Myth: Higher concentration of silver is better.
Fact: Never take more than necessary. (Do you take a 10,000mg aspirin?) A common myth is that “more is always better.” In the case of colloidal silver, this is a false belief that higher concentration means greater efficacy. Swiss botanist Karl Wilhelm von Nägeli defined the oligodynamic effect (Greek: oligos = few, dynamis = force) in 1893 to describe how extremely low metal ion concentrations exert potent biocidal activity, a fact known to this day.
Fact: Bio-active silver is what provides immune support*. Labels report total silver concentration, but do not report total BIO-ACTIVE silver concentration. Taking silver is most helpful if it is in the right form – the bio-active form. This means positively charged, and a mixture of positively charge ions and the smallest particles possible (silver nanoclusters).
Less is More
Shopping for a quality colloidal silver product can be confusing. Every brand claims it's superior because it has "higher ppm" or is more "concentrated." But what do those terms really mean? And how do you properly evaluate and compare each brand to ensure that your family is getting the safest*, most effective* product available? We’d like to clear the confusion with 5 key points to consider when making this decision . Below you’ll learn the correct terminology and how to evaluate each brand. Just remember these five “Ps” and you’ll be a silver expert.
MYTH: Colloidal silver should be yellow (AKA "true colloidal silver").
Fact: Larger nanoparticles absorb some wavelengths of visible light through a phenomenon called Surface Plasmon Resonance.
Fact: Smaller nanoparticles with diameters < 5 nm are “subplasmonic” and do not absorb visible light.
The smaller the particle, the greater the surface area (available for interaction). Smaller particles are easier for the body to absorb, process and eliminate.
Sand vs Gravel
Shopping for a quality colloidal silver product can be confusing. Every brand claims it's superior because it has "higher ppm" or is more "concentrated." But what do those terms really mean? And how do you properly evaluate and compare each brand to ensure that your family is getting the safest*, most effective* product available? The jars above are a great way to visualize the importance of particle size. How many “particles” are in the glass full of rocks? How many are in the glass full of sand? Obviously, there are more particles of sand in the glass on the left. Therefore, there are more particles available for interaction. How much more surface area is offered by the smaller particles? If talking about absorption, distribution and elimination, would the body have an easier time processing the rocks or the grains of sand? You need only your instincts to arrive at the correct answer.
MYTH: It's better to make your own.
Fact: while homemade is inexpensive, you get what you pay for!
Just do a simple online search and you will find readily available colloidal silver generators and, for pennies on the dollar, you can make your own at home. This is dangerous. There is very poor control over the total silver concentration. It is extremely challenging to verify a consistent particle size with DIY colloidal silver, and therefore there are risks. At the least, you will need to take more to achieve the same effect of a high-quality silver product, because you won’t be able to achieve a consistently small enough particle size to be able to maximize surface area. You will be consuming something with unknown and much higher total silver concentration, which is therefore a greater toxicity risk. In fact, most cases of argyria have resulted from using homemade colloidal silver over extended periods of time.
Ask yourself this:
Would you make aspirin in your garage and take it if you had a headache? You most likely prefer aspirin that was manufactured in a clean, regulated environment in order to guarantee the safest product with the best quality and efficacy.
NOTE: Sovereign Silver® has never been linked to a case of argyria. In fact, you can read an expert statement that makes clear why such a reaction would be functionally impossible to achieve with this product.
MYTH: A TDS Meter can measure the concentration of colloidal silver, including DIY colloidal silver.
Fact: Sellers of silver generators suggest using a TDS meter to determine concentration of silver in homemade colloidal silver, but these will not give an accurate reading.
Fact: TDS meters measure the conductivity of water, then estimate the amount of dissolved solids based on assumptions that are false for colloidal silver and silver hydrosols.
This is a grossly inadequate way to determine the concentration of silver in your (or anyone else's) product. What a TDS meter measures is conductivity, and then it estimates concentration based on that reading. TDS meters ignore colloidal particles and are not appropriate for this type of analysis.
Silver concentration must be measured by chemical analysis techniques, such as Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) or Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), in combination with appropriate sample preparation protocols and instrument calibrations.
MYTH: Bottling colloidal silver in plastic is fine.
Fact: All colloidal silver will 'work' to some extent, but all are not created equal. Just like bottled water may hydrate you, not all provide nutrients or are devoid of toxins. Colloidal silver encompasses a broad array of products and chemical formulations that have varying degrees of known toxicity and efficacy. We have proven how Bio-Active Silver Hydrosol™ is the safest* and most effective* form of silver ever developed. And it’s not just us saying this.
MYTH: All colloidal silver is the same.
Fact: All colloidal silver will ‘work’ to some extent, but all are not created equal.
Just like bottled water may hydrate you, not all provide nutrients or are devoid of toxins. Colloidal silver encompasses a broad array of products and chemical formulations that have varying degrees of known toxicity and efficacy. We have proven how Bio-Active Silver Hydrosol™ is the safest* and most effective* form of silver ever developed. And it’s not just us saying this.
MYTH: Colloidal silver will turn me blue. (Or: Silver is toxic.)
Fact: Everything can be toxic at a certain amount.
When assessing the toxicity and/or safety of any chemical, a number of factors must be considered, the most important of which is concentration. Chlorine, as a prime example, is an extremely caustic chemical with an infinite list of terrible side effects and dangers, yet it is used to keep the world’s water supply clean and, when bound with sodium, exists in the salt on your dinner table. Most chemicals, including the components of the air we breathe, are toxic at the wrong concentration.
As with any medication or dietary supplement, the success of silver hydrosol as a supplement for Immune Support* depends on correct usage. The concentration of silver in our product is so low that one could safely* take 7 teaspoons every day for 70 years and never reach what even the EPA considers to be the lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL), a conservative minimum recommended amount. (Note: The EPA guidelines are based on an average adult weight of 70 kg or 154 pounds).
Our low concentration and high percentage of positively charged silver ions are what make our silver products more effective than others. In our history, there has never been a documented case of our products causing any toxic reaction.
MYTH: Colloidal silver is snake oil
Fact: Consumers and doctors have been using silver in one form or another for thousands of years and colloidal silver since the late 1800s.
There is plenty of proof that colloidal silver works, and scientific and medical literature for more than a century has consistently acknowledged the strong antimicrobial activity of silver in its various forms.
See also 120 years of Nanosilver History: Implications for Policy Makers (Nowack et al, 2011).
MYTH: Silver has no functional role in the body and no therapeutic value.
Fact: Silver should be considered a trace mineral.
Although many [allopathic] doctors and regulatory agencies still claim that silver – or colloidal silver, specifically – has no functional role or therapeutic value, Health Canada (equivalent to the FDA in the USA) has recognized Sovereign Silver and its sister brand for professionals, Argentyn 23, as "Trace Elements," after performing a thorough evaluation of efficacy and safety.
Trace elements (like copper, zinc, iron, etc.) are essential for the maintenance of good health.
MYTH: Silver may harm my gut flora.
Fact: Silver does not alter the distribution of species in the gut microbiome*.
A peer reviewed literature study by researchers at the University of Michigan looked at whether ionic silver or colloidal silver particles in pure forms altered the natural distribution of species in the gut microbiome (Wilding, et al., Nanotoxicology, 2016).
A similar number of overall species was observed between a water-only control and all forms of silver administered orally at 2,000X the EPA Reference Dose for 28 days. However, a prescription antibiotic was found to disrupt over half of the species observed.
MYTH: "True colloidal silver" is the best colloidal silver.
Fact: There is no such thing as "true colloidal silver."
"True Colloidal Silver" is a marketing term that implies completely suspended large particles of inactive metallic silver and no bio-active ionic silver. The idea stems from an incomplete understanding of Surface Plasmon Resonance, or the scientific property that gives silver nanoparticles larger than 5 nm diameter their yellow color.
Depending upon the size, shape and concentration of the "plasmonic" silver nanoparticles, different wavelengths of light will be absorbed and thus the colors will range from yellow to brown to orange, or even blue or green for particles larger than 5 nm. Particles smaller than 5 nm (i.e., nanoclusters) absorb wavelengths of light outside of the visible spectrum and thus appear clear and colorless. So be educated, and know that companies that claim they have "true" colloidal silver are not telling you the whole truth!