Nanotechnology has rendered silver into an exceedingly powerful tool destined to be one of the most commonly used minerals in the modern health industry, environmental management industry, communications industry, sanitation industry, alternative power industry, energy industry and so many others.

This wide-spread application is largely due to that of nano technology’s influence upon silver’s well-established (A) biological catalytic activity which may excite higher life forms into maximal states of immune function when the silver is involved in the control and (B) its physical characteristics which establish that it possesses the greatest electrical and thermal conductivity of all metals while possessing the lowest contact resistance.5
For example, the demand for silver, as well documented by The Silver Institute, is reflected in the following many uses of silver in today’s economy:

• In medicine, dentistry, sanitation, hygiene and water purification
• In jewelry, silverware and decorative purposes where appearance is paramount.*
• In photography (AgBr), electrical engineering, high tech paints and photography*
• In alternative energy, power storage systems and weather management*
• In bullion and hard currencies (coins)*
• And as a mineral for dietary supplements*
• It is increasingly used in cosmetics for the control and relief of skin disorders and soreness, acne and hydrolysis to reduce wrinkling and to slow the signs of aging.

A lady I know has been using nano silver products to reduce the signs of aging in her skin is so taken with the marked effects of the products that she asked if silver could be taken orally, and would it kill the bacteria in our bodies. I didn’t know, but I promised to find some information about it for her.

There have been many studies carried out on humans and animals and I was myself amazed as to the results I discovered, both about the effects of the nano silver, and the total lack of toxicity.

Ingested Nano Silver Toxicity Studies

Independent tests on animals at levels equivalent to approximately 200 times the normal internal use adult dosage were found to be non-toxic. A 28-day bird flu study completed by a U.S. NIH virology lab also included a toxicity study in which the animals were fed levels of the nano-silver at 10-200 times the normal dosage daily. The nano-silver products were found to be non-toxic to the animals in the long term study. A separate medical college study tested the ingestion of nano-silver product in animals at levels of 0.5 ml, 1.0 ml, and 1.5 ml daily for 28 days, and again found the product completely non-toxic to the animals. An Indian (WHO approved) lab tested the nano-silver products for toxicity in a mouse-model study at levels of 50, 500, 5,000 mg/kg. The product was again found to be completely non-toxic to the animals at all levels tested in the Indian study. A peer-reviewed preliminary HIV Human study found that the oral ingestion of 2 ounces daily for four months of the 10 ppmnano-silver product had no negative effect on the seven human patients.

A U.S. Congressional Testimony outlines the use of the nano-silver at between 0.5-1.0 ounce daily use at 10 ppm, for human use of the product against malaria and other human ailments (120+ cases). In all cases, no negative effects were reported from any of the four hospitals and clinics that tested the product, by either external or internal use (mostly internal use).

Injected Nano-Silver Toxicity Studies

Two injected mouse model studies have been completed testing the nano-silver products at a level of 50 mg/kg, at both 10 and 32 ppm levels. Both studies found the products to be completely non-toxic to the test animals.

Will Nano-Silver Kill Probiotic Or Friendly Digestive Bacteria?

I was particularly interested in the effect of the silver on bacteria in our alimentary canal, as we have actively used nano silver for the control of bacteria on our skin, and for promoting the healing processes after such traumas as burns. Two independent studies have been completed by two different major labs, testing the effect of nano-silver on probiotic or friendly and needed digestive bacteria. Both studies found that the nano-silver products would not even inhibit the growth of probiotic bacteria at all levels at which it is being used.

Does Silver Cause Heavy Metal Poisoning?

Probably the most correct and widely accepted authority on the subject would be the MERCK Manual Of Diagnosis And Treatment. The 17th edition of the manual, on page 1880, shows the complete list of heavy metals that can cause heavy metal poisoning. The list includes a number of metals like copper and iron that are found in everyday vitamins, but silver is not listed in any form. I do not believe it was accidentally forgotten from the list, and it was not listed in the comprehensive list because it does not cause the problem! Listed under ‘Methemoglobin formers’ the Merck does list sodium nitrite as a cause of nephropathy, the importance of this being that if silver is mixed with heavy salt or sodium products, it could be classified as causing nephropathy, not because of the silver, but because of the heavy amount of salt contained in the matrix of the combined product. The heavy use of silver nitrate in the medical industry (both past and present) may have led people to the common, but incorrect misconception about silver.

Can Oral Silver Consumption Cause Cancer?

One of the major concerns of my friend, and of course many people in the world, is what causes cancer. As a Biology teacher of many years (perhaps too many) I have taught that one of the main causes of cancer is the introduction of chemicals into the body, and hence the cells, that do not necessarily exist there without introduction by man. Would silver be one of these chemicals I asked.

It has been suggested by numerous pseudo-scientists that the long term use of silver can cause cancer in some form or another. The statement is false. The EPA IRIS (Integrated Risk Information System) Report on Silver states under the first paragraph listed under section 11.A.2., ‘ No evidence of cancer in humans has been reported despite frequent therapeutic use of the compound (silver) over the years’ . Again under section 11.A.4. it states, ‘ Further support for the lack of silver’s ability to induce or promote cancer stems from the finding that, despite long standing and frequent therapeutic usage in humans, there are no reports of cancer associated with silver’ .

The European Commission Has Determined The Oral Supplement Use Of Silver To Be Safe!

The European Commission, Health & Consumer Protection Directorate- General, Opinion listed under Directorate B – Scientific Health Opinions, on the use of silver in medical devices, beverages, and supplements, issued their opinion on June 27th 2000 after a comprehensive study of the subject. The opinion is stated in their conclusion on page eight. The opinion states, ‘ According to Annex IV of Directive 94/36, Silver (E. 174) can be used quantum satis to color both food and beverages, and the metal can also be ingested in the form of dietary supplements sold in ‘ health-food’ shops’. In other words they found that silver metal was safe for oral ingestion as a supplement!

Safest Means To Protect Our Homes And Families

In December of 2000, a JAMA article reported that more than 100,000 people had died that year as a side effect of antibiotics used correctly. That number did not include antibiotics that were misused. Of the millions of people consuming silver products of all types that year, no deaths were reported. If a child accidentally consumed one bottle of vitamins or household cleaner, or hundreds of other products in our homes, he or she would most likely be killed or at least harmed. In comparison, if that same child were to accidently drink an entire 16 ounce bottle of the EPA approved silver hospital disinfectant, he or she would not be harmed in any way. A major university found in its testing that this same product, which would not hurt a child, could kill the two most deadly bacteria found in hospitals (MRSA and VRE), even when it was diluted way down to only 2.5 ppm. The point is that silver may not be perfect, but it is by far the safest and most effective, hospital, home, and body disinfectant we have in the world today. It is the only safe way we currently have to fight off deadly infections and disease. For use of anti bacterial nano silver visit http://intouch.nanolia.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=36_43&product_id=61

Conclusion

Silver is not a metal that causes heavy metal poisoning as has been reported by numerous pseudo-scientists. The Merck Index does not list silver as a compound that cases nephropathy.

Historically silver has been mixed with numerous toxic substances like arsenic, mercury and sodium nitrate.

These substances were often reported as having some toxic effect when used in large quantities. The silver was not a toxic product in itself, but was sometimes reported as being toxic because of the other added substances.
Humanity must be allowed some way to safely protect themselves and their families from deadly pathogens and infections that are rampant in our hospitals, schools, and homes. Silver may not be perfect, but it is by far the safest and most broad spectrum bacteria and infection killing substance available to mankind right now.

Nanotechnology is a most promising field for generating new applications in medicine. However, only few nano products are currently in use for medical purposes. A most prominent nano product is nano silver. Nano silver particles are generally smaller than 100 nm and contain 20–15,000 silver atoms. At nanoscale, silver exhibits remarkably unusual physical, chemical and biological properties. Due to its strong antibacterial activity, nano silver coatings are used on various textiles.

The prevention of the food of bacteria from residing on the fabrics is also an important contributory fact(see relevant products at http://intouch.nanolia.com/store/index.php?route=product/category&path=52 ) .

Further, nanosilver is used for treatment of wounds and burns and marketed as a water disinfectant and room spray. Thus, use of nanosilver is becoming more and more widespread in medicine and related applications and due to increasing exposure toxicological and environmental issues need to be raised.

Results from safety and toxicology studies demonstrate credible and unanimous safety evidence from experimental testing performed in humans, animals, laboratories, hospitals, medical clinics, in vitro, injected, ingested, cytotoxicity and overdosed sources. Results from all these studies report safe, beneficial and non-toxic data.

Nano Silver fulfils the definition of being non-toxic, in that it passes through the body unchanged, this means it does not produce any harmful metabolites.

I HAVE PERHAPS WANDERED FROM MY ORIGINAL BRIEF, BUT IT IS SO INTERESTING, ISN’T IT? WILL ORAL USE BE OUR NEXT STEP ON OUR JOURNEY OF REDISCOVERING SILVER?

InTouch Technology is a Nanolia VAR based in Cyprus