By: Jodey Brown
Silver stands out in the immune-support category because it has not only been shown to enhance the effectiveness of the immune system; it actually works in three unique ways to help keep you healthy.
DIRECT ACTION AGAINST MICROBES
Silver stops infectious microbes in their tracks. This precious metal has been used as an antimicrobial for centuries; as early as the fifth century B.C., Herodotus, the “Father of History,” described the king of Persia carrying clean water in silver flagons to keep it as sterile as possible in order to prevent sickness, a practice that was used as recently as World War II by the Soviet Army.
It has long been accepted that silver is effective in fighting a range of microbes including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, and recent years we have begun to understand exactly how silver works against these infectious agents. First, silver ions rupture the outer membrane of the infectious agent, exposing the internal components to the immune system for clean-up by our white blood cells. Silver ions continue to work against microbes by attacking their oxygen- metabolizing enzymes and essentially suffocating them. Furthermore, silver ions have the ability to attack microbes most important and vulnerable target- it’s DNA. When the gene pool is destroyed, the germ is no longer able to replicate and wreck havoc on the immune system!
This direct action against microbes serves as a first line of defense to help eliminate microbes before the immune system even needs to get extensively involved.
ENHANCEMENT OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
However, when the immune system does sense a threat that it needs to address, silver helps the immune system to perform at its very best.
As far bas as 1907, it was observed that the production of white blood cells counts increase with the administration of silver. This observation has been more recently confirmed, most notably in the work of silver pioneer Dr. Robert O. Becker. Not only does silver increase white blood cell production, it helps with white blood to do their job better by promoting the healthy production of ROS, or reactive oxygen species, a tool used by white blood cells as a “digestive aid”. Silver also helps the ROS to do their job more effectively by becoming site-specific to the targets, allowing ROS o lock into specific immune targets.
Researchers have also found that silver may help white blood cells to more efficiently intercept immune threats. They have observed that administration of silver seems to enhance the “Opsonic Index,” or the tracking, mobilization, recognition, and surveillance abilities of specialized white blood cells.
All of this adds up to a cumulative enhancement of the immune system. In animal studies using silver, researchers have seen up to a 24 percent increase in the effectiveness of the immune system.
REGENERATIVE PROPERTIES
Finally, once silver has helped the body to rid itself of the infectious agents, it actually helps the body to heal. Even after a cold has run its course, it can sometimes take weeks to feel completely recovered, simply because the body is still trying to recuperate from the strain of fighting the illness.
One of the residual effects of a cold is the itchy, puffy eyes and red nose caused by the natural immune response inflammation. Silver may be able to help; a study reported in the June 2005 British Journal of Dermatology found that silver has anti- inflammatory properties when applied to ears of mice induced with allergic contact dermatitis.
Additionally, silver ions actually help to regenerate tissue, as observed in vitro and in vivo studies by Dr. Becker, spanning two decades. In studies using silver as an antimicrobial for wound healing, Dr. Becker observed a very positive side effect: Silver actually spurred significant growth stimulation in damaged tissues. This can help with recovery for mucous membranes that are raw from coughing and sneezing, and in the case of a deep chest cold or bronchial infection, silver may help to heal irritated lung tissue as well.
FINDING THE RIGHT FORMULA
Clearly, silver is a great choice when it comes to immune- building supplements. Now the question that consumers will surely be asking is, which silver formula is right for me?
There are a few things you will want to know before you purchase silver hydrosol. First, keep in mind the silver formulations sold in health food stores should not be confused with medical drugs and devices. These silver formulations are considered to be dietary supplements that will support your health but will not cure diseases.
Second, remember that just as all immune supplements are not the same, all silver preparations are not the same. A quality silver hydrosol is really the best bet when it comes to finding a safe and effective product. Silver hydrosol differentiates itself from other types of silver preparations commonly found in health food stores in that the silver particles are sub- nanometer size, so they are able to remain in suspension solely due to their positive charge within the pure water base. As Dr. Eric Rentz points out, when it comes to silver solutions, “It all comes down to bioavailability.” And when it comes to silver, bioavailability comes down to particle size.
One product that truly stands out is Sovereign Silver from Natural-Immunogenics. Sovereign Silver claims it is the firs “true silver hydrosol” with the smallest particle size ever produced at .8 nanometers. In fact, the particles in this formula are so small, they are actually measured on the picoscale, which is even smaller than the nanoscale, meaning their antimicrobial and healing properties are even more prevalent than those found in formulas utilizing nanoparticles.
The solution of ultra-pure water and silver is created using an electromagnetic process that creates particles only when elemental silver is provided with a positive charge. Natural- Immunogenics says this process assures that each bottle fundamentally contains at least 96 percent active particles. The positive charge, combined with the small particle size, allows for even dispersion as well; the particles actually repel one another with their positive charge, so the dispersion is uniform. This widely dispersed concentration also allows for maximum results with minimal silver. Sovereign Silver has a very low silver concentrations of just 10 ppm (parts per million) meaning that it is not only one of the most effective silver preparations on the market, but one of the safest as well!!
One of the additional benefits to Sovereign Silver is that it looks, tastes, feels and smells like pure water. For yourself, and especially for children, this supplement is simple to administer, and can be administered directly to vulnerable areas such as the eyes, nose and throat.
***BeautynHealth.com has chosen Sovereign Silver for their purity, quality and environmental consciousness.