Colloidal Silver
- Sarah F.
- Nov 14, 2018
- 18 min read
If you haven’t caught onto the colloidal silver wave, you’ve missed out on one of the greatest natural weapons against viruses, pathogens and infections available. What’s truly remarkable is it’s anti-bacterial impact that vanquishes airborne viruses too!
Consider the implications of this far-ranging germicide that delivers no toxic side-effects. I visited PUREST COLLOIDS and quickly gained a thorough education on this remarkable solution.
In my estimation, colloidal silver truly deserves the title - Superweapon against virus, pathogens and infections!
And it’s not just myself singing it’s praises. Proponents of colloidal silver claim that it is effective against every virus and illness. In addition, it has never reacted dangerously with other medications. Scientific studies have shown that pure silver quickly kills bacteria. And beyond that, it kills the super-bacteria that evolve after conventional disinfecting agents kill weak strains of bacteria.
Silver acts as a catalyst that disables enzymes that facilitates actions inside cells. It is not consumed in the process so it is available to keep working again and again. This enzyme that is destroys is required by anaerobic bacteria, viruses, yeast and molds. (Unfriendly bacteria tend to be anaerobic and friendly bacteria aerobic). This is what destroys pathogens.
Silver effectively prevents bacteria from using the body's own cells as vehicles for replication. And colloidal silver creates an environment that makes it impossible for pathogens to survive and multiply.
A historical view of silver's role in germ control
Historically speaking, this is not a new discovery. Merely one that has been somewhat hidden and dismissed in light of all that is available in this modern age.
Silver has long been hailed and recognized for it’s remarkable anti-bacterial qualities. Ancient civilizations have practiced the use of silver for a myriad of purposes. Silver has been known to be a bactericide for at least 1200 years. In ancient times, silver was known to prevent disease.
Hippocrates, the Father of medicine, taught that silver healed wounds and controlled disease. He actually used silver powder in wounds to combat infection. In fact, prior to the advent of antibiotics in more modern times, silver was effectively utilized to ward off infection. Around 400 B.C. he listed as a singular treatment for ulcers “the flowers of silver alone, in the finest powder.
In ancient times, it was commonly taught that disease could not be transmitted by drinking liquid from a silver cup. Then there was the practice of dropping silver coins into jars to prevent the spoilage of milk and other drink. Herodotus describes how the King of Persia carried with him boiled water in silver flagons to prevent sickness. King Cyrus would go out to battle having lined his vessels of water and wine with silver in order to keep them fresh and germ-free.
In ancient Greece, Rome, Phoenicia, and Macedonia, silver was used extensively to control infections and spoilage. So silver containers were used to prolong the freshness of foods in general.
In fact, until almost 1970 it was common usage for scientists to put a silver dime in a petri dish to sterilize the dish. Silver has long been used for plates for the surgical repair of bones.
The popularity of medicinal silver especially arose throughout the Middle East from 702 A.D. through 980 A.D. where it was widely used and esteemed for blood purification, heart conditions, as well as to control halitosis.
Moving onto the time of the plague in Europe in the 13th century, royal families came to be known as the blue bloods. These aristocratic bloodlines ingested a lot of silver through the use of silverware and silver vessels. Liquids placed in silver vessels, along with food served on true silverware will possess silver ions. This is how royalty received their doses of silver, thus the claims that this was the basis behind the term, “blue bloods”.
In the 1920's, 30's and 40's, silver was ground very fine like flour, suspended in water. It was then used orally to treat infections and disease conditions, topically on burns, as well as for fungal infections. Over 650 bacteria, virus, and fungi were considered treatable with this silver in 1938.
Physicians even used it as an eyedrop for ophthalmic problems, for various infections. It was also prescribed for internal use to treat diseases such as epilepsy and gonorrhea, and the common cold.
Before the invention of antibacterial soap, colloidal silver was first used as a disinfectant. Silver is effective at both preventing and combating bacterial illnesses and infections because it does not corrode. In ancient times silver was used in wound dressings and it was frequently used for the same purposes in America following the Civil War.
This infection fighting quality is the reason why churches use silver chalices during the rite of Communion. The silver cup prevents disease spreading through the congregation.
With the development of the patented antibiotics, silver was forgotten for most part, despite the fact the antibiotics are only effective against bacteria and not against viruses, yeast, or fungi ( as silver is ).
The Tables Turn
However, the tables are turning, and with the greatly improved modern colloids, silver is being remembered and recognized as a most effective treatment.
In more modern times, an article on the Medical Uses of Silver reveals that “Electrolytically dissolved silver has been used as a water disinfecting agent. Silver was added as a disinfectant to the drinking water supplies of Russian Mir orbital station and the International Space Station. The World Health Organization includes silver in a colloidal state produced by electrolysis of silver electrodes in water, and colloidal silver in water filters as two of a number of water disinfection methods specified to provide safe drinking water in developing countries. Along these lines, a ceramic filtration system coated with silver particles has been created by Ron Rivera of Potters for Peace and used in developing countries for water disinfection.”
It becomes apparent through this study of silver’s colorful uses reveals it’s long and intriguing history as a germicide in human health care. It has been developed for water purification, wound care, bone prostheses, reconstructive orthopaedic surgery, cardiac devices, catheters and surgical appliances.
In fact advancing biotechnology has enabled incorporation of ionizable silver into fabrics for clinical use to reduce the risk of nosocomial infections and for personal hygiene.
The development of silver
What I find really exciting is the knowledge of colloidal silver’s abilities to counteract airborne viruses! It’s also claimed to potentially eradicate old scars within the body. The development of silver as a colloid with the many benefits that it heralds, is proving to be not just fruitful but impressive.
According to the ’ Use of Colloids in Health and Disease’, author Dr. Henry Crooks says that “ colloidal silver is highly germicidal. In laboratory test he found that "all fungus, virus, bacterium, streptococcus, staphylococcus, and other pathogenic organisms are killed in three or four minutes. In fact, there is no microbe known that is not killed by colloidal silver in six minutes or less in a dilution as little as 5 parts per million. “ Dr. Crooks found colloidal silver particularly effective in intestinal problems, and claims no serious effects whatsoever from high concentrations.
Scientific progress lends a boon to natural care through the release of colloidal silver
Through laboratory processes a solution of silver nanoparticles suspended in water was developed. The development of colloidal silver opened the doors to its myriad of uses and benefits, far beyond that of silver alone.
These silver nanoparticles ( found in colloidal silver ) are highly effective as they are unaffected by the hydrochloric acid in the stomach. They are then absorbed through the walls of the small intestine, entering into the bloodstream. Only the silver particles can enter the bloodstream, so it’s important for most of the silver to be in the form of particles.
Using colloidal silver does not affect anything in the body except the microorganisms that have invaded it. It does not have a toxic effect on our cells. What it does do is to latch onto toxic bacteria cells and it is these cells that are dealt with.
It also has an anti-inflammatory effect on the body.
Understanding Colloidal Silver - The Catalyst
As mentioned earlier, colloidal silver is said to act catalytically.
According to information provided on the PUREST COLLOIDS Learning Center.
“ A catalyst is a best described as a substance that brings about, or causes a reaction or occurrence without itself participating or being consumed.
Colloidal Silver acts as a catalyst in disabling a particular enzyme, best described as chemical lung, as it transfers oxygen and nutrients through the cell walls of the disease causing organism. The organism suffocates!! The mere proximity of silver will cripple the activity of the particular enzyme common to all viruses, funguses and bacteria, whilst not affecting the enzymes of tissue type cells.”
In other words, silver does not attack bacteria directly.
It decomposes certain enzymes that anaerobic bacteria, viruses, yeast, and molds require. The silver acts as a catalyst and so remains unconsumed by the process. It is suggested that the reason bacteria is unable to develop a resistance to silver (as it does with antibiotics), is because silver does not engage with bacteria directly. It simply destroys the enzymes they depend on.
An article in Nature’s Alternative states, “Dr. Becker's experiments seem to show that colloidal silvernot only kills the pathogens, but also produces dramatic healing of tissue, such as his statement of the skin growth on the leg quoted above. The silver ion causes some cells to restructure into cells with no differentiation. These cells can turn into any cell that is needed.
Only these dedifferentiated cells can be used to create the cells necessary to replace destroyed cells such as in a wound or rebuild missing tissue. It seems to be for this reason that colloidal silver heals injuries without scarring, or at least greatly reduces scarring, while greatly accelerating the reconstruction or general healing of wounds. Scar tissue develops when dedifferentiated cells are in short supply. Therefore it would seem, from the evidence at hand, that it would reduce or prevent internal scarring and promote internal healing after surgery.
Colloidal Silver for pregnancy, childbirth and the strongest infections.
In "Report: Colloidal Silver, Health Consciousness, Vol.15, No. 4", it is stated "Silver aids the developing fetus in growth, health, and eases the delivery and recovery."
Silver seems to be even more promising against AIDS, and there seems to be no doubt that the silver supplements and supports the T-cells in their fight against foreign organisms in the blood. It virtually forms a second immune system, actually protecting and defending T-cells. It is strongly suggested by research scientists such as Dr. Gary Smith and others that silver ions are essential to the immune system.”
Note : A true colloidal solution cannot be developed by home electrolysis systems that merely produce silver ion solutions with a small percentage of colloids ( they are largely silver ions suspended in water ). Remember, what we’re looking for here is a true colloidal silver solution, which possesses a majority of silver nanoparticles, not silver ions. I will go into this further at the end of this article.
What is a colloid ?
The term colloid means particles in suspension. Milk is an example of a colloid.
What is colloidal silver ?
Colloidal silver is a liquid suspension of microscopic silver particles,
Simply put, it is extremely minute-sized silver particles suspended in water, with a positive electrical charge. The smaller the silver particles, the more effective it has been proven to be. This electrical charge is of primary importance to healing and anti-bacterial qualities. The charge slowly dissipates, and therefore the freshness of the colloid is important.
What does Colloidal Silver do ?
According to medical journals from around the world, ‘ Colloidal Silver disables the particle enzyme that all one-celled bacteria, fungi and viruses use for their oxygen metabolism. Colloidal Silver co-mingles with the blood and enters the cells to seek out and destroy harmful organisms. It suffocates them in six (6) minutes or less. This phenomenon of Colloidal Silver has been successful tested at the UCLA Medical Labs where it killed every virus on which it was tested. Tests prove, due to the high absorption in the small intestine, the friendly bacteria in the large intestines are not affected. Trace amounts protect and strengthen the immune system.
All bacterial, viral and fungal organisms are killed within 6 minutes of contact. Higher silver content in the body causes faster and more frequent contract with these organisms. No disease can live in the presence of simple silver.’
A list of diseases colloidal silver has been used for
The following is a partial list of more than 650 diseases that colloidal silver has been successfully used against -
Acne, Arthritis, Athlete's Foot, Toxemia, Blood Poisoning, Burns, Cancer, conjunctivitis, Dermatitis, Diabetes, Dysentery, Eczema, Fibrositis, Gastritis, Gonorrhea, Impetigo., Keratitis, Leprosy, Lupus, Pymphagitis, Malaria, Meningitis, Neurathenia, Pleursy, Pneumonia, Prostate, Psoriasis, Pruritis Ani, Ophthalmia, Ringworm, Rhinitis Rosacea, Scarlet Fever, Seborrhea, Septicemia, Shingles, Skin Cancer, Straph Infection, Herpes Virus, Ulcers, Strep, Tonsillitis, Trenchfoot, Tuberculosisi, Virus, Warts, Whooping Cough and Yeast Infections.
Colloidal silver has also been a great anti-inflammatory in burn wounds. It brings rapid healing for burn cases.
In modern medicine, silver is used in burn wards.
How does colloidal silver actually perform this remarkable anti-bacterial function
According to the ‘ Medical Uses of Silver
Experiments, Research and Backgound Information’.
“The silverion (Ag+) is bioactive and in sufficient concentration readily kills bacteriain vitro. Silver also kills bacteria in external wounds in living tissue and therefore physicians use wound dressings containing silver sulfadiazine (Ag-SD) or silver nano-materials to treat external infections.Wound dressings containing silver are increasing in importance due to the recent increase of antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
The disinfectant properties of silver are used in medical applications, such as urinary catheters and endotracheal breathing tubes, where the silver content is effective in reducing incidences of catheter-related urinary tract infections and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) respectively. Silver is also used in bone prostheses, reconstructive orthopaedic surgery and cardiac devices, as well as on surfaces and fabrics to reduce the spread of infection.”
The Buzz Online
I’ve scoured through colloidal forums for the adventurous who have regularly used colloidal products, many of whom are also quite well-versed and educated on the subject.
Online Resources & Sites
3) EARTHCLINIC
The search for TRUE Colloidal Silver - Colloidal
Colloidal silver is a topic that has long been misunderstood due to a lack of knowledge on the true nature of the colloid. There are those who have sought to produce their own colloidal silver, and ended up producing ionic silver, silver chlorides or silver protein instead.
These are different substances that have been mislabeled and deliver very different results.
WHAT TO AVOID - Ionic silver, silver chloride, silver nitrate, silver protein
According the information provided at the PUREST COLLOIDS learning Center, “Laboratory measurements conducted at the Colloidal Science Laboratory of dozens of commercially available products have found that the vast majority are typically 90% ionic silver and only 10% silver particles, with some samples being 95 to 99 percent ionic!”
What is ionic silver?
Ionic silver cannot survive inside the human body, because it immediately combines with chloride to form silver chloride. Only the silver particles survive to enter the blood stream.
When an ionic silver solution is ingested, it first enters the stomach where it encounters hydrochloric acid (HCL) that aids in digesting food. The hydrochloric acid provides a vast abundance of chloride ions which have an enormous attraction to the silver ions because they have the opposite ionic charge. It is virtually impossible to prevent the chloride ions from combining with the silver ions to form the compound silver chloride.
What is silver chloride ?
During the process of low-voltage electrolysis ( or homemade colloidal silver processes), a combination of distilled water with salt puts chloride ions in the water that react with the silver to form silver chloride. The presence of salt increases the electrical conductivity of the water and this dramatically speeds up the reaction. As the reaction speeds up under these circumstances, it produces larger particles.
With regard to attempts to making colloidal silver at home, many aspects can be compromised. Note that the purity & temperature of the water is one of the factors that controls how small the particles of silver will be.
What is silver protein ?
Silver protein products are one of the oft mislabelled products being sold as "colloidal silver". They are sometimes labeled as "silver protein" or "mild silver protein”. Some are labeled incorrectly as "colloidal silver" omitting the fact that the product contains a protein.
Silver protein is made of metallic silver particles suspended in a polymer protein solution. Gelatin, an animal derived protein is one of the most commonly polymers used. Casein, derived from dairy products & polymers derived from grains also sometimes used.
What is silver nitrate ?
Silver nitrate can be prepared by reacting silver, such as a silver bullion or silver foil, with nitric acid, resulting in silver nitrate, water, and oxides of nitrogen. Silver nitrate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula AgNO3.
Understanding True Silver Colloids
True silver colloids have tiny particles whose size is measured in nanometers (nm), from about 1 to 100 nm (a nanometer is one one billionth of a meter). However, the particles in silver protein productsare many times larger, typically being in the range of 100 to 10,000 nm — or up to 1000 times larger than a typical silver colloid.
True silver colloids have tiny particles whose size is measured in nanometers (nm), from about 1 to 100 nm (a nanometer is one one billionth of a meter). However, the particles in silver protein productsare many times larger, typically being in the range of 100 to 10,000 nm — or up to 1000 times larger than a typical silver colloid.’
How to identify a mislabelled product
PUREST COLLOIDS offers some insight into recognizing counterfeit colloidal solutions. Here is the information they have provided on their site.
‘ Ionic silver solutions are easy to spot when you know what to look for. Even when the label says colloidal silver, a knowledgeable observer can learn to separate fact from fiction.'
Here are some tips to help you spot the masquerading products.
A clear and colorless liquid like water - This is the single most prominent visible indication that the contents are ionic and not colloidal. Only dissolved (ionic) silver looks like water.Amber colored or cobalt blue bottles - generally indicates photosensitivity, a property of some ionic solutions. The colored bottle is used to prevent visible light from causing deterioration of photosensitive ionic solutions.Glass bottles - many ionic solutions will not survive in anything but glass. If the producer warns that only glass should be used to contain their product you can be sure it is ionic.
Will you turn blue ?
The condition called Argyria, where ones skin turns a greyish blue is caused by the over ingestion of certain silver preparations.
Note that it is Not caused by ingestion of true colloidal silver.
Paul Karason, is widely known as the blue man., Hebegan drinking 700 ml daily of what he believed was colloidal silver for 14 years before turning blue.
He is a rare individual amongst 10 million plus users who have ever complained of a negative effect.
Yet this negative effect that he encountered was not a result of ingesting colloidal silver as so portrayed.
Bear in mind that the only negative effect that he experienced was the cosmetic effect of turning blue. Apart from that, he gained great health benefits, alleviating his asthma, improving his immune system and he continues to use his solution to this day!
This case has been termed the blue man fraud by some because it provided misinformation. It gave colloidal silver a bad reputation and created much fear and misrepresentation around colloidal silver.
In actual fact, it has been revealed that Paul Karason didn’t actually consume colloidal silver ! He did not have the technology to create it.
The true chemistry of his condition has been unlocked, and for those who care to investigate, much of this information is freely discovered by researching online..
According the PUREST COLLOIDS Learning Center , The blue man, “got this condition by taking his homemade silver compound that was mostly a highly concentrated ionic silver solution. When he prepared the solution he believed he was making colloidal silver.
He was not making colloidal silver.
To make the solution even more dangerous, he added salt to the brew and then used electrolysis to make a high concentration of silver chloride with large particles which is well known to cause argyria.
He further applied the compound to his skin causing him to become an internal and external photographic plate. To finish himself off, he used a tanning bed to "fix" the silver in his body. The moral of the story is to know the difference between true colloidal silver and ionic silver or silver proteins, and don't try to make either at home! (True colloidal silver cannot be made at home.)”
We have a highly intelligent body that is designed to carry and eventually eradicate nano particles of silver, etc that are found naturally in our soil and in our environment.
However the silver chloride is a concoction of extremely large particle that the body is not designed to evict, hence his ‘blue’ condition.'
Note - Colloidal silver is made of NANOPARTICLE SILVER. It is not a compound of silver protein or ionic silver.
Understanding particle size
The following information is provided by PUREST COLLOIDS. Reference is brought up to one of their products known as MESOSILVER.
‘In the world of colloids, particle surface area is the property of colloidal silver that directly determines the ability of the colloid to react with its environment. Therefore the effectiveness of colloidal silver is predicated on particle surface area. The higher the particle surface area the more effective the colloidal silver.
Particle surface area is defined as the total surface area in square centimeters (cm2) of all the particles in one milliliter (mL) of colloid.
In the world of chemistry the ability of one substance to interact with other substances in its environment is predicated on the surface area of the substances or stated another way, reactivity increases with increasing surface area. A larger value of particle surface area increases the reactivity of the colloid.
In the booklet "Silver Colloids" Professor Gibbs wrote "The size of the particles in the colloidal silver suspensions we use for health purposes is very important. Particle size controls the surface area and therefore the effectiveness of the colloidal silver suspension."
For this reason particle surface area is the single most important property of colloidal silver. It is not uncommon for non-technical readers to mistaken believe that the concentration (ppm) of silver is the most important property. Companies selling silver protein type products will advertise very high values of silver concentration with the explanation that higher ppm concentrations are more effective but that is simply not true. In fact silver protein products have very low values of particle surface area owing to the very large size particles present in those products.
Colloid particle surface area increases as the concentration of metal particles increases. Colloids that have the highest percentage of their metal content in the form of nanoparticles will have the highest particle surface area. Therefore, colloids that are mostly ionic silver will have a low particle surface area since most of the metal content is in the form of metal ions not nanoparticles.
Colloid particle surface area increases as the particle size decreases.
The highest particle surface area is achieved when there is a high concentration of nanometer or sub-nanometer sized particles. While this is the desired result, it is also the most difficult to achieve. Colloids containing high concentrations of large particles as found in silver protein products will have low particle surface area.
Ratio of surface area to mass is an expression of how efficiently a given mass of silver (concentration) is able to provide particle surface area. This ratio is calculated by dividing the particle surface area (sq. cm) by the mass (mg/L). For Mesosilver this value would be 5.23 (104.7/20). The higher this value is the more efficiently the silver is being utilized to increase the particle surface area (effectiveness) of the colloid. To put this value in perspective, a typical ionic silver product has a surface area to mass ratio of about 0.021 and a typical silver protein product has a ratio of about 0.024. The ratio for a true colloidal product, in this case, Mesosilver, is over 200 times greater than either of these product types. ‘
The difference between homemade and laboratory made colloidal silver.
The products that are produced by electrolysis of various descriptions which can be AC, DC, high voltage, low voltage or whatever, are actually ionic silver solutions, not colloids. Colloidal Silver Generators sold to home hobbyists all operate by electrolysis and therefore produce ionic silver solutions. Yet, the producers without exception have labeled the products produced by electrolysis as Colloidal Silver.
Clearly these product labels are deceptive and misleading because it is not reasonable to call such a product a "colloid" when the vast majority of the silver content is ionic and typically only 1 to 10 percent of the silver content is actually suspended particles (colloidal).
PUREST COLLOIDS LABORATORY MANUFACTURED HIGH QUALITY NANOPARTICLE METAL COLLOIDS
PUREST COLLOIDS, Inc. (PCI) is a New Jersey corporation. According to their company description, they are " engaged in the manufacture of high quality nanoparticle metal colloids. Our products are sold for use as dietary supplements to aid in promoting health and well being. Many years of research by the scientists at the Colloidal Science Laboratory, Inc. (CSL) have gone into the development of the processes used to produce these products. Purest Colloids, Inc. is the exclusive worldwide producerof the Mesocolloids.
At Purest Colloids, Inc., research and development is an ongoing effort whose purpose is to keep our products on the forefront of quality and effectiveness. Our affiliation with CSL means that we have available a state-of-art colloid laboratory and a scientific staff whose experience spans more than a half a century. "
The stark difference between silver chloride/ silver proteins and true colloidal silver
‘Many products are advertised as being colloidal silver, but in fact are mostly ionic silver solutions. A true silver colloid consists mostly of silver particles. Mesosilver has the highest percentage of it's silver content in the form of sub-nanometer silver particles, not silver ions. The surface area of the silver particles is the key to colloidal effectiveness.
Particle surface area increases as the particle size decreases. The highest particle surface area is achieved when there is a high concentration of nanometer or sub-nanometer sized particles. While this is the desired result, it is also the most difficult to achieve. Colloids containing high concentrations of large particles as found in silver protein products will have low particle surface area.
Silver Nanoparticles are found in the best colloidal silver products
MESOSILVER from PURESTCOLLOIDS for example, is 0.9999 pure silver sub-nanometer sized particles suspended in pure deionized water. This combination is called colloidal silver. The silver nanoparticles in Mesosilver typically measure 0.65 nanometers or less in diameter, which is slightly larger than twice the diameter of an atom of silver. Each silver nanoparticle consists of approximately 9 silver atoms. Because these silver particles are so small and the concentration of particles is high, the result is a silver colloid with a very high particle surface area. In the world of chemistry, surface area determines how effectively a substance will react with its environment. Silver particles are non-toxic to humans.
MESOSILVER combines small particle size and high particle concentration, a powerful combination of properties, to produce a colloidal silver product that has the highest particle surface area of any colloidal silver product ever tested.’ ( purestcolloids.com)
Dosage
The dosage for is typically between one teaspoon (5mL) and one tablespoon (15mL) daily to help maintain health. One to four tablespoons taken 4 times per day may be taken to help fortify the immune system when needed. Actual dosage will vary based on individual needs and the specific colloidal product used.
Color
Unlike most colloidal silver products, MESOSILVERis a clear amber colored liquid, looking like dark iced tea. It is the very high concentration of MESOSILVER particles, not size or contamination, that gives Mesosilver its distinctive coloration.
( Previously, it was thought that such a dark color indicated the presence of large silver particles, which is the case for colloidal silver produced by methods other than the mesoprocess. )
PRECAUTIONS & POINTS TO NOTE
** YOU SHOULD NOT USE THIS PRODUCT IF YOU'RE ALLERGIC TO SILVER.
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