WILD SEED HOLISTIC HEALTH
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Services
  • Intake forms
  • Resources

The Silver Lining?

26/11/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
I started doing a little more research on colloidal silver and I came up with more than enough of a debate about it.

Again, a product that has been used for thousands of years as an antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-parasitic. The ancient Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and others also were recorded to have used silver in one form or another to preserve food and water, and this was practiced and recorded from B.C.E. through World War II. The application of silver plates to achieve better wound healing was used by the Macedonians, perhaps the first attempt to treat and prevent surgical infection. Hippocrates used silver preparations for the treatment of ulcers and to promote wound healing.(1)

Prior to patentable and more profitable antibiotics, medicines containing silver were the most widely prescribed infection fighters by mainstream allopathic physicians and there were no fewer than 34 different approved prescription and over the counter medications which contained silver. Now, after the elimination of most large particle and silver nitrate products and after improved technology has made nano-sized particles that require far less parts per million, colloidal silver proponents claim that it is safer and more effective than ever. At the same time, however, it has become the subject of increasing attacks by mainstream medicine, which labels colloidal silver as a scam, as quackery and as a dangerous substance with no proven value.

Picture
When it is pointed out that colloidal and nano-silver are used by NASA(2), Potters for Peace(3), the Hong Kong Subway System(4), Cure-Aid, and major hospital burn units, the opponents often concede that perhaps it works externally; however, they maintain that when it is taken internally it causes dangerous toxicity due to silver build-up. In a familiar refrain when it comes to silver and other alternatives to mainstream drugs, it is also claimed that colloidal silver taken internally has no “scientifically” proven benefits. When we are reminded that scientifically proven benefits are only substantiated by double blind, placebo controlled sudies, which in the alternative health field is hard to quantify in that exact testing manner because holistic health regards the whole, and not the reductionist approach.

One of the most widely publicized warnings is that colloidal silver causes people to turn blue due to a skin condition known as argyria. Argyria is a discolouration of the skin, generally characterized by a bluing of the skin’s pigment. This rare, biologically benign condition proves the old adage that quality is much more important than quantity. Argyria occurs in response to the overconsumption or impure colloidal silver particles. With any substance, too much is not a good thing.. Tylenol, vitamin C, water... all can bring harm when over doing it.

Taking colloidal silver as directed has extremely low risk to it unlike conventional antibiotics. Bacteria and viruses are also less likely to become resistant to it if used properly and can used in instances where an antibiotic resistant bacterium is present. (5)

There is a dark side of silver to see in the shadow of the light. Nanotechnologies have advanced silver into smaller and smaller particles which allow it to be better absorbed into tissues of the body and lower amounts may be spread throughout the body as an antibiotic/antiseptic agent. Industry have developed nanotechnologies as a widespread application that moves out of the small batches used sparingly by people fighting acute bacterial infection, and into the broad multinational introduction of antimicrobial products. Food containers, hospital applications, cloth, laundry soaps, counter tops, cutting boards, socks, bedsheets, and a huge part of consumers textiles are now introduced with antimicrobial silver particles..

My concern is not with the amounts that people personally use as an antiseptic/antibiotic, it is the tons of nano particles used in everyday items that gives rise for concern. Bacteria is more likely to adapt and become resistant if it has the opportunity to adapt and mutate. From research done from Ian Chopra, writing for the Oxford Journals, the clinical incidence of silver resistance remains low, and emergence of resistance can be minimized if the level of silver ions released from products is high and the bactericidal activity rapid. (6)


Picture
As a standard antibiotic eventually get filtered out of the body, so does silver. Most estimates are that it is flushed out they way other heavy metals would be and as mainstream antibiotics are flushed out and down, they end up in our streams and ground water at an alarming rate ( mostly from animal farming). This is degrading our fresh water and has been tested across North America to be a potential hazard. The same effects of flushed silver may end up in the environment, and may disrupt the natural balance of microbes and bacteria that are needed for environmental homeostasis.

With the evolution of technologies and industry we have created a much greater potential threat to health and environment. Baby blankets, stroller trays, towels... things that all end up at one point in baby's mouth! Not something I find re-assuring, as our most at risk demographic with a developing immune system, are in direct susceptibility of overconsuption of these nanoparticles because we are placing them in everything that is a potential teething ring!

The environmental effect may have not been accounted for as microbes and silver have coexisted for billions of years with no know resistance to silvers antimicrobial effects. Then again, we have never had nanotechnologies and it's effect on the silver particle in conjunction with it's widespread use of everyday products. (7)This may in fact give rise to silver resistant bacterium.

One of the most important aspects of health is balance, ours and the environment. If we are to keep silver as a health application we can not apply it to the regular industrial and consumer products but keep it as it should be... in reserve to use in acute situations and not as in broad spectrum use. Much the way mainstream antibiotics have come and gone, over use and over consumption can degrade the effectiveness of silver, as a
whole.

References;
  1. Hill WR, Pillsbury DM. Argyria–The Pharmacology of Silver. Baltimore. Williams & Wilkins, 1939

  2. Disinfection ofSpacecraft Potable Water Systems by Passivation with Ionic Silver
    Michele N. Birmele' Engineering Services Contract. Team QNA, Kennedy Space Center, Florida. 32899
    http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20110014435.pdf

  3. Submitted to Jubilee House Community December 21, 2001
    Daniele S. Lantagne ,Alethia Environmental
    Investigation of the Potters for Peace Colloidal Silver Impregnated Ceramic Filter
    http://web.mit.edu/watsan/Docs/Other%20Documents/ceramicpot/PFP-Report1-Daniele%20Lantagne,%2012-01.pdf

  4. October 23, 2006 by: Jessica Fraser, Natural News, Colloidal silver antibacterial liquid sprayed on Hong Kong subways as public health measure
    http://www.naturalnews.com/020851_colloidal_silver_disease_prevention.html

  5. March 28 2012, M.K. Rai, S.D. Deshmukh, A.P. Ingle and A.K. Gade
    Journal of Applied Microbiology;
    Silver nanoparticles: the powerful nanoweapon against multidrug-resistant bacteria
    http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2012.05253.x/pdf

  6. Ian Chopra, Oxford Journals, The increasing use of silver-based products as antimicrobials: a useful development or a cause for concern?
         http://jac.oxfordjournals.org/content/59/4/587.full
 
  1. July 2013, Nate Seltenrich, Environment Health Prospectives; Nanosilver: Weighing the Risks and Benefits                 http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/121-a220/


0 Comments

    Archives

    November 2021
    June 2021
    June 2020
    March 2020
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014

    Categories

    All
    Acid Reflux And GERD
    Adaptogens
    And Seeds
    Antibacterial Foods
    Anti Inflammatory
    Anti-inflammatory
    Antioxidants
    Antiviral Foods
    Aspartame
    Beans And Legumes
    Bees
    Better Sleep
    Blood Pressure
    Blood Sugar And Carbohydrates
    Bone Health
    Brain Health
    Breakfast
    Breakfast To Balance Blood Sugars
    Cancer Fighting Foods
    Cancer Prevention
    Charitable Organizations
    Cold & Flu
    Colliodal Sliver
    Colours Of Nutrition
    Cooking Classes
    Cooking Oils
    Dandelion Health Benefits
    Digestive Health
    Easy Recipes
    Electrolytes
    Epigenetics
    Fibre
    Food And Mood Tracker
    Gluten Free
    Glycemic Load
    Granola
    Gut Health
    Guthealth
    Headaches Ease
    Healing Plants
    Healthy Eating
    Healthy Environments
    Healthy Habits
    Heart Health
    Herbs
    Hydration
    IBD
    IBS
    Immune
    Immunity Support
    Inflammation
    Lifestlye
    Longevity
    Meal Prepping
    Microbiome Health
    Mindful Eating
    New Recipes
    New Years
    Nightshades
    Nuts
    Omega 3s
    Organic Is Best
    Organic Weed Management
    Pain Relief
    Pesticide Hazards
    Phytonutrients
    Plant Based
    Plant-based Menu Ides
    Planting For Fall
    Plant Power
    Prebiotics
    Probitics
    Protein
    Pumpkin Pie Lattes
    Recipes
    Rice
    School Lunches
    Skin Care
    Sleep Health
    Soaking Grains
    Spicy Ginger Nuts
    Stress Management
    Sunshine And Health
    Swiss Chard
    Vegan Recipies
    Vitamin D
    Warming Spices
    Weight Management
    Whole Foods
    Whole Foods Plant Based
    Whole Foods Plant-Based
    Whole Grains
    Why Going Organic Is So Important
    Winter Health
    Winter Nutrition
    Yoga
    Yoga For Sleep
    Yogurt

    Rebecca L. Thornton

    I wanted a venue to share my thoughts on what I have learned and lived  in life. 

Wild Seed Holistic Health respectfully acknowledges that we work, live & play in the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. This territory is covered by the “Treaties of Peace and Friendship” which Mi’kmaq Wəlastəkwiyik (Maliseet), and Passamaquoddy Peoples first signed with the British Crown in 1726. The treaties did not deal with surrender of lands and resources but in fact recognized Mi’kmaq and Wəlastəkwiyik (Maliseet) title and established the rules for what was to be an ongoing relationship between nations.