Is Nanosilver More Effective Than Ionic Colloidal Silver? by Steve Barwick

 The nanosilver v/s ionic colloidal silver debate has heated up on the internet once again, and based on the questions I’m receiving it’s clear that people new to colloidal silver usage are more confused than ever by the conflicting reports.

So here’s the bottom-line facts in a nutshell, so you’ll never again be confused about the profound differences between nanosilver and ionic silver. Once you understand the simple facts below, you’ll never again be taken in by all of the nanosilver nonsense…

 

Hi, Steve Barwick here, for The Silver Edge…

Well, it looks like Dr. Rima and others on the internet are up to their old tricks again, claiming that only nanosilver is effective against Ebola, and that the ionic form of colloidal silver is not effective at all.

Setting aside the question of whether or not any form of silver has ever been proven effective against Ebola, the idea that nanosilver is “more effective” than ionic colloidal silver is just plain silly.

Here’s the bottom line:

Ionic colloidal silver is, and always has been, the active, infection-fighting form of silver. That’s such a profoundly well-known fact, anyone stating differently truly ought to be ashamed of themselves – especially anyone portraying themselves as an “expert.”

Here’s what the real experts have to say:

“The antimicrobial properties of silver are due to the silver ion…”

– Romans, I.B. 1954. Oligodynamic metals. In Antiseptics, Disinfectants, Fungicides, and Chemical and Physical Sterilization. Philadelphia, Lea & Febiger, 388-428.

All silver-based antimicrobials act against bacteria through the action of silver ions (Ag+)…Unique qualities of silver ions are: Low risk for bacteria resistance, effective in very low concentrations, no human toxicity

– Dr. Murray J. Height, Ph.D, Chief Technology Officer, HeiQ Materials, Silver Nanotechnology Working Group

“It is the silver ion (Ag+) that provides silver with its unique recognition as the healthful metal. Its bactericidal activity is unique because though this ion breeches walls of bacterial cells, it does not do so to mammalian cells.”

– Samuel F. Etris, The Silver Institute, writing in Silver Compounds

As you can see, the experts agree that it’s the silver ion (i.e., ionic silver) that is the active, infection-fighting form of silver.

And if you don’t believe me, or the experts above, see the comprehensive documentation in the article “Experts Agree: It’s the Silver Ion That Gives Colloidal Silver Its Antimicrobial Power” at this link.

All other forms of silver – including nanosilver – are effective against pathogens only to the extent they’re able to shed silver ions inside the human body.

In other words, for silver to be effective against pathogens in the body, it must be in the ionic state. If it is not ionic when it’s ingested, it has to be converted by the body into the ionic form before it can be effective against pathogens.

Once again, let’s turn to the experts:

“…conversion of silver to silver ions is necessary for efficacy.”

– Albert T. McManus, MD, Chief of Microbiology, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Army Burn Center, United States Army Institute of Surgical Research

“…the free silver ion is the active agent, with evidence that silver’s antibacterial activity is directly proportional to the amount of silver ions released.”

– Electrolysis of Nano-Silver Suspension Into Ionic Form Via Membrane Electro-Osmosis Process

As Alan B. Lansdown, Britain’s top expert on antimicrobial silver explains in his book for doctors, “Silver In Healthcare: It’s Antimicrobial Effects and Safety in Use,” metallic silver (i.e., nanosilver) is inert. That means it has no infection-fighting qualities whatsoever, until it comes into contact with acidic bodily fluids and begins to shed silver ions:

Metallic silver (i.e., nanosilver) is inert in the presence of human tissues but ionizes in the presence of moisture, body fluids, and secretions to release the biologically active Ag+ (i.e., ionic silver)“.

– Alan B. Lansdown, Silver In Healthcare: It’s Antimicrobial Effects and Safety in Use

In other words, once ingested, nanosilver must first be converted by the body into ionic silver in order to have any infection-fighting benefits whatsoever.

So why bother to use nanosilver, when you can ingest the active, infection-fighting form of colloidal silver – the ionic form – instead?

Here’s what the purveyors of nanosilver don’t want you to know:

The ionic form of colloidal silver has been the #1 best-selling form of colloidal silver in the entire world for over 60 years. And that’s because, pure and simple, it works best. Every reputable medical and clinical expert on silver agrees.

The claim that nanosilver is more effective than ionic silver is ludicrous at face value, considering the fact that nanosilver has to be converted to ionic silver in the human body before it can be effective against pathogens.

If you’re going to use colloidal silver, you want to use a high-quality, very small particle size ionic silver, because it’s ALREADY in the active, infection-fighting form and thus does not need to be converted to ionic silver inside the human body like nanosilver does.

 

Get the Facts…

Nanosilver is a neat little buzz word. But it’s just tiny metal particles of silver suspended in water that, once ingested, must first be converted into the ionic form in the human body in order to work against pathogens.

It’s the silver ion that does all of the work. Period. Dot. End of story.

So the more silver ions in your solution, the more effective it’s going to be. That’s the indisputable fact of the matter. The very best colloidal silver suspension is one composed of 100% pure, unadulterated silver ions.

Meanwhile, I’ll be back next week with another great article on colloidal silver….

 

Yours for the safe, sane and responsible use of colloidal silver,

Steve Barwick,
author