The Ebola scare
continues, and now nanosilver is being touted by Dr. Rima Laibow as the one and
only “cure” for the dread virus.
But as I pointed out
in my previous two articles on this subject, there’s no clinical proof
nanosilver “cures” Ebola. In other
words, in lab studies, there’s never been a single human being cured of
Ebola by nanosilver.
What does exist
is a published presentation from a division of the Department of Defense
demonstrating that in a test tube cell culture study, hemorrhagic fever viruses
like the Ebola virus couldn’t replicate inside those cells when they were
pre-inoculated with nanosilver.
In my previous two
articles, I explained in detail why this means it can only be extrapolated
that colloidal silver *might* be helpful against Ebola, but it could not be
surmised by any stretch of the imagination that colloidal silver is a “cure”
for Ebola.
Now, Dr. Rima, of the
Natural Solutions Foundation, has issued a video proclamation claiming that Americans
are “only a plane flight away from a cataclysm,” but that her particular brand
of nanosilver is the sure-fire “cure” for Ebola.
Since readers have
asked for my take on the situation, here it is…
I really used to like Dr. Rima. But honestly, since the so-called "Ebola
crisis" has taken place, and she issued her video proclamation claiming
nanosilver is the sure-fire “cure” for Ebola, I've lost a lot of respect for
her.
She begins her sensationalistic video,
titled “Urgent Message to Ebola-Stricken Nations’ Heads of State,” with the
statement that "Ebola is surging
across West Africa."
That's ridiculous, of course.
As I pointed out in my article "Ebola Mania: Round II", the population of West
Africa is 250 million people. In this
most recent outbreak, they've had something like 1700 cases of Ebola over the
course of five or six months. And about 900 deaths.
While that's certainly tragic, it can hardly be
characterized as a disease that’s "surging across West Africa." So you have to be careful about getting
mesmerized by people's sensationalistic verbiage.
Only 57 Deaths a
Year, On Average
As I’ve pointed out previously, if you take all of the Ebola
deaths since the very first Ebola outbreak in 1976, there have only been an
average of 57 deaths a year.
Again, that’s out of a population of 250 million people.
Consider that in comparison to the fact that here in the
U.S. somewhere between 3,000 and 40,000 people per year die of the flu.
Now that’s a
tragedy.
But we don't hear anybody's knees knocking together in abject
fear over it. We don’t hear anyone
saying the flu is “surging across America” and threatening the world.
Indeed, while the official CDC numbers demonstrate that a minimum of 114,000 Americans have died
of the flu over the past 38 years, only 2,166 people have died of Ebola in the entire world, in that same
time-span.
So I urge readers to please keep things in proper perspective,
and don't let people like Dr. Rima scare the living bejabbers out of you.
Scary Nonsense v/s
the Truth
Dr. Rima then goes on to say "The fact is, we are all one plane ride away from a cataclysm."
Really? Again, it’s
just a bunch of sensationalistic nonsense.
As I pointed out in my article “Ebola Mania: Round II,” even if Ebola were to come to this
country, there would still be more
flu deaths each year than Ebola deaths.
It’s important to understand that in West Africa, where this
Ebola virus is said to be “raging,” large swathes of the population have been absolutely
devastated for decades by grinding poverty, chronic sickness, chronic ongoing warfare,
famine, drought, contaminated drinking water, chemical contamination and more.
You know this is true.
You’ve seen the pictures of the famine-stricken West Africans on TV,
with the outline of their rib cages protruding from their skin.
So the problem isn't Ebola.
Instead, it's the horrific living conditions the people have been
enduring for years on end – conditions that make it easier for such a rare
virus to infect people.
Unlike West Africa, the U.S. does not have large parts of its population decimated by constant local warfare,
grinding poverty, ongoing famine and drought, contaminated drinking water
etc.
We don't drink our water out of a stream running by our
village where everybody also pees or defecates into the same water each
day.
Indeed, in contrast, we have modern, indoor plumbing, plenty
of fresh, pure water, a phenomenal food supply, amazing health care facilities,
no warfare, famine, starvation, drought, etc.
In other words, it's the completely opposite situation here in the U.S., compared to the areas of West
Africa where Ebola is said to be “raging.”
So the notion that Ebola is going to come here on a plane,
start spreading through the population of the United States and wreak deadly unstoppable
havoc on this country, killing every one of us unless we have nanosilver, is just
plain ludicrous.
Pimping a Product
In her video, Dr. Rima goes on to say that nanosilver “Does kill every pathogen against which it
has been tested, world-wide, without exception.”
Wow. “Without
exception.”
Then she states that nanosilver is “unlimited in its effectiveness.”
Both statements, of course, are utter nonsense. After all, while colloidal silver has been
demonstrated in numerous clinical studies to be wonderfully effective against numerous
infectious microorganisms, anyone who’s used it for any significant amount of
time – in any form, including
nanosilver -- knows that there are times it
just doesn't work.
Indeed, clinical studies going back 60 or 80 years, and all
of the way forward to today, demonstrate there are a number of pathogens that
are silver-resistant.
So silver is amazingly effective against many kinds of infections. But it’s not “God.” It can’t stop every infection on the face of
the earth.
So why not just tell the truth? Why make such broad, sensationalistic claims
that simply can’t be backed up with facts?
I’ll tell you why: Because
Dr. Rima is selling. She’s not educating. She’s not informing. She’s pimping a product.
Now everybody reading this article knows my company, The
Silver Edge, sells the Micro-Particle
Colloidal Silver Generator, which allows you to make your own high-quality
colloidal silver for about one cent per
ounce, instead of paying exorbitant health food store prices of $7 to $8 an
ounce.
So you can easily say, “Well, Steve, you’re pimping a product too.”
And that’s true,
except for one thing…unlike Dr. Rima, I’m NOT claiming colloidal silver to be
the “cure” for Ebola in order to sell my product.
And I’m not making broad, sweeping claims that colloidal
silver kills “every pathogen against which it’s been tested, without exception.”
And finally, I’m not claiming that an Ebola apocalypse is
“just one plane ride away” from taking place in this country.
Indeed, rather than trying to scare the jeepers creepers out
of everybody in order to sell my company’s product, I candidly set forth the
facts in my original article, “Colloidal
Silver and the Ebola Hysteria.”
And I candidly set forth the facts again, in my follow-up
article “Ebola
Mania: Round II”.
In those two articles, I carefully explained that the Ebola hysteria was
nothing more than pure, manufactured hype designed to frighten the population
of the western world into demanding a government solution to threat that, to
date, is non-existent here.
And I explained that the end – should we fall for the
hysteria – would be further loss of our Constitutional rights and liberties, as
the federal government implements more and more new regulations to control
their populations under the guise of fighting a supposed “medical emergency.”
I demonstrated through official Centers for Disease Control
numbers that the Ebola “crisis” was being vastly overblown, with an average of
only 57 people per year dying over a period of 38 years since Ebola was first discovered,
in a population of some 250 million people in West Africa.
And I showed, by comparison, that the flu kills far more
people every single year, than Ebola, and that MRSA and other
antibioitic-resistant “superbug” infections kill far more people every single year than Ebola ever has in
its entire history.
The DOD Nanosilver
Study
And at the ends of both
of those articles, I revealed the results of a clinical study conducted by
researchers at a branch of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) on using
nanosilver against hemorrhagic fever viruses like Ebola.
In fact, I posted a link to the original DOD presentation
about the study (which you can see, here)
– which I've had posted to my website for several years.
And most importantly, I pointed out that this was a
laboratory study on cell cultures (i.e.,
a test tube study) and NOT a human study.
I further explained that you can’t take this laboratory study and leap to the conclusion that
colloidal silver is the “cure” for Ebola.
At most, all you can do is extrapolate from the study that
since nanosilver stopped the Ebola virus (and several other hemorrhagic fever
viruses) from replicating in cell cultures under laboratory conditions, it just
*might* work, too, under real-life conditions, but that this remains to be proven.
I also pointed out that the study demonstrated several
important things that have to be taken into account:
For example, the nanosilver did not work well in already-infected cells.
That’s right. The
cells had to be pre-treated with
nanosilver, and afterwards, when the cells were infected with the Ebola virus,
the silver indeed appeared to inhibit the virus from replicating, according to
the DOD presentation.
I further pointed out that, extrapolating from this test tube
lab study, should Ebola actually ever come to this country and present a threat
it would appear your chances against infection would be better if you were already using silver than if you started
using it after coming into contact with an infected individual.
But again, that’s just speculation. There’s not yet proof that colloidal silver
would work against Ebola in the human body.
Do you see the difference?
Lost Respect
In my opinion, Dr. Rima is blowing the DOD study out of all proportion,
making blanket statements for silver’s effectiveness against Ebola that just
can’t be backed up with the facts.
She apparently also took a copy of the DOD presentation on
nanosilver, and photoshopped her contact information into it, which has led
many people to believe her Natural Solutions Foundation had something to do
with the DOD-sponsored study.
But again, on my website you can view the full, original
copy of the DOD presentation on nanosilver and hemorrhagic fever viruses, and
you’ll see that Dr. Rima’s contact info does not appear anywhere on it.
So at this point I've lost a lot of respect for Dr.
Rima.
As a businessman I have nothing against a person selling
their product. If you've got something
good, then sell the heck out of it, and be proud
of it.
But when the sales pitch becomes so ostentatious and
sensationalistic that the claims begin to border on fantasy (in my opinion), it
should probably be ignored.
Now what about my
company’s product? Shouldn’t I be doing
the same thing Dr. Rima is doing, and jump on the Ebola hysteria bandwagon?
No. First and
foremost I’m a journalist. I’ve been a
journalist long before I ever became a businessman. And I’m trying to set forth the facts,
journalistically, as best I see them.
And the facts at this point, in my opinion, do not warrant anybody going out of their
mind with fear over Ebola. And they
don’t warrant everyone stocking up on nanosilver, or any other form of
colloidal silver, out of fear of Ebola.
There are plenty of good reasons to use colloidal silver as
a nutritional supplement. And if you
like to use colloidal silver, that’s great.
So do I. And if you like to learn more about colloidal
silver’s effectiveness against pathogens, that’s great too. So do I.
Indeed, for over 20 years now I've spent an inordinate amount
of time doing just that, resulting in the publication of my 547-page book on
colloidal silver, The Ultimate Colloidal
Silver Manual.
But let’s do our best to keep the facts straight and not end
up floating in the clouds with no factual foundation under our feet. Because the crash could be horrendous if we
don’t.
When we cross the line from stating the facts to claiming
cures that have never been proven for something like Ebola, we invite the
medical bureaucrats in. And that's when the “wrath
of Khan” begins, if you get my meaning.
New York Times Takes on
Dr. Rima
The New York Times
has now warned
that “Panic over Ebola has the makers of
dietary supplements aggressively targeting Africans, claiming to have a cure
for the lethal virus.”
What’s more, according to the Times:
“…both the World Health
Organization and the United States Food and Drug Administration issued strong
warnings about false Ebola cures.
The latter threatened American
companies with penalties if they continue making such claims.”
The Times goes on to point out that:
“…an unidentified Nigerian
scientist living overseas had arranged for Nigeria to get a different
experimental medicine, according to Nigerian news outlets.
…They identified it as NanoSilver,
a supplement offered by the Natural Solutions Foundation, which said that it
contains microscopic silver particles, although, as a food supplement, it is
not tested by regulatory agencies…
…NanoSilver is for sale on the
foundation’s website alongside hemp oil, ear candles, chocolate and ‘mental
clarity packs.’”
The Times article concludes:
“Recently, the foundation’s medical
director, Dr. Rima E. Laibow, posted an ‘open letter to heads of
Ebola-impacted states,’ dated July 29, claiming that NanoSilver cured Ebola.
She also claimed to have addressed
47 African health ministers at a 2007 conference and to be in touch with ‘West
African governments and their advisers.’
Dr. Laibow could not be reached for
comment.
On Friday afternoon, after The New
York Times emailed her a series of questions, two of her websites briefly
became unavailable, then reappeared with headlines saying they were ‘under
attack’ and directing readers to other sites selling a different product,
Silver Solution.”
A WHO spokesman went on to say that nanosilver was “an example
of the type of product” being referred to by WHO assistant director general Dr.
Marie-Paule Kieny, when she warned against bringing “any crazy idea that people
have” over to Africa to test on Ebola victims.
My comments:
While I strongly
disagree with the contention that testing nanosilver is a “crazy idea” (for I
believe the DOD study on nanosilver and hemorrhagic fever viruses makes it a
legitimate idea for further clinical testing), I hope you can see how Dr. Rima’s
exaggerated claims in her over-sensationalistic video have now placed silver in
the gun sights of the medical bureaucrats, potentially destroying any chance of
it ever being further tested against this dread disease.
When we start making wild, broad-based claims that simply
can’t be substantiated, it’s going to bring the medical bureaucrats into the
fray, whose sole job is to protect the interests of the medical monopoly.
Now please don’t misconstrue my words. I’m most definitely not against the idea of using nanosilver, or ionic silver, or any
other form of colloidal silver, to help stop Ebola.
I think that idea should be looked at carefully, and tried under clinical conditions.
I also believe any Ebola victim should be able to use colloidal silver on their own accord, if they want to. I know I would were I to ever end up with an Ebola infection.
But what I am against is using rank
sensationalism to manipulate people through fear.
In this age of strange diseases in which we now live, there
are certainly times to be afraid. But there
are also times to see through the fear
being promulgated by people for nefarious purposes.
I still believe the so-called “Ebola crisis” is being
promulgated by the government/news media axis for the sole purpose of getting
new regulations on the books that will rob us of what few Constitutional rights
we have left, under the guise of a “medical crisis.”
And because of that, I, for one, simply won’t participate in
all of the fear-mongering.
I’ll add that I do agree with Mike Adams, from
NaturalNews.com, who in a recent article discussing the nanosilver/FDA/Ebola/Dr.
Laibow debacle has demanded
“freedom of choice for Ebola victims who want to try experimental medicines
from all realms” – meaning not just the pharmaceutical medications but natural
substances such as nanosilver and others that might work as well.
Adams points out that while the medical bureaucrats are
essentially declaring war on nanosilver by denouncing it as a “bogus cure,” they
are readying their own unproven, toxic vaccines and drugs to experiment on
Ebola victims.
He is correct, of course.
As I stated above, the job of the medical bureaucrats is, above all
other things, to protect the medical monopoly.
Sticking to the Facts
Okay, folks…you asked for it, and now you have it. That’s my opinion, based on the available
science. And I’m sticking to it until
bona-fide, independent clinical researchers with no axe to grind prove
differently.
And I pray this indeed actually happens at some point; no one would be more happy than me to see silver be clinically proven to
work against Ebola in humans.
Meanwhile, I’m sure I’ll have to take some flack over this, for not
falling in line with the current Ebola hysteria and for not joining in with the
“nanosilver cures Ebola” crowd.
But I've taken flack before for standing up for the facts as I best understand them.
Indeed, anyone who’s been reading my articles for any length of
time knows I’m one of the world’s biggest proponents of the responsible usage
of colloidal silver, and that I've advocated for, and defended colloidal silver against
its many naysayers time
after time
after time
after time.
If you’d like to read more of my articles on colloidal
silver, just go to the Colloidal
Silver Update page on TheSilverEdge.com website.
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,
Helpful Links:
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
2014 | Life & Health Research Group, LLC | PO Box 1239 | Peoria AZ
85380-1239 | All rights reserved.
Posts
