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One side argues that silver is an element with unique germ-killing qualities. The other side says that it will turn your skin blue. What to do, what to do. The best thing is to learn all you can about this “natural antibiotic”.  Here you will find several facts and claims about this product.

Current medical uses of silver

Silver has been used for more than 100 years as an antibacterial substance. Band-Aid® and Curad® have recently come out with silver impregnated bandages to fight bacteria.

Newborn babies, in many states, are required by law to have their eyes treated with antibiotics. This is to prevent gonorrhea or chlamydia from being passed on from the mother. Silver Nitrate has been used for this purpose for years.

Silvadene Cream (silver sulfadiazine) is used for prevention and treatment of wound infections in patients with second- and third-degree burns. The colloidal silver will speed wound healing and reduce the amount of scarring.

Colloidal silver is sold as a natural antibacterial that people drink. One teaspoon a day is supposed to keep most bacteria and virus from infecting you.  It is not approved by the FDA as a medicine, only as a “dietary supplement”.

How silver works

Silver works by coming in contact with the cell wall of virus and bacteria and one cell parasites. Once there is contact, it will interact with the cell membrane, bind to the cell DNA, and destroy the cell’s metabolism. So, the more surface area the silver particles have, the more bacteria it can come in contact with.

Difference between colloidal and ionic silver

Ionic silver is water soluble. It is cheap to make. This solution is made by running electricity through silver wires in water (electrolysis). The silver molecule becomes ionized (loses an electron) and will readily combine to form compounds. If ingested in large quantities it will combine with chlorides in your body and may cause a condition called argyria, where the skin will turn blue-gray in color.

Ionic silver solutions looks clear, just like water. Some manufacturers will put gelatin in the solution to keep the silver from settling. Gelatin is great food for bacteria and also keeps the silver from coming in contact with the germs it’s supposed to kill. Not a good idea. Most ionic silver has 90% silver ions and only 10% silver particles. It’s the particles that kill the bacteria; the ions only make you blue.

Colloidal means that the element is suspended in the solution by a small electrical charge. Tiny silver nanoparticles are suspended in water. Since they repel each other they will not clump-up and will evenly distribute in the solution. The silver in colloidal solutions is not water soluble. The bottle will look like golden honey in color because light is reflected off the silver. This silver will not combine with other elements and will not form harmful compounds. It will circulate in the blood and eventually be excreted through the kidneys and urine. True colloidal silver is typically 80% nanoparticles and 20% silver ions. A product called Mesosilver® is one of the few that has this concentration of actual silver particles.

Controversy

Something to keep in mind. Whenever there is a substance that works well, is not dangerous, and has moderate cost, there will be vigorous opposition to it from the people that make the the expensive stuff. It’s a danger to their business!

Several companies make “colloidal” silver products that are not colloidal at all! They are plain and simply lying to you. They are after a fast buck, your buck. You have to be careful what you buy.

Some people have made their own home-brewed ionic silver solutions, have taken it in large quantities, and have had their skin turn blue. This is not the same as silver nanoparticles,  ionic  is not metallic silver at all.

I have used silver in many wound treatments with very good results. It has kept infections away and promoted rapid wound healing in previously difficult wounds.

Would I drink the colloidal silver solution? Not sure, I might try it and see if it would help. Logically speaking it should work, many people swear by it.

However, I would never try any of the ionic silver products in water or gelatin base.

You will have to judge for yourself and see if this product is for you.

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