Are the Cited Dangers of Colloidal Silver Real?

Not a week goes by that someone doesn’t pass along an article to me from an individual claiming in shrill tones that colloidal silver usage is egregiously dangerous.

Of course, there are some very real dangers to drinking excessively high dosages of colloidal silver on a regular basis for long periods of time, and I’ve covered those dangers many times in previous articles.

Plus, there’s a very tiny subset of people who appear to be allergic to silver, and therefore should not drink colloidal silver at all. 

But many of the most common claims being made against colloidal silver are either devoid of facts and documentation, or highly exaggerated, and appear to be specifically designed to scare people away from trying colloidal silver altogether. 

Here are my short answers to some of the most common of those claims, with links to additional information you can check for yourself…

Hi, Steve Barwick here, for The Silver Edge…

An individual recently wrote that she was shocked to find so much information on the internet demonstrating how dangerous it is to use colloidal silver.

She cited claims that:

• Colloidal silver interferes with the absorption of prescription drugs

• The pathogen e. Coli is actually resistant to silver

• Silver is toxic to normal human cells

• Silver is harmful to human sperm, eggs and reproduction

• Silver ingestion has been linked to birth defects

• Finally, she stated that a search of the PubMed database showed no relevant information to silver’s supposed infection-fighting qualities 

Of course, as I’ve pointed out in the past, all of these claims are “talking points” regularly used by such anti-colloidal silver sources as WebMD.com, MayoClinic.com, the FDA, Quackwatch and other such organizations that frequently serve as apologists for Big Pharma.

And very few of those claims have any significant documentation, or are based solely on test tube studies rather than real-life studies.

So let’s take a look at each claim, one-by-one, and see what we can learn:

·       CLAIM:  Colloidal silver interferes with the absorption of prescription drugs

The idea that colloidal silver interferes with the absorption of certain prescription medications has been plastered all over the internet.

But the only documentation ever cited is an FDA bulletin which makes the same claim. 

So I filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the FDA, asking them to document the claim.  They could not.   

Rather than print all of the details here, you can learn more by reading my previous article, “FDA Admits:  No Proof Colloidal Silver Interferes With Drug Absorption.”

Nevertheless, if you’re on prescription drugs you should tell your doctor about all of your nutritional supplements, in case there’s anything (including colloidal silver) that might be contraindicated.   

·       CLAIM:  The pathogen e. Coli is actually resistant to silver

This claim is based on "iffy" research in which the laboratory medium used to grow the e. Coli bacteria contained specific chemicals known to bond to silver and reduce its effectiveness.

In other words, the studies were test tube studies, not human studies.  And the chemical broth used by researchers to grow the e. Coli bacteria for the study contained a variety of salts and other chemicals that are known to neutralize silver’s effectiveness. 

As a white paper published by the Immunogenic Research Foundation pointed out:

“Another most common problem of these [test tube clinical studies] was the inadvertent culture contamination with various salts, something which will reduce silver efficacy.”

Researcher N. Grier, writing in the journal of Disinfection, Sterilization and Preservation way back in 1985, agrees with that assessment.  He pointed out in an article titled “Silver and Its Compounds” that:

“Some so-called Ag+ resistant microorganisms may result from an apparent neutralization of the metal’s inhibitory action or other assay artifacts.

These include the presence of chelators such as serial amino acids, constituents of hard water, different buffers, light, incubation temperature, and particularly, soluble components of trypticase soy agar (TSA) and tryptose glucose extract agar (TGE).”

In short, the microbes being tested weren’t actually silver-resistant. The silver was simply robbed of its antimicrobial qualities before it could do its job.

What’s more, out of 20 recognized strains of e. Coli in existence, only a single sub-species of e. Coli was shown to be “silver-resistant” in the “iffy” study.

In the following article, Colloidal Silver and E. Coli,” I cite seven different clinical studies that have reached quite the opposite conclusion, demonstrating silver to be very effective against e. Coli, including drug-resistant strains of the pathogen!

·       CLAIM:  Silver is toxic to normal human cells

Over the past five years there have been a small handful of clinical studies purporting to demonstrate that “silver is toxic to human cells."

Once again, all of these studies have all been conducted in test tube environments, not in the human body.

So yes, with all of the body's protective mechanisms removed, you can indeed demonstrate silver is toxic to cells, especially if you saturate the cells in overly high concentrations of silver.

However, the same studies could have been conducted with orange juice, or coffee, or even with distilled water, and would have shown the same cell-damaging results.

Any time you put human cells in a test tube, and start adding substances with none of the body's protective mechanisms in place, you'll be able to show harm to the cells.  That’s what makes clinical studies like this so disingenuous. 

Another important factor: 

The vast majority of these "silver harms human cell" test tube studies were conducted using cancer cell lines.  Of course, researchers have known for decades that silver has a particular affinity for cancer cells, and easily kills them without harming normal, healthy human cells. 

So all the researchers actually demonstrated is that silver kills cancer cells.  They then extrapolated, without any documentation whatsoever, that this same toxicity applies to normal healthy human cells.  Once, again, this is extremely disingenuous.

Therefore, the conclusions of the researchers that silver "harms human cells" are essentially bogus.  To learn more, see, “Silver Nanoparticles Stop Cancer Without Toxic Harm.” 

Naturally, egregious misuse of any substance can cause harm to human cells.  But normal, responsible usage of colloidal silver has never been demonstrated to harm human cells. 

In fact, as far back as the 1970's and 80’s the late Dr. Robert O. Becker, M.D. conducted groundbreaking research at Syracuse Medical University using tiny, electrically generated, sub-microscopic silver particles. And in human trials he found absolutely no harm to cells or tissues.

Dr. Becker would later write: 

“What we have done was rediscover the fact that silver kills bacteria, a fact which had actually been known for centuries...

All of the organisms we tested were sensitive to the electrically generated silver ion, including some that were resistant to all known antibiotics

...In no case were any undesirable side effects of the silver treatment apparent.”

For additional information, see my previous article "Another Bogus Study Claims Nanosilver Harms Human Cells."

·       CLAIM:  Silver is harmful to human sperm, eggs and reproduction

Once again, this claim is also based solely on test tube studies in which human sperm or eggs were soaked in such high levels of colloidal silver the only way you could possibly get that much silver into ones testicles or ovaries would be to inject it. 

Unless one was drinking gallons of colloidal silver at a time (when a normal human dose is a teaspoon to an ounce or so) there would be zero chance of getting that much silver into one’s reproductive system.  

What’s more, the claim is contradicted by modern artificial insemination practices in which silver is actually used to preserve animal sperm and help keep it viable longer. 

And the claim is also contradicted by animal studies in which silver was used as a “stain” to track the development of animal embryos in real-time, while causing no harm to the developing embryos. 

For more detailed information, see my previous article “Is Colloidal Silver Toxic to Human Sperm or Eggs, or Harmful to Human Reproduction?”

See also the very interesting article “A Tale of Two Pregnancies: Can Colloidal Silver Help Resolve Infertility?”
  

·       CLAIM:  Silver ingestion has been linked to birth defects

The single "study" linking silver to birth defects wasn't a study on colloidal silver at all, but on drinking water from a local river source that had overly-high natural levels of silver.  

In the 1970’s, several women in Massachusetts had given birth to children with “fetal developmental anomalies of the ear, face, and neck.  Researchers tried to find out why this cluster of birth defects happened. 

They discovered low levels of silver in the local drinking water.  Silver levels were present at only 1/100^th of the EPA standard.  Nevertheless, even with such low levels of silver in the drinking water, the researchers blamed the silver for the cluster of birth defects.

If you read the study itself, it's pretty "iffy."  And to the best of my knowledge, there's never been a corroborating study to back the original study up.

What's more, animal studies have shown no harm to the developing fetuses, even when silver was being intubated straight into the pregnant animals. According to the Environmental Protection Agency:

“In a developmental toxicity study of pregnant rats conducted in 2002 by the National Toxicology Program (NTP), silver acetate was administered by gavage [tube-feeding – ED] on days 6-19 of gestation.

No developmental effects were reported at doses up to 100 mg/kg…

…More importantly, the results from this study did not demonstrate an increased susceptibility of offspring, nor did it demonstrate systemic toxicity.”

-- Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 110 / Wednesday, June 10, 2009 / Rules and Regulations

If you’d like to learn more, I discuss that lone "fetal birth defect" study in much more depth, in the article "Is It Safe to Take Colloidal Silver During Pregnancy?"

·       CLAIM:  No clinical evidence of silver’s supposed infection-fighting qualities.

The claim that there’s no body of medical literature demonstrating silver’s effectiveness against pathogens or illnesses is also bunk. 

Here's a link over 100 clinical studies demonstrating the effectiveness of silver against pathogens, infectious illnesses, cancer cells, and more.   

And here’s a link to an article documenting what top medical, scientific and clinical research experts have to say about colloidal silver. 

Additional Information

I could go on and on debunking the shrill online claims being made against colloidal silver by a small handful of organizations with ties to Big Pharma.

But anytime someone is determined to denigrate colloidal silver, they'll find some way to ignore the facts and continue repeating the discredited talking points.

You can learn more about colloidal silver safety in the following articles:

·       8 Prevalent Myths and Misconceptions About Colloidal Silver

·       Is Silver a “Toxic Heavy Metal”?

·       Is Colloidal Silver Safe to Use?

How to Make Your Own

Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver

Thankfully, today, high-quality colloidal silver – the world’s safest and most powerful natural germ-fighter -- is available in just about every well-stocked health food store in the United States. 

However, it’s often egregiously expensive, selling for as much as $20 to $30 for a tiny four-ounce bottle that might last a week at most. 

However, owning a Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver Generator from The Silver Edge allows you to make your own high-quality colloidal silver for less than 36 cents a quart.

Compared to health food store prices for colloidal silver, your very first one-quart batch of micro-particle colloidal silver actually pays for the entire cost the generator. 

Do you know of any other health product that literally pays for itself the very first time you use it?

Obviously, having the ability to make your own high-quality micro-particle colloidal silver for only a few pennies per quart is about as close as you’ll ever get to having "free" colloidal silver for the rest of your life, any time you or a family member, friend or loved one needs it. 

And because the silver particles produced by this amazing breakthrough in colloidal silver-making technology are as low as .8 nm – a fraction of a single nanometer – their effectiveness against colonies of pathogenic microbes is astonishing. 

Because of their extremely small size, the tiny, submicroscopic silver particles are up to 1,000 times more bioavailable than conventional silver particles.  This means the human body is able to absorb 99-100% of the silver, send it throughout the body to kill pathogens, and then excrete it with ease, afterwards.

Plus, it’s now known that these tiny silver micro-particles are able to kill off entire colonies of pathogens with far greater effectiveness than conventional colloidal silver particles, because of the “zombie effect” described in this recent article about brand new research out of Hebrew University in Jerusalem. 

Perhaps that’s why so many thousands upon thousands of people absolutely rave over the effectiveness of their homemade micro-particle colloidal silver, as you can see at this web page full of real-life colloidal silver success stories. 

Discover How Easy It Is…

If you’d like to learn more about making your own high-quality colloidal silver for just pennies per quart, you can…

• Read how unbelievably simple it is to make your own high-quality colloidal silver for less than 36 cents a quart, here. 

• Learn why the Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver Generator is the world’s #1 best-selling colloidal silver generator, here. 

• Find out how to save a whopping $100 on a brand new Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver Generator, here. 

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:

FREE Colloidal Silver Safe Dosage Report

Colloidal Silver Secrets Group on Facebook

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

Colloidal Silver

                                                                                                                                                

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 2016 | Life & Health Research Group, LLC | PO Box 1239 | Peoria AZ 85380-1239 | All rights reserved.

Is Colloidal Silver Toxic to Human Sperm?

Is colloidal silver toxic to human sperm or harmful to human reproduction?

Let's just say that like anything else the radical anti-silver environmentalists come up with, these charges are highly exaggerated. Here’s the straight scoop…

I continue to have articles forwarded to me about the study from September 2010 being touted by anti-silver environmental groups as proof that silver nanoparticles are "toxic" to human sperm, or even harmful to human reproduction.

These anti-silver environmental groups warn that using commercial products containing colloidal silver or silver nanoparticles should now be considered a dangerous practice for men because the silver could negatively affect their sperm count if enough is absorbed into their bodies.

This in turn could curtail human reproduction, the anti-silver environmentalists claim, causing a catastrophic worldwide decline in births.

Oh, my!

In the study being touted, human sperm were basically soaked in increasingly higher concentrations of silver nanoparticles. And it was later found that the sperm stopped growing once the concentration of silver nanoparticles reached a whopping 10 micrograms per milliliter (μg/ml).

Bullfeathers…

Of course, any claim that this study proves silver-based products are harmful to human sperm and human reproduction is complete b.s.

You could produce the same effect soaking sperm cells in high concentrations of just about any essential mineral, including iron, copper, selenium, chromium, even calcium or others.

But that doesn’t make it even remotely unsafe for men (or women) to ingest these natural substances in the form of nutritional supplements.

Indeed, colloidal silver and products containing silver nanoparticles have now been used widely by the public -- worldwide -- for over 100 years. And there’s been no decline in population growth!

Silver is even used in public and private swimming pools, in place of caustic chemicals like chlorine, to keep bacterial growth from exploding.

Yet the worldwide birth rate continues to grow. Earth’s population continues to expand. And not a single study on the face of the earth has shown that silver curtails human reproduction.

No Harm, No Foul…

One of the most profound proofs that there’s no harm to sperm in using small to moderate amounts of antimicrobial silver is the fact that silver is now used as a preservative in boar semen to prevent bacterial spoilage during storage, before the semen is used to impregnate female boars.

That pretty much proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that silver isn't harmful to sperm at levels that prevent bacterial contamination.

So soaking human sperm in excessively high concentrations of silver nanoparticles and then trying to scare men into thinking they won't be able to produce sperm if they use a silver-based product…

…is the worst form of exaggeration, deception and chicanery – particularly when it’s done in the name of science.

But what do you expect from the radical environmentalists at this point? After all, they even claim silver-impregnated stockings are “killing the planet” and causing global warming!

The Bottom Line…

The bottom line is this: Anything you saturate in a highly concentrated metal or mineral solution is going to be negatively affected at some concentration.

And guys, listen up:

The study showed that for sperm to be affected, it would have to be exposed to 10 micrograms per milliliter (μg/ml) of silver nanoparticles.

Your common sense alone should tell you that you'd be hard pressed to get that much silver into your testicles. You'd have to inject it with a syringe, or drink gallons of it at a time.

As for the contention by anti-silver environmentalists that silver is harmful to human reproduction, here's an article I did on this subject some time back:

Silver Not Harmful to Human Reproduction

http://thesilveredge.com/repro.shtml

And here's another interesting article about several different couples who were having trouble getting pregnant, yet they finally got pregnant after they started using colloidal silver:

A Tale of Two Pregnancies

http://thesilveredge.com/cspreg.shtml

As you'll see when you read these two articles, the insinuation that normal doses of colloidal silver (or mere contact with commercial silver-based products) can be "toxic" to human sperm or harmful to human reproduction is pretty far-fetched -- just like the rest of the environmentalist's wild charges against silver.

So relax. Take a deep breath. And use your colloidal silver in moderation, without fear. If you’re concerned, check with your doctor first.

Helpful Links:

Join the Colloidal Silver Secrets Community on Facebook

Video: Learn How to Make Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver

.999 Fine Pure Silver Wire for Making Colloidal Silver

Get Your FREE Colloidal Silver “Safe Dosage” Report

The New Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver Generator

Subscribe to the Colloidal Silver Secrets Ezine

Make Your Own Colloidal Silver Inexpensively

Real-Life Colloidal Silver Success Stories

Colloidal Silver Update (News & Views)

The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual

The Colloidal Silver Secrets Video

Colloidal Silver Kills Viruses

Colloidal Silver Cures MRSA

Colloidal Silver Secrets blog

Meet Steve Barwick

Important Note and Disclaimer: The contents of this article 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 article should be construed as prescriptive in nature, nor is any part of this article 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 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 article.