Probably one of the
top questions I get is this: “Is
colloidal silver safe to use?”
Of course, I’ve used
colloidal silver daily for well over 20 years now, and have never had a single
safety issue with it. Instead, it’s
helped keep me on my feet, active and relatively infection-free, even though all
of these years I’ve suffered from a chronic degenerative infectious disease known
as Chronic Fatigue Immune Deficiency Syndrome, which is why I started using
colloidal silver in the first place.
But is there any
documentation for colloidal silver’s long history of safety in use? Of course there is. And in the article below I’ll
Hi, Steve Barwick
here, for The
Silver Edge…
Colloidal silver is
sold in just about every health food store in America, and throughout Canada
and Mexico, parts of Europe as well as by tens of thousands of online vendors
worldwide.
Tens of millions of
people use it annually. And its safety profile is considered to be similar to
any other nutritional supplement. If used as directed, as a mineral
supplement, it’s generally considered safe. In fact, it has GRAS status
with the FDA, meaning it’s considered to be “Generally Recognized as Safe.”
What’s more,
throughout Europe preparations of silver (generally in the form of colloidal
silver) are used worldwide as a water disinfectant, to help prevent microbial
contamination. For example:
- It’s widely used on yachts and cruiseships throughout Europe to help disinfect the drinking water.
- It’s been used in swimming pools (see also here) and hot tubs to help keep them sparkling fresh and germ-free.
- It’s also been used in municipal drinking water systems to reduce excessively high microbial counts.
- And silver has even been used by the NASA and Russian space programs to help prevent contamination of the water supply, and NASA is also said to be once again returning to the use of colloidal silver for disinfection of the drinking water in manned space flights.
What’s more, it’s
widely used as a water disinfectant in homes throughout countries like Mexico
and others, as evidenced by the following news report from The Silver
Institute, an organization that reports on the many uses of silver worldwide:
“Since 1955, with the
approval of the Ministry of Health of Mexico, Microdyn, a silver colloid,
with a particle size of about 2 manometers, has been used to provide healthful
water for its citizens.
‘A few drops of Microdyn available
in small bottles provides sufficient silver to disinfect clear drinking water
in about 10 minutes,’ states Luis Arizcorreta Buchholz, president of
Roland de Mexico, S.A, de C.V, Mexico D.E, Mexico.
‘It’s a convenient disinfectant for
individual use in areas wherever tap water is suspect…Its use is credited with
a dramatic improvement in the health of the residents of the town of Cruz Azul, Lagunas,
Oaxaca, Mexico, who for years had suffered rampant gastroenteritis.
The introduction of a Microdyn coating
to the town's water supply cisterns in 1977 made the difference. Other local
water supply systems treated with Microdyn achieved similar results.”
Potters for Peace, as
well as other organizations that help provide safe drinking water in developing
nations have been infusing colloidal silver into ceramic
water filters for years -- this, as a means of giving poor people in remote villages where
there’s no running water, access to clean, safe water disinfected of any
potentially harmful microbes.
And for decades here
in North America a number of companies have manufactured and sold home water filters
infused with colloidal silver, to help keep germs and other potentially harmful
microbes from fouling the water supply.
The list goes on and
on, but I think you get the point: Colloidal silver has been used in
numerous ways, widely – and quite safely – for decades.
What Researchers Say
When the Dartmouth
University researchers studied silver in order to determine whether or not it
was safe or toxic in humans, this is what they concluded:
"Trace amounts of silver are in the bodies of
all humans and animals. We normally take in between 70 and 88 micrograms of
silver a day, half of that amount from our diet. Humans have evolved with
efficient methods of dealing with that intake, however. Over 99 percent is
readily excreted from the body. Is silver harmful to humans? Unlike
other metals such as lead and mercury, silver is not toxic to humans and is not
known to cause cancer, reproductive or neurological damage, or other chronic
adverse effects."
-- Dartmouth University Toxic Metals
Research Program
Or as Dr. Herbert Slavin, M.D., Director of the Institute of
Advanced Medicine in Lauderhill Florida has put it, "Few things in life
are as cut-and-dried as the fact that silver is completely safe when used
within normal limits…Ionic silver is entirely non-toxic to the body."
And as Dr. Jeffrey Blumer, M.D., Ph.D., director of the
Center for Drug Research and former director of the Greater Cleveland Poison
Control Center has stated, "Common substances like table salt and
aspirin are harmless with normal use, but excessive intake can become toxic and
even life-threatening. With normal responsible usage, silver supplements are
entirely harmless to humans."
As Byron Richards, CCN (Board Certified Clinical
Nutritionist, charter member of the International Association of Clinical
Nutritionists has stated, “…the antibiotic properties of silver are quite
potent – and the risk to human health in terms of toxicity is negligible.
[Silver has] a far better risk/benefit profile than commonly used antibiotics."
And as Dr. Ron Leavitt, Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology at
Brigham Young University has stated, regarding his own clinical studies of
colloidal silver, "The data suggests that with the low toxicity
associated with colloidal silver, in general, and the broad spectrum of
antimicrobial activity of this colloidal silver preparation, this preparation
may be effectively used as an alternative to antibiotics."
Of course, no substance on the face of the earth is completely
safe if used abusively. Even common
nutritional supplements can be harmful when used outside of the bounds of
common sense. For example:
- Abusive use of iron supplements can, over long periods of time, result in cirrhosis of the liver and heart failure.
- Abusive use of calcium over long periods of time can result in kidney malfunction, calcification of soft tissue within the body, cellular toxicity and impaired immune function.
- Abusive use of vitamin A over long periods of time can result in muscle pain, fatigue, irritability, depression, schizophrenia, fever, liver damage and anemia.
- Abusive use of selenium over long periods of time can result in nervous system damage.
None of those side effects justify being afraid to use the
substances mentioned. Why? Because the key phrase involved in each one
is "abusive use." When used in
moderation, these substances are not only benign, but extremely beneficial to one’s health and
well-being. But when used to dramatic excess,
they can cause potentially serious health consequences if the abusive use continues
over long periods of time.
It’s exactly the same with colloidal silver. If you use it in moderation and with common sense, it’s generally considered to be completely harmless. Thousands of experiential accounts (and tens of millions of bottles of colloidal silver sold annually, worldwide) suggest you can use it on a regular daily basis in small amounts. Or you can use it from time-to-time on a strictly “as needed” basis in somewhat larger amounts.
It’s exactly the same with colloidal silver. If you use it in moderation and with common sense, it’s generally considered to be completely harmless. Thousands of experiential accounts (and tens of millions of bottles of colloidal silver sold annually, worldwide) suggest you can use it on a regular daily basis in small amounts. Or you can use it from time-to-time on a strictly “as needed” basis in somewhat larger amounts.
But what you cannot
do is use it abusively, every single day, for months and years on end, because
like any other substance, such abusive use can result in problems rather than
benefits.
To learn more about colloidal silver safety, along with answers to some of the false charges leveled against colloidal silver from time-to-time, see the following articles:
Learn to Make Your Own
Colloidal Silver for Pennies…
Colloidal
silver can be purchased at just about any local health food store, or through a
number of online sources including Amazon.com. However, it’s quite literally
one of the most expensive and heavily marked-up natural supplements in
existence.
Health food store owners, for example, often charge as much
as $20-$30 for a tiny four-ounce bottle. Yet the cost to manufacture
four ounces of colloidal silver is about 12 cents. Yes, I said twelve
cents.
Of course, people are willing to pay through the nose for
colloidal silver, since it’s safe and natural, and works so well against
infections and related diseases.
But thankfully, there’s no need to pay such exorbitant
prices for colloidal silver, when you can make your own, quickly and easily, in
the comfort and privacy of your own home, for about 36 cents a quart.
Yes, you can make it yourself for its actual cost, and altogether skip the high mark-ups charged by health food stores!
Yes, you can make it yourself for its actual cost, and altogether skip the high mark-ups charged by health food stores!
If you’re interested in learning how to make your own safe,
natural, high-quality colloidal silver at home, for about 36 cents a
quart, here are some additional short articles you might want to take a
look at:
Meanwhile, I’ll be back next week with another insightful article on
colloidal silver….
Yours for the safe, sane and responsible
use of colloidal silver,
Steve Barwick, author
The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual
The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual
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
2017 | Life & Health Research Group, LLC | PO Box 1239 | Peoria AZ
85380-1239 | All rights reserved.
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