Is Silver Safe for Your Immune System?

March 31, 2020
Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Award-winning nutritionist and New York Times bestselling author.

Silver is more than just a passing fad.

From colloidal silver to chelated silver oxides, this natural antimicrobial has a long history of being on the front lines of health and healing. But is it safe?

Staying home and practicing social distancing has sparked a new passion in me to research all of the new advancements in natural antimicrobials.

The very same silver used to make everything from jewelry to fine silverware can also be used safely to avoid and fight off infections, while preserving the health of the microbiome. I’ve recently discovered a new, patented form of chelated silver that I’m eager to share with you. It is especially effective AND gentle on your precious probiotic population. First, let’s dig into the “how” and “why” to use silver to support your immunity.

A Promising History

The first use of silver was documented in the early 1500s. Colloidal silver was first used in 1891 by surgeons to sterilize wounds, but the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century halted research into its many antimicrobial uses.

The antibiotic resistance of recent years has prompted new, promising silver research with exciting advancements. Here is just a snippet of some of silver’s illustrious history and current research:

  • First published in scientific papers in 1881, silver nitrate drops were placed in the eyes of newborns to prevent the spread of gonococcal chlamydial infections, which are common sexually transmitted diseases acquired during the birth process. We have transitioned away from this in recent years because of the eye irritation it causes.
  • Discovered in the 1960s and still in use today, silver sulfadiazine cream is commonly prescribed for burns and other susceptible wounds to prevent infection.
  • When patients need a ventilator, studies have shown that using endotracheal tubing coated with silver reduces the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia.
  • Colloidal silver was found in recent studies to be safe and effective at breaking down sinus biofilms and fighting infections from MRSA and other resistant bacteria.
  • Recent research into silver nanoparticles shows that silver is not only better than antibiotics at preserving healthy cells, but also helps enhance the effects of some infection-fighting drugs. Anti-amoebic medications conjugated with silver nanoparticles become more potent against living amoebae.

Silver in its many uses has been shown to have a good safety profile with low toxicity and minimal risk, but like anything else, you can get too much of a good thing. Historically, aristocrats were the only ones who could afford the daily privilege of eating off silver plates with silver utensils and drinking from silver cups. As the saying goes, they were “born with a silver spoon in their mouths.”

This caused overexposure to silver and an excessive accumulation, which resulted in a very rare condition called argyria. This caused their skin to develop a bluish tinge and was not life-threatening, but is where the term “blue bloods” actually originated. It takes long term, excessively high doses of silver to develop argyria, so the risk with today’s preparations and dosages is almost nonexistent.

Silver Resistance

Did you know there is silver in many of your cosmetic products and even your contact lenses, to act as a preservative and make them more hygienic? Since 2007, only approximately 20 percent of the silver patents have been for medical use, which means the other roughly 80 percent are for cosmetic, agricultural, and industrial uses. Studies show that such widespread use can lead to bacteria and other microbes becoming resistant to silver, much like antibiotic resistance has developed.

We are already seeing some bacterial resistance to silver, and the truth is researchers don’t know why. The biochemical differences between a bacterial strain that is resistant and one that isn’t are very small and subtle. What I personally have discovered is that the form the silver is in seems to make all the difference in effectiveness.

Not All Silver Is Created Equal

When I wrote about Maximum Immunity here, I mentioned the term “zinc ionophore.” What this means is that zinc needs another substance to drive it into the cells where it can stop infection.  It turns out that the form silver is in can act like an ionophore and drive it into the cell where it is needed to fight infection.

Silver needs to be in a nano-sized form where it can stick to cell walls and easily penetrate them. Nano particles are smaller than 100nm and, in the case of silver, dissociate quickly and easily in liquid. This means they’re free floating and waiting to attach to something that has a charge.

When you see a product listing for colloidal silver, you’ll see a wide range of ppm (parts per million), which can dramatically change its effectiveness. Even though the colloidal form of silver was used successfully as an antibacterial as far back as the 1890s, the manufacturing of it today is so inconsistent that researchers and medical providers can’t take it seriously.

The other issue with colloidal silver is that it is suspended in water and flushes out of your system rapidly. It’s inorganic, so there isn’t anything in it that makes it stick to your cell walls so it can stick to your cells to fight bacteria and other infections outside the cell, and penetrate and fight intracellular infections. These issues made it abundantly clear to scientists that a new silver preparation was needed, and I’m thrilled to share it with you today!

The Most Effective Silver Supplement I’ve Found

As I’m sure you’re already aware of, infections inside the cells are the hardest to treat.

Scientists have found that when silver oxide is chelated with amino acids, it changes the molecular structure of the silver oxide, making it biocompatible with your cells. This means it binds with your cells and allows it to act quickly, anywhere in your body where you are fighting infection – including inside your cells.

You can get chelated silver oxide up to 4000ppm in a concentrate that you dilute yourself down to 150ppm, which is still 15 times more concentrated than most colloidal silver products you can buy. UNI KEY Health has just started carrying the one I personally use now, which you can find here. Just one drop in one ounce of distilled water gives you 150ppm concentration. One teaspoon of this dilution is the dose I recommend adults take up to 3 times daily on an empty stomach.

Supplies are dwindling, so HURRY!!!  >> ORDER HERE

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Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS, is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books including The Fat Flush Plan series and her latest book, Radical Metabolism. She’s been rewriting the rules of nutrition for more than 40 years and is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the field of diet, detox and women’s health issues. 

For a FREE daily dose of tips and strategies for maintaining healthy weight, conquering insomnia, and much more…check out my Radical Health Tips.

I’d like to meet and greet you on my Facebook groups, so won’t you check us out at the Radical Metabolism RevolutionFat Flush Nation, or my Inner Circle!

1 Comment

  1. Pamela N.

    I have been reluctant to try Silver. This one sounds really effective and safe. Thanks so much for this information.

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