top of page

SILVER SOLUTIONS

We are learning more and more about the real benefits of silver, and not just the kind in coin that buys you nice things, but the silver you ingest into your body.

milks freshness.jpg

“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” - Mahatma Gandhi

So what is this all about anyway? Silver is a trace mineral and normal component of the mammalian diet and is found naturally in human breast milk. Do we need silver in our body more than in our pockets? Let’s just say that it is probably best to have a little of both!

Hippocrates, the "father of medicine" wrote that silver had beneficial healing and anti-disease properties, and the Phoenicians stored water, wine, and vinegar in silver bottles to prevent spoiling. In the early 20th century, people would put silver coins in milk bottles to prolong the milk's freshness.

empirical evidence.jpg

So what is happening here? It appears that our predecessors knew that something was up with silver and it was beneficial to health. Today, we are learning more about the use of silver and seeing the tremendous healing benefits and the empirical evidence is piling up. So what does empirical evidence mean? Definition: em·pir·i·cal [em-pir-i-kuhl] adjective

1. derived from or guided by experience or experiment.

2. depending upon experience or observation alone, without using scientific method or theory, especially as in medicine.

3. provable or verifiable by experience or experiment.

Many medical protocols are not based in science, but that’s a topic for another day. What is important here is that we don’t miss the evidence because we are blinded by advertising from big pharmaceutical companies. Hippocrates and the Phoenicians were on to something with the use of silver and perhaps we should pay attention and not dismiss it because we did not see in on TV. As always, do your own research and see for yourself. Perhaps this little article will get you wondering a bit and hopefully questioning the status quo.

Silver nitrate solution.jpg

HISTORY OF SILVER USE

Source, Wikipedia: Silver is widely used in topical gels and impregnated into bandages because of its wide-spectrum anti-microbial activity. Silver compounds were used to prevent infection in World War I before the advent of antibiotics. Silver nitrate solution use continued and was largely replaced by silver sulfadiazine cream, which generally became the "standard of care" for the antibacterial and antibiotic treatment of serious burns until the late 1990s. Now, other options, such as silver-coated dressings (activated silver dressings), are used in addition to SSD cream.

There has been renewed interest in silver as a broad-spectrum anti-microbial agent. One application has silver being used with alginate, a naturally occurring biopolymer derived from seaweed, in a range of products designed to prevent infections as part of wound management procedures, particularly applicable to burn victims. In 2007, a company introduced a glass product they claimed had antibacterial properties by coating the glass with a thin layer of silver.

In addition, in 2007 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an endotracheal breathing tube with a fine coat of silver for use in mechanical ventilation, after studies found it reduced the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

SILVER, HOW DOES IT WORK?

In lay terms, it is commonly believed that a bacterial agent - in the presence of nano-sized silver particles and ions - will become suffocated through a chemical process called "Catalytic Oxidation". Other research shows that ionic silver can rob electrons from proteins and/or enzymes that a virus needs to survive and the same result is achieved indirectly by disabling these associated components required for the survival of a virus. Silver-infused bandages are commonly used in hospitals and burn wards to protect against infection and to greatly reduce tissue scarring. Ionic silver has been shown to regenerate cells that have been destroyed by disease or physical damage.

colloidal.jpg

FORMS OF SILVER (Colloidal or Ionic)

There are several forms of silver. We will discuss two of the most common in health products, ionic and colloidal. True "colloidal" silver is a concentration of nano-sized particles of silver suspended in a liquid while true "ionic" silver is a concentration of silver ions suspended in a liquid. There are many products on the market, even some home kits to make your own. Be wary here, not all home kits are created equal, so do your research. Properly produced colloidal/ionic silver has a long shelf life extending well-beyond a year, conservatively. If you don’t want to make your own, then most health food stores carry it. Just be sure you know what you are buying.

ionic silver.jpg

Don’t be fooled by silver products claiming to be “colloidal silver” but are really “ionic silver.” A simple test is to look at the color, if it’s clear and colorless and looks like water then it is more than likely ionic silver and not true colloidal silver. Colloidal silver will have a dark yellow-orange or amber color. Colloidal silver that has a high concentration of silver particles does not look like water because silver particles, even very small particles block light from passing through, making the liquid appear darker.

Both products are beneficial to the body, but it depends on how you want to use it or what your target area is. Remember that ionic solutions are best suited for low salt environments such as the eyes, ears, nose, lungs and topically to the skin, while particle rich (colloidal) solutions are best taken orally and are suited for exposure to high salt environments such as the stomach and blood.

natural healing..jpg

SILVER LINING OF HOPE

Complementary medicine offers us great hope and is of particular interest to me. The latest research is very promising for patients with gut dysbiosis (microbial imbalances on or within the body), inflammatory bowel syndrome, and chronic fatigue which are increasing in numbers due to our altered food supply, especially grains. Many are suffering with Crohn’s Diesase, Celiac Disease, gluten and wheat intolerance, and increasing food allergies and food intolerances of all kinds with latent and devastating effects. Leaky Gut Syndrome is the norm today and with it comes a myriad of symptoms that stem from the breakdown of the gut lining. Research is showing us that silver is not only antimicrobial, but it is also anti-inflammatory and has tissue regenerative properties. This is great news for the gut! This soothing anti-inflammatory effect assists with cleansing and regenerating this delicate lining. The use of silver in combination with a Aloe Vera gel or juice away from meals followed by a high quality pre- and probiotic easily helps to eliminate pathogenic micro-flora in the gut. This combination has a powerful synergetic effect.

As always, ask your doctor, whether MD, DC, DO, Acupuncturist, Naturopath, Nutritionist, or other healthcare professional about the appropriate use of silver for natural healing.

By Dr. Susan Duvé, DC, ND, FIAMA, ACN, Acup. Orthopedics, Detox Specialist

Wellness is a Choice…Be Well.


  • Facebook Classic
  • Twitter Classic
  • Google Classic
bottom of page