There is no reason to be afraid of genuine and properly made colloidal silver. In fact, colloidal silver is being used more and more within the conventional medical community. Of course it’s always wise to do your own research, use as recommended on the label and, if possible, use under the direction of a knowledgeable practitioner. In this article, Colloidal Silver-Experts Speak, I hope you will find some interesting information about the effective use of colloidal silver – both past and present – from those who have used and do use colloidal silver both personally and with clients.
Colloidal Silver-Experts Speak
Just as it sounds, colloidal silver is a liquid suspension of the metal silver. It is marketed by a number of companies for a variety of uses, including as an antibiotic and anticancer agent. There is no reliable human evidence that this is an effective cancer treatment.
Complementary Cancer Therapies by Dan Labriola ND, page 190
“Silver, in the form of a metal or as dissolved ions, fights microorganisms by interfering with processes such as how they breathe and reproduce. Tests show that silver ions kill microorganisms ranging from harmful strains of e. coli that cause food-borne diseases to the staphylococcus bacteria responsible for serious infections. The metal becomes more active against microbes when it’s made into small particles because they can cover more surface area when they come into direct contact with bacteria, says Andrew Maynard, a physicist and chief scientific adviser to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington.”
Wall Street Journal, June 6, 2006, The War Against Germs Has a Silver Lining
Silver is highly toxic to most microbial cells and can be used as an antimicrobial agent. Silver-containing compounds, such as silver sulfadiazine, which has broad antimicrobial as well as antifungal activity, and silver nitrate, are used in medicine as topical agents. Colloidal silver is a suspension of extremely small silver particles and was used in medicine until the 1940s as both a topical and an internal antiseptic. Colloidal silver was also known as argentum colloidale, argentum crede and collargolum.
PDR For Nutritional Supplements by Sheldon Saul Hendle and David Rorvik, page 110
The number of antibiotic resistant strains in our hospitals and communities is growing and is growing dramatically and has been for some time. And this development is accompanied by a drop in new antibiotics being developed and approved. We are taking a different approach. Instead of trying to develop a completely new antibiotic, we are trying to enhance the ones we already have. In experiments on mice, the Boston University researchers found that giving silver with antibiotics made them between ten and a thousand times better at fighting infections. some cases, bugs classed as antibiotic resistant became treatable.
U.S. researcher Dr Jim Collins http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2344583/Silver-really-COULD-new-weapon-superbugs-Adding-antibiotics-boosts-effectiveness-1-000-times.html – June 2013
Colloidal silver has a long history in medicine as a natural antibiotic. It is very effective in killing bacteria, viruses.
The Natural Way to Heal by Walter Last, page 161
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
We’ve reached the end of antibiotics, period… We’re here. We’re in the post-antibiotic era. There are patients for whom we have no therapy, and we are literally in a position of having a patient in a bed who has an infection, something that five years ago even we could have treated, but now we can’t.
Dr. Arjun Srinivasan, associate director, The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
Topically, it can be used to fight fungal infections of the skin or nails and to promote the healing of burns, wounds, cuts, rashes, and sunburn. It can be used on toothaches and mouth sores, as eye drops, and as a gargle to fight tooth decay and bad breath. It can also be used as sterilizer and can even be sprayed on air-conditioning filters and air ducts and vents to prevent germs from growing.
Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, page 66
Pierce Instruments in Stowe, Vermont, markets Silvelon, anylon-Silver fabric used to make odor-proof socks and shoe-liners, antiseptic kitchen sponges, wound and burn healing aids, and topical applications to speed healing of cuts, canker sores, warts, and acne releasing colloidal silver on site. Argentum Research has Silverlon.
Anti-Aging Manual by Joseph B Marion, page 12
“Scientists have discovered that the body’s most important fluids are colloidal in nature: suspended ultra-fine particles. Blood, for example, carries nutrition and oxygen to the body cells. This led to studies with colloidal silver (electrical silver atoms). An electro-colloidal process, which is known to be the best method, is used for manufacturing the colloidal silver. Colloidal silver appears to be a powerful, natural antibiotic and preventative against infections. Acting as a catalyst, it reportedly disables the enzyme that one-celled bacteria, viruses and fungi need for their oxygen metabolism. They suffocate without corresponding harm occurring to human enzymes or parts of the human body chemistry. The result is the destruction of disease-causing organisms in the body and in the food.”
Nanotechnology in Medicine and Antibacterial Effect of Silver Nanoparticles, Department of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, published in the Digest Journal of Nanomaterials and Biostructures Vol. 3, No.3, September 2008, p. 115-122
To treat ringworm, use a sterile pad and apply colloidal silver to the affected area. Hands and feet can also be soaked in this solution, a natural antibiotic that destroys some 650 different microorganisms.
Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, page 388
Colloidal silver is considered to have antibacterial properties. Take it as directed on the product label. Do not take this supplement for more than two weeks at a time.
Smart Medicine For Healthier Living by Janet Zand LAc OMD Allan N Spreen MD CNC James B LaValle RPh ND, page 566
Because colloidal silver loses its potency over time, the best bet is also a kit that permits mixing the solution and using it immediately. You should then discard any excess you can not use. Whenever you use it, keep in mind the fact that the silver will be accumulating in your body. Once you get too much silver in your system, you’re stuck with it for life. Avoid getting yourself into this predicament by using colloidal silver only when other methods of killing bacteria are not available.
Attaining Medical Self Efficiency An Informed Citizens Guide by Duncan Long, page 200
Colloidal silver. Dose: Internally—60 to 120 drops three to four times daily. Externally, applied to a wound or burn—two to three times daily.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 314
Colloidal silver is commercially available with a common solution strength of five silver atoms per million molecules of water, or 5 ppm, but it may be up to 50 ppm in very concentrated remedies. However, the size of the colloids may be more important than the strength in parts per million.
The Natural Way to Heal by Walter Last, page 162
It is difficult to assess which of the many commercial remedies available work best or even which ones work and which do not. Therefore I recommend building your own colloidal silver generator.
The Natural Way to Heal by Walter Last, page 162
“Silver’s microbe-killing properties aren’t news—in fact, people have known about them for centuries, says Dr. David Barillo, a trauma surgeon and the editor of a recent silver-themed supplement of the journal Burns. Alexander the Great stored and drank water in silver vessels when going on campaigns in 335 BC, he says, and 19th century frontier-storming Americans dropped silver coins into their water barrels to suppress algae growth. During the space race, America and the Soviet Union both developed silver-based water purification techniques (NASA’s was “basically a silver wire sticking in the middle of a pipe that they were passing electricity through,” Barillo says). And new applications keep popping up: Barillo himself pioneered the use of silver-infused dressings to treat wounded soldiers in Afghanistan. ‘We’ve really run the gamut—we’ve gone from 300 BC to present day, and we’re still using it for the same stuff,’ he says. No one knows exactly how small amounts of silver are able to kill huge swaths of microbes. According to Barillo, it’s probably a combination of attacks on the microbe’s enzymes, cell wall, and DNA, along with the buildup of silver free radicals, which are studded with unpaired electrons that gum up cellular systems. These microbe-mutilating strategies are so effective that they obscure our ability to study them, because we have nothing to compare them to. ‘It’s difficult to make something silver-resistant, even in the lab where you’re doing it intentionally,’ Barillo says. But unlike equal-opportunity killers like endosulfan, silver knocks out the monsters and leaves the good guys alone. In low concentrations, it’s virtually harmless to humans. ‘It’s not a carcinogen, it’s not a mutagen, it’s not an allergen,’ Barillo says. ‘It seems to have no purpose in human physiology—it’s not a metal that we need to have in our bodies like copper or magnesium. But it doesn’t seem to do anything bad either.’”
PBS, Nova Next, March 24, 2015
Taken internally, colloidal silver can be used to fight infection. It has been shown to be effective against more that 650 disease-causing organisms, including Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria and the fungus Candida albicans.
Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, page 66
Dr. Marchial-Vega has had considerable clinical experience with a colloidal silver preparation that contains between 20 and 25 parts of silver per million parts of water. This preparation has proven effective in patients with HIV in quickly resolving pneumonias due to pneumocystis, streptococcal, staphylococcal, klebsiella and fungal infections. In the hospital, the therapy is administered by a special nebulizer as well as orally.
A Physicians Guide To Natural Health Products That Work By James Howenstine MD, page 262
“Since ancient times, the silver ion has been known to be effective against a broad range of microorganisms. Today, silver ions are used to control bacterial growth in a variety of medical applications, including dental work, catheters, and the healing of burn wounds (17, 30, 31). Silver ions are also used for a number of nonmedical purposes, such as in electrical appliances (14, 36). The slow-release “nanosilver” linings of laundry machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, and toilet seats are also marketed and advertised. It is clear that we are exposed to a wide range of mostly unfamiliar uses of silver-containing products intended to function as antimicrobial biocides. Therefore, it is necessary to elucidate the antimicrobial activity of the silver ion, which is widely used in these products. The mechanism of the antimicrobial action of silver ions is closely related to their interaction with thiol (sulfhydryl) groups (1, 5, 9, 10), although other target sites remain a possibility (27, 34). Amino acids, such as cysteine, and other compounds containing thiol groups, such as sodium thioglycolate, neutralized the activity of silver against bacteria (18). By contrast, disulfide bond-containing amino acids, non-sulfur-containing amino acids, and sulfur-containing compounds, such as cystathione, cysteic acid, L-methionine, taurine, sodium bisulfate, and sodium thiosulfate, were all unable to neutralize the activity of silver ions. These and other findings imply that the interaction of silver ions with thiol groups in enzymes and proteins plays an essential role in its antimicrobial action, although other cellular components, like hydrogen bonding, may also be involved (10). Silver was also proposed to act by binding to key functional groups of enzymes. Silver ions cause the release of K ions from bacteria; thus, the bacterial plasma or cytoplasmic membrane, which is associated with many important enzymes, is an important target site for silver ions (9, 22, 25, 29). In addition to their effects on bacterial enzymes, silver ions caused marked inhibition of bacterial growth and were deposited in the vacuole and cell wall as granules (6). They inhibited cell division and damaged the cell envelope and contents of bacteria (27). Bacterial cells increased in size, and the cytoplasmic membrane, cytoplasmic contents, and outer cell layers all exhibited structural abnormalities. Finally, silver ions interact with nucleic acids (35); they interact preferentially with the bases in DNA rather than with the phosphate groups, although the significance of this in terms of their lethal action is unclear (12, 24, 34, 37).”
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, “Antibacterial Activity and Mechanism of Action of the Silver Ion in Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli,” Vol. 74, No. 7, April 2008
“Often called the ‘penicillin of alternative medicine,’ colloidal silver (CS) disables the enzymes that bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi rely on to use oxygen. Unable to ‘breathe,’ the organisms die and are eliminated from the body. While an antibiotic drug may kill several types of disease organisms, CS delivers the kiss of death to at least 650 disease organisms. In addition, CS can be taken over long periods of time because microorganisms cannot develop a resistance to it.
CS may sound like something very high-tech, but it has been used for several thousand years. In ancient Greece and Rome, people stored water and wine in silver urns to retard the growth of bacteria. During the bubonic plague in Europe, children of wealthy families sucked on silver spoons to preserve their health-thus the phrase, “Born with a silver spoon in your mouth.” During the days of the American frontier, pioneer families put silver dollars in fresh milk to keep it from spoiling. Until the late 1930s, when convenient, inexpensive antibiotic drugs were introduced, silver-based products were the most commonly used antimicrobials. More than four-dozen were marketed in the United States at that time. However, when penicillin and other drugs came into widespread use, silver-based products all but disappeared. Two holdovers are the silver nitrate eye drops given to newborns to prevent infection and the silver-based ointments used to treat severe burns.
SIDE EFFECTS/CONTRAINDICATIONS:
Clinical research has uncovered no adverse effects from properly prepared colloidal silver, nor have there been any reported cases of CS-drug interaction. Do not use CS for prolonged periods of time (more than seven consecutive days). Note: In February 1997, the U.S. FDA issued the following statement: The use of colloidal silver-containing products constitutes a potentially serious public health concern … the consumption of silver by humans may result in argyria – a permanent ashen-gray or blue discoloration of the skin, conjunctiva [eye], and internal organs… Colloidal silver-containing products have never been approved by the FDA for treatment of animal disease in any animal species.
PHARMACOLOGY:
The recommended dosage of CS depends upon the concentration of the product you are using, which is expressed as “ppm” or “parts per million.” Concentrations range from 5ppm to 500ppm. In general, the greater the ppm the larger the CS particle size. This variable is important because it takes a smaller particle size to kill a virus vs. bacteria. Some companies have developed technology that allows increased ppm while preserving a smaller particle size. CS can be taken internally in a small amount of distilled drinking water. It also can be applied topically to cuts and open sores and can be inhaled or sprayed using an atomizer.
The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, Physician & Practitioner Administered Procedures and Therapies, http://www.worldhealth.net/news/colloidal_silver
In contrast to medical antibiotics that can be used only against specific microbes, colloidal silver has a wide range of effectiveness, eliminating bacteria as well as viruses and fungi. Unlike medical antibiotics, colloidal silver is not known to cause undesirable side effects. Colloidal zinc can be especially effective against viruses. The colloids of copper and gold, on the other hand, are strong anti-inflammatory agents; in addition, copper and zinc can be used chelated (bound) with salicylic acid for similar benefits.
The Natural Way to Heal by Walter Last, page 161
I’m not suggesting that colloidal silver should be avoided altogether. I think it is ideal for some purposes and might be of use in an emergency or for last-ditch treatment of a bacteria that has grown resistent to antibiotics. However the use of this medication must be approached very cautiously.
Attaining Medical Self Efficiency An Informed Citizens Guide by Duncan Long, page 200
Silver – both in liquid solution and as an airborne-aerosol – has been known since 1887 to be extremely toxic to anthrax spores. And it is widely reported in the medical literature on silver that various forms of silver, often at surprisingly low concentrations, routinely kills germs that are known to be antibiotic-resistant.
International Anti-Aging Bulletin, April 1999, by James South, MA
These maximum doses are large compared to the doses ingested with health food colloidal silver supplements. However it should be remembered that these are most likely the totals for an entire lifetime, given the slow rate that silver is removed from the body For this reason I tend to see colloidal silver as an “emergency only” medication, rather than the “once a day” use some alternative medicine people are now suggesting.
Attaining Medical Self Efficiency An Informed Citizens Guide by Duncan Long, page 180
This liquefied form of silver is a powerful natural antibiotic that can help knock out an acute sinus infection, says John M. Sullivan, M.D., a physician in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Buy a bottle of colloidal silver, put some full-strength into a spray bottle, and use one or two squirts into your nose twice a day until the infection has been noticeably gone for 3 days.
Alternative Cures by Bill Gottlieb, page 553
Robert C. Beck’s battery-powered electromagnetic electrode transfer of 50-100 microamperes by arm or foot electrodes may inhibit HI V outer protein’s ability to bind to Lymphocyte receptor sites 50-95%, and neutralize 95-100% of pathogens in blood, lymph, and tissues in 37 days. Start with half-hour on day 1, to 2 hours on days 7 through 3 0, tapering off to 15 minutes on day 3 7; taking Ozone water, colloidal silver, activated Charcoal, and hot/cold Water showers to break-down and eliminate toxins.
Anti-Aging Manual by Joseph B Marion, page 548
Combination Remedy for Colds and Sore Throats: One teaspoon of bee propolis in a homeopathic solution is combined with extracts of red clover and licorice root. Ten drops of colloidal silver are added. Gargling with this formula and then swallowing it, every four hours, can help knock out local bacterial and viral infections in the throat and trachea.
Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 127
In the United States, colloidal silver is not approved for medical use. Companies that sell colloidal silver or the equipment to make it are forbidden by the FDA to tell their customers about colloidal silver’s healing properties. Interestingly, this has not stopped major pharmaceutical companies from producing other silver products that are approved for medical purposes. These products include silver gels, for cuts, burns and wounds (silver sulfadiazine cream, a compound, is extensively used); silver coated bandages, widely and successfully used in hospital burn units; and various silver compounds, for other purposes. The existence of these products makes it difficult for government agencies to deny the health benefits of silver any longer.
Nenah Sylver, PhD, The Rife Handbook – Chapter 3 excerpt, “Colloidal Silver”
Other vitamins that have been proven to help increase fertility in women are: iron (35 mg); folk acid (one mg three times daily), to help normalize blood chemistry; vitamin B12, to help normalize reproductive function; colloidal silver, to help cleanse the system when chlamydia is causing infertility; and bioflavonoids (found in broccoli, green peppers, parsley, and citrus fruits), to help develop a healthy uterine lining.
Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 241
Vitamin and mineral intake can make a difference. Specific recommendations for men are zinc, selenium, and vitamins E, D, and C. Particular suggestions for women include vitamins C, B6, and B12, in addition to iron, folic acid, colloidal silver, and bioflavonoids. Complete
Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 243
I also take [supplements]. I eat organic vegetarian foods. I took ozone a few times. I had the silver removed from my teeth. I took colloidal silver, which helped my pneumonia tremendously.
Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 465
Treat the infection: Your physician can prescribe an appropriate antibiotic to treat the underlying infection. If you are working with a physician who specializes in natural therapies, he or she may suggest the use of colloidal silver, golden seal and/or grapefruit seed extract.
Digestive Wellness By Elizabeth Lipski MS CCN, page 274
Small bowel infections, esophageal Candida and other infections are likely to reoccur. No specific research has been done to show that use of supplementation with flora and other natural therapies can help with reoccurrence, but they do help to boost the immune system. You may be able to keep the infection at bay with use of colloidal silver, grapefruit seed extract or garlic capsules. Each of these substances has wide antimicrobial properties, low toxicity and a low incidence of negative side effects.
Digestive Wellness By Elizabeth Lipski MS CCN, page 313
Eliminate parasites, Candida, and other microbes by using an herbal parasite cure based on wormwood and investigate using colloidal silver, oxygen therapy, and an electronic zapper.
Disease Prevention And Treatment by Life Extension Foundation, page 1104
When chlamydia is causing infertility, colloidal silver helps to clean up the system.
Get Healthy Now by Gary Null, page 715
In the 1800s and early 1900s, colloidal silver compounds were widely used to fight infections, though silver fell out of favor in the 1930s with the development of the first modern antibiotics. Even so, silver is still popularly used today to treat water, purify air, and is used in medical dressings prevent infection in burn victims. Very importantly in today’s world, germs cannot develop a resistance to silver.
Alliance for Natural Health, ANH-USA.org, May 15, 2012
Rashes, including blistering types, are frequently due to what we put on our skin. One cause is soap because it may contain an artificial chemical that produces an adverse reaction. If you have a rash problem, it is advisable to use the type of soap that is 100 percent natural, or at least one that is unscented. A rash can be cleaned with a mixture composed primarily of aloe vera, along with colloidal silver, bee propolis, pau d’arco, and purified water. Then, wrap the area with gauze that is kept somewhat moist, so the mixture remains on the rash. After four or five hours, the rash should begin to heal.
Power Aging by Gary Null, page 307
Persistent bowel problems have been correlated with recurrent UTIs. Our bodies eliminate wastes in several ways, including the excretion of feces by the bowels, the expulsion of carbon dioxide by the lungs, perspiration by the skin, and the discharge of urine by the kidneys and bladder. If any of these processes is malfunctioning, an excessive burden is placed upon the other systems. I do not believe that antibiotics are the proper treatment for UTIs because they do not get to the underlying cause. The proper approach is to rebalance the system by switching from an acidic diet to an alkaline one. Unsweetened cranberry juice with cherries and raspberries, four to five times a day, can ameliorate the severe pain. Pomegranate juice, two times a day, and grapefruit juice with the seeds and the skins are valuable too. Lemon, lime, and bee propolis with 10 drops of colloidal silver are also helpful. Because of the vitamin C content, these juices will create acidic urine (but not acid in the body), which creates an unfavorable environment for bacteria in the urine and bladder. Chlorophyll from spirulina is exceptionally good for the body as well.
Power Aging by Gary Null, page 365
Now a great remedy is available for itchy eyes tat works like pure magic every time. It’s colloidal silver drops. Just two drops in each eye can stop itching for a week or more.
Proven Health Tips Encyclopedia By American Medical Publishing, page 197
Colloidal silver, which can be found in any health food store, is a powerful antibiotic. It can cure conjunctivitis, or pink eye, as well as simple eye irritation.
Proven Health Tips Encyclopedia By American Medical Publishing, page 197
However, if you store drinking water for a longer time, you can add some colloidal silver or hydrogen peroxide to keep it free of molds and other microbes or possibly put a piece of clean copper or a silver coin at the bottom of the container.
The Natural Way to Heal by Walter Last, page 40
“The antimicrobial effects of silver (Ag) have been recognized for thousands of years. In ancient times, it was used in water containers (Grier 1983) and to prevent putrefaction of liquids and foods. In ancient times in Mexico, water and milk were kept in silver containers (Davis and Etris 1997). Silver was also mentioned in the Roman pharmacopoeia of 69 b.c. (Davis and Etris 1997).”
Dr. Charles P. Gerba, Silver As a Disinfectant, Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 2007, Volume 191, 23-45
At the beginning of your health improvement efforts and several times each year, you can take a remedial course of colloidal silver for several weeks to keep down any undesirable microbes that have arisen in your body. Have a sip or tablespoonful three times daily. Preferably, store colloidal silver in a dark glass bottle in a dark and cool place.
The Natural Way to Heal by Walter Last, page 162
References & Research
Lansdown AB. A review of the use of silver in wound care: facts and fallacies. Br J Nurs. 2004 Mar;13(6 Suppl):S6-19.
Coburn, Dhyana L., Dignan, Patrick D. The Wonders of Colloidal Silver. 1997.
Pokrowiecki R1, Zareba T2, Mielczarek A3, Opaliska A4, Wojnarowicz J4, Majkowski M5, Lojkowski W4, Tyski S2. Evaluation of biocidal properties of silver nanoparticles against cariogenic bacteria. Med Dosw Mikrobiol. 2013;65(3):197-206.
Felipe Solsona, Juan Pablo Mendez. Water Disinfection. Pan American Center for Sanitary Engineering and Environmental Sciences. 2003.
Abbaszadegan A1, Nabavizadeh M, Gholami A, et al. Positively charged imidazolium-based ionic liquid-protected silver nanoparticles: a promising disinfectant in root canal treatment. Int Endod J. 2014 Sep 2. doi: 10.1111/iej.12377.
Disaanayake DM1, Faoagali J, Laroo H, Hancock G, Whitehouse M.. Efficacy of some colloidal silver preparations and silver salts against Proteus bacteria, one possible cause of rheumatoid arthritis. Inflammopharmacology. 2014 Apr;22(2):73-7. doi: 10.1007/s10787-013-0198-0.
Morrill K, May K, Leek D, et al. Spectrum of antimicrobial activity associated with ionic colloidal silver. J ALtern Complement Med. 2013 Mar;19(3):224-31. doi: 10.1089/acm.2011.0681.
Lansdown AB. A pharmacological and toxicological profile of silver as an antimicrobial agent in medical devices. Adv Pharmacol Sci. 2010;2010:910686. doi: 10.1155/2010/910686.
Colloidal Silver – What You Need to Know
