. What is Colloidal Silver?
Colloidal Silver (CS) consists of pure silver, fractionalized into billions of silver particles suspended in pure steam distilled water. Our electrolytic technology ensures that the energized silver particles are as small as a fraction of a nanometer.
Our silver solution is composed of silver particles at 15 ppm (parts per million), with the average silver particle size being 0.009 microns. It is the very small particle size of silver that makes it so effective. The smaller the particle size, the greater the surface area of silver, making it easier for the body/skin to absorb, process and eliminate. Once Colloidal Silver goes above 25 ppm, the particle sizes get bigger and it becomes less effective.
The silver particles are mostly smaller than a human blood cell. Since the particles of silver have an opposite charge than the body, they are naturally attracted to our cells, and are quickly absorbed through tissues into the bloodstream. It is recommended that Colloidal Silver be held under the tongue or swished about in the mount for 15-30 seconds before swallowing. This helps absorption rate because colloidal minerals are easily absorbed sublingually.
. Is it safe?
As Silver is found as a naturally occurring trace element it has been used for thousands of years as a natural way to support good health.
SilverGuard CS is safe to take orally or apply to your skin, with wide spectrum health benefits and no known side effects or reaction with other medications. It’s advised that you stick to the recommended doses found on the ‘Recommended Use’ section of this website.
Make sure your Colloidal Silver is from a reputable manufacturer. Products with a high parts per million (ppm) concentration of silver (we would say anything over 30ppm) are not necessary and should be avoided.
For more information, follow this link to Guidelines for Safe Usage of Colloidal Silver
. Are other silver products with higher concentrations of silver more powerful?
Definitely not! CS is produced at a concentration of 15ppm (parts per million), with the silver particle size between 0.0005 to 0.009 microns. It’s often thought that Colloidal Silver made at a higher concentration (50ppm or more) will have more silver and therefore be more effective. This isn’t actually the case. The particle size is the most important factor here, so if the parts per million goes over 25, it’s very difficult to continue to produce a consistent small particle size due to the way the electrolysis process works.
It’s the very small particle size of silver that we produce that makes SilverGuard so effective. The smaller the particle size, the greater the surface area of silver for interaction, making it easy for the body/skin to absorb, process and eliminate. Once Colloidal Silver goes above 25ppm, the particle sizes get bigger and it becomes less effective. Taking Colloidal Silver at the wrong concentration and dosage is not advisable.
. What is the history of Colloidal Silver?
Silver has been used for thousands of years as a natural medicine. It is a natural mineral, which we use to get from the soil through our food, however due to extensive cultivation the natural minerals in our soil have been seriously depleted.
Often, people who live in areas with rich unspoilt soil, live healthier lives and have a stronger immune system. Roman soldiers were known to put silver coins in their mouths to protect them from illness, and silver coins were commonly added to vessels to keep water fresh and milk from spoiling, food was stored by the wealthy in silver containers to keep bacteria from growing. Silver utensils, plates and drinking cups have protected Kings, Emperors and the very wealthy for generations by the minute particles of silver that wore off and mixed with their food, therefore helping them fight diseases and live longer.
At the beginning of the 20th Century, colloidal silver was used extensively by medical practitioners as it proved to be enormously effective against bacteria. The use and research into colloidal silver declined after 1938 when antibiotics were introduced, however not even 100 years on and we are seeing some significant resistance to antibiotics. Since the 1970’s there has been a renewed and growing interest in Colloidal Silver.
In the USA, silver is used in bone surgery and by 70% of burns centres. Japanese companies are using silver to remove cyanide and nitric oxide from the air. NASA use a silver water system in its space shuttles and many airlines companies use silver water filters to curtail waterborne diseases. Silver is also added to the water in many hospitals and public buildings in the UK to treat and prevent Legionellosis (Legionnaires disease) and other water borne bacteria and viruses.
. How does Colloidal Silver work?
Like with anything in life, nature seeks to be balanced or neutral. In our bodies there are good and bad bacteria. A good bacteria helps our body function and is well balanced, having equal amounts of positive and negative electrical charges (ions). Bad bacteria is out of balance because it has more negative than positive ions.
The silver particles in our Colloidal Silver are positively charged. Once ingested or coming into contact with skin, the positively charged Colloidal Silver is then attracted to and seeks out the spare negative ions in bad bacteria (like a magnet). The Colloidal Silver rips the negative electrons away from the bad bacteria which makes it collapse, suffocate and die. It is then cleared out of the body by the immune, lymphatic and elimination systems.
The good thing about this process is that the bad bacteria can’t build up a resistance to the Colloidal Silver. Also, assuming the right concentration has been taken, the Colloidal Silver is absorbed rapidly into the upper gastrointestinal tract, leaving very little or none to interact with the beneficial ‘good’ bacteria in our intestines which are needed for our body to function effectively.
People are building resistance to modern antibiotics and also these antibiotics kill the friendly bacteria we need in our gut, which is why more people are turning to Colloidal Silver. Interestingly Colloidal Silver is known to actually help enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics too (read more).
Colloidal Silver is non-toxic and safe for humans, reptiles, animals, plants and all multi-celled living matter.
. What does it taste like?
Sliver Guard tastes like water with a very slight metallic taste. If taking orally, it’s best to hold it under your tongue for 30 seconds (or as long as possible).
If you don’t like the taste, you can spray it into your mouth instead as you can’t taste it as much – this works well for kids too as see it as a bit of fun anyway!
Dilution is not recommended as the product already contains a safe, low concentration of silver. However, it can be added to food, or added to cooled boiled or distilled water.
. How should I store SilverGuard?
We recommend you store SilverGuard in a cool, dark place and out of reach of children.
Refrigeration or freezing are not required or recommended. Likewise exposing the product to high temperatures for short periods (under 125 Fahrenheit) won’t affect the quality of the product, however storing the product in the car during summer is not advisable, and the product should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
We would also recommend keeping the product away from electromagnetic energy (such as microwaves or electrical outlets).
. Can I use SilverGuard on my pets?
Yes! It’s very effective and a cheaper alternative to antibiotics in some cases. Please see our How to Use page for dosage recommendations for birds to horses!
. Is the product certified or regulated?
There are no certifications or regulations required to manufacture or sell Colloidal Silver. However make sure you buy Colloidal Silver from a reputable manufacturer.
For more information, follow this link to Guidelines for Safe Usage of Colloidal Silver
. Can I have an allergic reaction to Colloidal Silver?
There are no known interactions with conventional medications and allergic reactions to silver are very rare. If you have any concerns, do a patch test by applying a drop onto the skin. Redness could indicate an intolerance.
After ingesting the initial dosages, you may, after about 4 days, experience a brief detoxification effect such as a sluggish feeling, mild headaches or mild diarrhoea. If these symptoms appear, this is a positive sign that the Colloidal Silver is working. Dead pathogens (bad cells) are accumulating and need to be expelled. It is very important to drink plenty of water to assist the body in this function. If you experience discomfort, reduce the dosage of Colloidal Silver temporarily and then gradually increase as symptoms subside. Tailor the dosage to the needs of your body.
This can often be referred to as ‘Herxheimer Reaction’ – this is not a toxic response to silver but a response to infections being rapidly eliminated and the subsequent change in the biological terrain. The difference is important, especially if one is attempting to treat a chronic condition with larger doses of colloidal silver.
What causes this? When the kidneys/liver are introduced to substances in quantities that cannot be processed as a normal part of the body’s elimination system, the body redirects excess amounts to the skin for elimination. This is known as a toxic response, and occurs instantly with substances like garlic. A toxic response is not always negative. With garlic, it is this exact toxic response that allows the body to harness garlic’s curative properties.
“For those using colloidal silver experimentally in an attempt to treat very severe and chronic conditions, the operative idea is to reach a level of saturation, then maintain a dose JUST below this saturation point. Occasionally, it is a good idea to adjust tolerance by increasing the dosage level again until this saturation level is reached. Again, this is mentioned for those who are involved in the experimental use of colloidal silver.” http://www.silvermedicine.org/silveruse2.html
. What colour should the SilverGuard solution be?
SilverGuard has a slight yellow/ amber hue.
The light amber colour indicates a smaller silver particle size which is easier for the body to absorb, process and eliminate.
. Why is SilverGuard in a plastic bottle, rather than a glass bottle?
Our production process produces a truly colloidal silver solution, the tiny ionic silver particles suspended in the water electrostatically and they are not heavy enough to sink to the bottom of the vessel. It does not deteriorate nor fallout of suspension and therefore not necessary to store in a glass bottle.
. What does the Environmental Protection Agency in the USA say about Colloidal Silver?
“The EPA has indicated that there is no known risk associated for an average adult to consume up to 7 teaspoons daily of 12 PPM for 70 years when manufactured according to the above attributes. For therapeutic purposes, doctors may use this as a general guideline to escalate dosages over a shorter time period. As a dietary supplement, the safety parameters of this product description serve a wide spectrum of patient populations. For example, this same EPA guideline would permit 14 teaspoons to be consumed daily for up to 35 years. Or, a doctor may even wish to utilise graduated dosages, and over time suggest that their patients take under supervision up to 7 tablespoons daily. Due to the silver’s purity, these recommendations should advise the patient to always take the product on an empty stomach, which may then be followed by food 25 minutes later” See http://www.silvermedicine.org
. What is Argyria, can I turn blue?
SilverGuard definitely won’t make you turn blue, but there is a condition called Argyria, a permanent blue/grey discoloration of the skin. This condition is highly uncommon and can be caused by exposure to extreme quantities of silver from silver salts, silver compounds or inhaled silver powder/dust – so really it can only occur in the presence of extreme negligence and ingestion of Colloidal Silver made using impure silver or protein synthesis.
Protein synthesis silver solutions are typically made by blending silver powder and water and have very large silver particles yet lowest surface area of silver particles, which makes this solution the least bioavailable or able to be absorbed. These are the products known to be very dangerous and are known to cause Argyria, or Blue Man Syndrome. You can spot protein synthesized silver products because they foam heavily when shaken and the foam remains for quite a while. These products also typically have extremely high strengths, some as high as 20,000 parts per million (ppm). Please do not buy or use any product you suspect of being a protein synthesis. Hope this answer helps explain things.
There have also been very few cases as a result of consuming homemade forms of Colloidal Silver or concentration of silver products that are 100ppm or higher. (100ppm is a very high concentration which could be produced by someone if they are unclear on how the manufacturing process of Colloidal Silver works).
Silver is sensitive to light, so exposure of pale or colourless silver compounds to sunlight decomposes them to silver metal or sulfides, and these products can deposit as microscopic particles in the skin, in effect a dark pigment (causing Argyria).
The risk of serious harm from Silver is minimal and careful use of silver or silver compounds will not lead to Argyria. Treatment of external infections is considered safe, oral use of high quality true colloidal silver is safe if the dose is carefully monitored.
There is a well-known history of safe uses of Silver and as with any prescription medication or dietary supplement, the success of Colloidal silver depends on correct usage, so concentration and particle size is critical.
It’s a bit like when assessing the safety of any chemical, you need to consider a number of things, the most important being concentration. Chlorine is a prime example. It’s an extremely acidic chemical with list of terrible side effects and dangers, yet it’s used to keep the world’s water supply clean and, when bound with sodium, exists in the form of salt on your dinner table. Most chemicals, including the components of the air we breathe, are toxic at the wrong concentration.
SilverGuard has never been reported to cause a single case of Argyria and will never do so. We use an advanced manufacturing technique to produce our Colloidal Silver at a concentration of 10ppm with a very small particle size of silver. Our low concentration and high percentage of positively charged silver is what makes SilverGuard more effective than others. The concentration of silver in our product is so low, you could safely take 7 teaspoons every day for 70 years and never reach what even the EPA considers to be the lowest observed adverse event level (LOAEL) conservative minimum recommended amount.
. Can I use SilverGuard if I’m on antibiotics or any other medication?
We would always advice you speak to your doctor or health care practitioner. However, there are no known side effects or reaction with other medications and one cannot overdose, however it’s advised you stick to the recommended dose.
Colloidal Silver is known to actually help enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics (read more) and we’ve heard some antibiotics are now being coated in silver!
. Will SilverGuard destroy the good/friendly bacteria or probiotics I need (i.e. flora) in my intestines?
Assuming the right concentration has been taken, the Colloidal Silver is absorbed rapidly into the upper gastrointestinal tract, leaving very little or none to interact with the beneficial ‘good’ bacteria in our intestines which are needed for our body to function effectively.
However, if large amounts of Colloidal Silver are taken, it is possible that a portion could reach the intestines and kill some of the beneficial bacteria. Taking acidophilus or live culture yogurt will help to restore intestinal flora.