Colloidal Silver And Your Health
Colloidal silver refers to the liquid suspension that contains the element silver, which has been historically used as an antimicrobial and antiseptic agent. It is often marketed as a cure-all largely owing to positive anecdotal evidence. In fact, silver remains an important element in medicine to this day. In particular, topical applications of silver are used to prevent the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, on open wounds, burns, and other skin lesions.
Historical Uses
The medical applications of silver can be traced back to the ancient times. Hippocrates noted that silver have beneficial disease-fighting capacity. Hence, it was extensively used as an antibiotic. Early Greek and Roman physicians and practitioners of humoral medicine advocated the use of silver in anything tied to human health. Food products were believed to essentially have a longer shelf life when kept in silver containers. Its medicinal value remained unquestioned until the introduction of antibiotics in the 1940s. And it has enjoyed resurgence in popularity in the past few years.
The Colloidal Siver Effect
Oligodynamic Effect
The scientific community is convinced that silver ions exhibit antimicrobial properties, which are shared by other heavy metals, such as mercury, copper, lead, iron, zinc, gold, and aluminum, among others. Silver has become historically noted because it is the least toxic all all elements that have antimicrobial properties. The active form of silver is capable of causing irreversible damage to the key enzymes of cell membranes of pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, protozoans, and even viruses. These antimicrobial activities are referred to as oligodynamic effect, which kill microbes over time.
Medical Applications
Silver has several applications in the medical field. For one, its antiseptic value is widely recognized in surgical science and utilized in medical appliances, such as endotracheal breathing tubes for mechanical ventilation, antibacterial glasses for hospital use, and catheters. A study conducted by Kollaf et al has come to the conclusion that “patients receiving a silver-coated endotracheal tube had a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia,” a type of hospital-acquired pneumonia noted for its morbidity. In addition, wound dressing that contains silver are becoming widespread, especially in the context of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Colloidal Silver
Proponents of colloidal silver draw on the historical uses and medical applications of this element. It is believed that colloidal silver contains silver particles in amounts safe and nontoxic to humans, but at the same time potent enough to protect the body from pathogenic microorganisms. Oral applications of colloidal silver are receiving so much criticism from the scientific community due to the fact that silver is not an essential trace mineral. Despite of that, testimonials are encouraging as regular intake appears to ward off infections. It should be noted that colloidal silver sold in the market is legal, but products with unwarranted health claims have been banned.
Colloidal silver is an essential trace mineral everybody should have in their medicine cabinet, do you have some for yourself?