, and even though this very nasty strain of flu was killing elderly people and young children throughout the southern U.S. and the Midwest, and hospitals were overflowing with patients throughout the country, just about everyone who took colloidal silver reported almost instantaneously phenomenal results, with flu symptoms dissipating within a matter of days. 

Indeed, I got more calls that year from people thanking me for telling them about colloidal silver than any year since I’d published the first edition of The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual. 

So again, viruses are tricky.  And while colloidal silver can be remarkably effective against some viral strains, there are also some viruses that colloidal silver doesn’t seem to touch. 

What I learned from this new bout with the flu, however, is that watching my specific flu symptoms very carefully and taking appropriate compensatory nutrients to counteract those symptoms can really help turn the tide against the virus, and even help make the colloidal silver work better.  Here’s what I mean…

Compensatory Nutrients…

I’ve said all along that colloidal silver is not God.  It’s not a “cure-all.”  

It is indeed the most broad-spectrum natural antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral substance on the face of the earth.  And without fail it’s the very first thing I reach for whenever I have even the slightest hint of an infection. 

And it almost always works for me, oftentimes miraculously.

But it can’t cure everything.  Nothing on the face of this old earth can.  There’s always going to be a bug or two that can figure out how to circumvent your body’s defenses as well as just about anything you can throw at it.

The truly good news is that if colloidal silver alone is not helping, and you watch your symptoms carefully, you can often determine what the virus is doing to your body and add compensatory nutrients, like I’ve described in the beginning of this article. 

For example, the colloidal silver was not helping me much at all the first few days of this nasty flu, except to help control the nausea and eliminate the vomiting and diarrhea other people I knew of were experiencing.

But once I added the Vitamin D-3 and the low-dose iodine from kelp to help boost my metabolism, the colloidal silver started working dramatically better.  Day-by-day I could tell the difference as my recovery speeded up noticeably.

Why did boosting my metabolism, nutritionally, seem to help? 

In my layman’s opinion, based upon my symptoms of cold chills and excessively low blood pressure, I believe it was because this particular virus had attacked my cellular metabolism as a means of disrupting immune system function. 

And when your metabolism is crippled, colloidal silver is not processed as well throughout the body.

Once I got my metabolism operating closer to normal levels with the help of the Vitamin D-3 and the low-dose iodine from kelp (and a few days afterwards with addition of the Adenosine Triphosphate), the colloidal silver really began to kick in. 

And from that day forward the viral symptoms gradually but quite noticeably began to dissipate. 

One Final Thought: 

In hindsight I realize I was really pushing my exercise regimen to excessively high levels (for my personal tolerance) just before this flu bug hit. 

And at the same time, I was working 12 and 15 hour day, trying to get a number of projects caught up. 

I do tend to exercise harder and longer during the winter months when the weather is colder, because my aging body can generally tolerate the exercise better in the cold weather than it can in the summer heat. 

And I tend to work longer hours in the office, because there’s not as much to do outside when it’s colder than hell. 

My problem is that sometimes I tend to get over-excited about exercising during the winter months, trying to compensate for the lack of exercise during the hotter summer months.  And as a result I sometimes push my body to unsustainable levels in the winter time. 

Combine that with not getting enough rest from long work hours, and you have a “type A” personality prescription for a stressed out body during winter months. 

The point being, with this nasty flu bug going around it's probably best not to stress out your body too much.  After all, excessive stress, coupled with lack of good, sound rest can temporarily weaken immunity and give a nasty virus a real foothold. 

So just a word to the wise during this growing flu epidemic:  Take it easy.  And make sure you get plenty of rest.  Keep stress levels at a minimum wherever possible.

Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, I’ll be back next week with another great article on making and using colloidal silver. 

Meanwhile, take extra good care of yourself with this nasty flu virus going around!

Yours for the safe, sane and responsible use of colloidal silver,

Steve Barwick, author
The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual

Helpful Links:

Get Your FREE Colloidal Silver Safe Dosage Report

Join the Colloidal Silver Secrets Group on Facebook

How to Make Your Own Colloidal Silver for Pennies

.999 Pure Silver Wire for Making Colloidal Silver

Subscribe to the Colloidal Silver Secrets Ezine

Videos on Making and Using Colloidal Silver

Real-Life Colloidal Silver Success Stories

Colloidal Silver Update (News & Views)

The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual

The Colloidal Silver Secrets Video

Colloidal Silver Cures MRSA

Colloidal Silver Kills Viruses

Colloidal Silver Secrets blog

Meet Steve Barwick

                                                                                                                                                 

Important Note and Disclaimer:  The contents of this Ezine have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Information conveyed herein is from sources deemed to be accurate and reliable, but no guarantee can be made in regards to the accuracy and reliability thereof.  The author, Steve Barwick, is a natural health journalist with over 30 years of experience writing professionally about natural health topics.  He is not a doctor.  Therefore, nothing stated in this Ezine should be construed as prescriptive in nature, nor is any part of this Ezine meant to be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.  Nothing reported herein is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.  The author is simply reporting in journalistic fashion what he has learned during the past 17 years of journalistic research into colloidal silver and its usage.  Therefore, the information and data presented should be considered for informational purposes only, and approached with caution.  Readers should verify for themselves, and to their own satisfaction, from other knowledgeable sources such as their doctor, the accuracy and reliability of all reports, ideas, conclusions, comments and opinions stated herein.  All important health care decisions should be made under the guidance and direction of a legitimate, knowledgeable and experienced health care professional.  Readers are solely responsible for their choices.  The author and publisher disclaim responsibility and/or liability for any loss or hardship that may be incurred as a result of the use or application of any information included in this Ezine. 

Copyright 2012 | Life & Health Research Group, LLC | PO Box 1239 | Peoria AZ 85380-1239 | All rights reserved

Is It Really Necessary to Store Colloidal Silver in Dark Glass Bottles?

Most experts recommend storing your homemade colloidal silver in dark glass bottles for long-term storage. 

That’s because the dark glass keeps the light out, preventing the light from “tarnishing” (i.e., oxidizing) the silver particles suspended in your colloidal silver solution, which in turn lead to the silver particles falling out of suspension and coating the bottom of your storage container. 

But is it really necessary to store your colloidal silver in dark glass bottles?  The answer is this:  It depends upon how much light your batches of colloidal silver will be exposed to, over time.  Here’s what I’m talking about…

Hi, Steve Barwick here, for www.TheSilverEdge.com...

If you’re a “prepper” and you’re planning on making and storing colloidal silver for the long-term, it’s important to know that just about all experts recommend storing colloidal silver in dark glass bottles, such as amber glass bottles (pictured above) or even cobalt blue bottles.

While the dark amber or cobalt blue storage bottles are the most popular, just about any dark-colored glass jar will work.  I’ve used empty wine bottles, for example.  Some people use empty beer bottles.  I’ve seen people use empty Ovaltine jars. 

If you don’t have a lid to cover your dark-colored bottle or jar, you can always use some Saran Wrap and secure it around the top of the glass container with a rubber band.

Or, you can purchase amber glass or cobalt blue glass storage bottles with plastic lids through some of the online vendors I've listed in my previous article, Online Sources for Glass Containers for Making, Storing and Using Colloidal Silver. 

Some of these companies even have dark glass pump spray bottles and nasal spray bottles in a variety of sizes, as well as dark glass bottles with ear droppers!

Making a “Dark Glass” Storage Container

But frankly, if you don’t want to spend the money on dark glass storage containers, all you have to do is wrap some black electrical tape around a clear glass jar, such as a Ball canning jar or a Mason jar.  And voila! You’ve got a dark glass storage container. 

Some people even go to the trouble of spray painting the outside of their clear glass storage jars with black spray paint to keep the light out. (But never the inside!)

Those methods are fine.  However, I’ve found that it’s much easier to take a child's brown paper lunch sack and place your clear glass jar full of colloidal silver inside the paper sack.  Then, simply put the paper sack inside a dark cabinet.  It works just as well as using a dark glass storage jar!

Why Dark Glass? 

The general idea of using dark glass bottles for storing colloidal silver is to keep bright light off the tiny silver particles that are suspended in your solution. 

After all, silver tends to "tarnish" (i.e., oxidize) when it's exposed to bright light for a prolonged period of time.  And once the tiny, microscopic silver particles in your colloidal silver solution begin oxidizing from excessive exposure to light, they lose their electrical charge, and then precipitate out of suspension, coating the bottom of the storage bottle.

This, of course, is your sign that the potency and effectiveness of your colloidal silver solution is being depleted.  (See my article How Long Will Homemade Colloidal Silver Last Before It Begins to Lose Its Potency?)

But brief, short-term exposure to light generally doesn’t cause the silver particles to oxidize.  It’s long-term excessive daily exposure to bright light that causes the problem. 

For example, sitting a clear glass jar full of colloidal silver out on a well-lit kitchen countertop day-after-day will most certainly expose the silver to too much light, and ultimately the silver particles will begin to precipitate out of suspension and coat the bottom of the container.

That’s why commercial bottled brands of colloidal silver you buy at the health food store almost always come in dark glass bottles. It’s to keep bright light out and thereby prevent precipitation of the silver particles, and concurrent loss of potency.

But you have to keep in mind that the bottles of colloidal silver sitting on the shelf in a health food store are being exposed to bright light most of the day.  So dark glass bottles must be utilized, to help protect the colloidal silver solution from excessive light exposure.  

Is Dark Glass Really Necessary? 

Can Clear Glass Be Used?

This may not be the case at all, however, when you’re storing your homemade colloidal silver at home -- particularly if can store your colloidal silver solution in a dark cabinet that’s rarely opened.

In a dark cabinet that’s rarely opened, your colloidal silver solution simply won’t be exposed to bright light for prolonged periods of time. 

So while dark glass bottles are highly recommended, they’re not absolutely necessary.  If you can keep bright light away from your stored bottles of colloidal silver, you can indeed store them in clear glass containers for many months at a time, even up to a year or more. 

I’ve done so on many occasions. In fact, nowadays after I make a batch of colloidal silver in a one-quart clear glass Ball canning jar or Mason jar, I don’t even bother to pour it into a separate dark glass storage container any longer.  I just put the lid on the clear glass production jar, and pop it into the dark cabinet that sits high above our kitchen stove, which nobody gets into but me due to its height. 

Indeed, at any one point in time I have over a dozen completely clear, quart-size clear glass jars (i.e., canning jars) of colloidal silver stored in that dark cabinet above my kitchen stove, and they've been there for many months, and are just fine. 

This works perfectly for me, and I’ve never had a problem with a batch of colloidal silver “going bad” before its time. 

Must It Be a Glass Bottle,

Or Will Plastic Bottles Work?

Glass jars are generally recommended for long-term storage of colloidal silver because cheap plastic jars tend to accumulate static electricity over time, particularly in the winter months.

And the static electricity on the plastic storage bottle can end up drawing the silver particles in your colloidal silver solution to the sides and bottom of the plastic jar where they’ll “stick” and begin to coat the plastic.  This can dramatically deplete the potency and effectiveness of your stored colloidal silver solution. 

However, since last year I’ve been experimenting with storing colloidal silver in high-quality, BPA-free plastic beverage carafes with sturdy plastic lids and pour spouts like the one pictured on the left.  And they’ve been working wonderfully!

In fact, I haven’t had a single problem with static electricity (or anything else, for that matter) affecting the potency or quality of the colloidal silver stored in these wonderful little plastic beverage carafes. 

And since each carafe comes with a plastic lid that includes a handy pour spout, and closeable plastic flap, they’re extremely convenient for pouring colloidal silver. 

As an experiment, I’ve purposely brewed up several batches of very high potency colloidal silver – up to 50 ppm -- and stored these solutions in these clear plastic beverage carafes for up to eight months in my kitchen and bathroom cabinets, and have not seen any precipitation whatsoever of the silver particles. 

Admittedly, the beverage carafes are a bit pricey, around the $10 apiece range.  But the high quality of the plastic, and the convenience of the carafe style with a pour-spout lid makes the extra money worth it, to me. 

I now keep a one-quart clear plastic carafe full of colloidal silver stored in the dark cabinet under my bathroom sink, which I use to refill the little 8-oz. amber glass pump spray bottle and 2-ounce amber glass nasal spray bottle I keep on my bathroom counterop. 

I also keep one of these clear plastic carafe’s full of colloidal silver in a dark cabinet in the kitchen, which my wife Kathy and I use to fill our little shot glass with colloidal silver each morning for our daily maintenance dosage. 

These clear BPA-free plastic beverage carafes are just plain handy, particularly because of the pour spout and closeable flap. 

However, for my truly long-term preparedness colloidal silver storage, I do still use the clear glass Ball canning jars or Mason jars, and keep them in a dark cabinet as described earlier. 

The BPA-free plastic carafes are often available at Walmart.  And sometimes you can find them at specialty stores like Bed, Bath & Beyond.  You just have to shop around until you find one.

Make sure it says BPA-free right on the label.  And make sure it has the handy pour spout lid with a closeable flap.

At Bed, Bath & Beyond I’ve found them in the one-quart size.  And at Walmart I’ve found a completely different brand (Tritan) in the larger 60 ounce size. 

I’m told that Sears has a similar clear glass storage carafe with lid, but I don’t know if it’s BPA-free. 

And I’m told Rubbermaid makes an even larger one-half gallon BPA-free plastic storage carafe, which is often sold online at Target.com for about $10.00. 

Experimental?

So if you’re experimental-minded like me, you might try storing a few quarts of your homemade colloidal silver in clear glass jars, making sure to keep them in a dark cabinet that’s not opened very often.  Then, simply check them once every month or two for precipitation of the silver particles. 

And if you like the idea of using the clear, BPA-free plastic beverage carafes like those I’ve described, you can give them a try also. 

I’ve found the beverage carafes to be great for under-the- counter storage in the kitchen or bathroom, where you might use them to refill your smaller containers of colloidal silver from time-to-time, such as pump spray bottles or nasal spray bottles.

Naturally, if you see precipitation of your silver particles taking place when storing your homemade colloidal silver solutions in clear containers – whether plastic or glass -- then I'd definitely recommend switching back to using dark glass storage containers. 

Obviously, the precipitated silver would mean someone is getting into your cabinets or leaving the doors open more often than you might realize, and exposing your stored colloidal silver to excessive levels of light. 

But from what I’ve discovered over the past year or so about storing homemade colloidal silver in clear glass containers, as well as in the high-quality, BPA-free plastic beverage carafes, this is rarely a problem as long as you store your containers in a dark cabinet where exposure to light is strictly limited. 

Yours for the safe, sane and responsible use of colloidal silver,

Steve Barwick, author
The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual

Helpful Links:

Get Your FREE Colloidal Silver Safe Dosage Report

Join the Colloidal Silver Secrets Group on Facebook

How to Make Your Own Colloidal Silver for Pennies

.999 Pure Silver Wire for Making Colloidal Silver

Subscribe to the Colloidal Silver Secrets Ezine

Videos on Making and Using Colloidal Silver

Real-Life Colloidal Silver Success Stories

Colloidal Silver Update (News & Views)

The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual

The Colloidal Silver Secrets Video

Colloidal Silver Cures MRSA

Colloidal Silver Kills Viruses

Colloidal Silver Secrets blog

Meet Steve Barwick

                                                                                                                                                 

Important Note and Disclaimer:  The contents of this Ezine have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Information conveyed herein is from sources deemed to be accurate and reliable, but no guarantee can be made in regards to the accuracy and reliability thereof.  The author, Steve Barwick, is a natural health journalist with over 30 years of experience writing professionally about natural health topics.  He is not a doctor.  Therefore, nothing stated in this Ezine should be construed as prescriptive in nature, nor is any part of this Ezine meant to be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.  Nothing reported herein is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.  The author is simply reporting in journalistic fashion what he has learned during the past 17 years of journalistic research into colloidal silver and its usage.  Therefore, the information and data presented should be considered for informational purposes only, and approached with caution.  Readers should verify for themselves, and to their own satisfaction, from other knowledgeable sources such as their doctor, the accuracy and reliability of all reports, ideas, conclusions, comments and opinions stated herein.  All important health care decisions should be made under the guidance and direction of a legitimate, knowledgeable and experienced health care professional.  Readers are solely responsible for their choices.  The author and publisher disclaim responsibility and/or liability for any loss or hardship that may be incurred as a result of the use or application of any information included in this Ezine. 

Copyright 2012 | Life & Health Research Group, LLC | PO Box 1239 | Peoria AZ 85380-1239 | All rights reserved