This is an interesting tid-bit of an article from Mercola – I am going to drop you right into the middle of it, so this is going to be rocky at first, but it will smooth out. The point that I want to make, I am VERY cautious with supplementation (see Supplements and Chemicals), and I prefer to NOT treat anything, before the idea of treating anything. I honestly believe treatment, in most cases, is our inability to trust God’s body created divinely and gifted to us.
So, this article stems from my inclusion of silver in my recommendation, and agreement of recommendation for treatment for my wife’s Lyme disease (the naturopaths of the world strongly recommend silver). I was concerned as I felt like there was little research, but then… information like this began to pop up. And I buy it. So much so that we jumped on board and began carrying it, a clean product from Genesis Pure, that we think is a good one to stock on our shelves, so there you have it.
But – the interesting composition of this Mercola article, starts with understanding why certain viruses. Here referred to as phages, from Wikipedia:
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A bacteriophage is a virus that infects and replicates within a bacterium. The term is derived from ‘bacteria’ and the Greek φαγεῖν phagein “to devour”. Wikipedia
Pretty cool, to devour. So we have a virus, that enters the host cell, and replicates a bunch of “babies” so to speak, from the bacteria. Take a look at this below:
Phages Are Actually an Important Part of Your Body’s Defense System
More than 90 percent of the DNA in your body is not yours, but actually belongs to a wide variety of microbes, and these findings just go to show how intricately tied your health is to the microorganisms that live inside you. And, while the word “virus” brings to mind all things “bad” for you, this is not necessarily true.
Another recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences8 found that many of these viruses (phages) actually serve as immune helpers—not enemies—and form an important part of your body’s defense system.9
Wherever bacteria reside, you will also find phages, because phages depend on bacteria for their survival. Phages specialize in breaking open and killing certain kinds of bacteria, hijacking them in order to replicate.
Most phages have hollow heads, which store their DNA and RNA, and tunnel tails designed for binding to the surface of their bacterial targets. According to phages.org, once a phage has attached itself to a bacterium:
“The viral DNA is then injected through the tail into the host cell, where it directs the production of progeny phages, often over a hundred in half an hour. These ‘young’ phages burst from the host cell (killing it) and infect more bacteria.”
The researchers found evidence that these phages partner with animals and humans to stave off bacterial infections and control the composition of friendly microbes in your body. The researchers speculate that some phages might protect bacteria that benefit their hosts (i.e. you), while destroying those that cause harm.
Which brings us back to the featured research, which suggests that these phages may also play a significant role in the rapid rise of antibiotic resistance… In essence, it would appear our zealous overuse of antibiotic drugs is causing these helpful viruses to boost the survivability of bacteria during the onslaught of a deadly foe—the antibiotic—only in this case, the end result is disastrous rather than helpful for the host… On the upside, these findings may confer new hope for effective treatments. According to Don Ingber, M.D., Ph.D., Founding Director of the Wyss Institute:10
“Antibiotic resistance is as pressing a global health problem as they come, and to fight it, it’s critical to understand it. [These] novel findings offer a previously unknown way to approach this problem — by targeting the phage that live in our intestine, rather than the pathogens themselves.”
Colloidal Silver Dramatically Boosts Effectiveness of Antibiotics
The use of silver in the battle against pathogenic bacteria goes way back into antiquity. Hippocrates was one of the first to describe its antimicrobial properties in 400 B.C. Over the past few years, several studies have demonstrated the fact that silver is indeed one of the most effective agents in the battle against antibiotic-resistant super pathogens. Yet conventional medicine has largely dismissed such claims, relegating colloidal silver to the “woo-woo” section of medical myth.
They may be inclined to change their tune however, in light of the latest research11, 12 which shows that low doses of silver can make antibiotics up to 1,000 times more effective, and may even allow an antibiotic to successfully combat otherwise antibiotic-resistant bacteria. As reported by Medical News Today:13
“…[N]ot only did silver boost the ability of a broad range of commonly used antibiotics so as to stop mice dying of otherwise lethal infections, but it made at least one resistant bacterium succumb to antibiotics again. The addition of silver also broadened the effect of vancomycin, an antibiotic that is usually only effective at killing Gram-positive bacteria like Staph and Strep; aided by silver it killed Gram-negative bacteria such as those that cause food poisoning and dangerous hospital-acquired infections.”
For example, by adding a small amount of silver to the antibiotic, a powerful synergism occurred, and a urinary tract infection caused by tetracycline-resistant E. coli was successfully eradicated. Silver also helped save the lives of 90 percent of mice suffering with a life-threatening abdominal inflammation by adding it to the antibiotic vanomycin. In the group receiving vanomycin only, a mere 10 percent survived. The researchers discovered two mechanisms that help explain how silver can boost the effectiveness of an antibiotic:
- Silver interferes with the bacteria’s metabolism, increasing production of reactive oxygen species14 (ROS); products of normal oxygen consuming metabolic processes in your body that, in excess, can damage cell membranes and DNA. Many antibiotics are believed to kill bacteria by producing ROS compounds, and here, the researchers found that adding a small amount of silver boosted the antibiotic’s ability to kill anywhere from 10 and 1,000 times more bacteria
- Silver makes the bacteria’s cell membrane more permeable. This may explain the beneficial effect of silver on gram-negative bacteria, the cells of which are often impenetrable to antibiotics due to the molecular size of the drugs
– My Note:
So, is it written on the wall? Take Silver or die? No… but perhaps any time you end up in a situation where you are taking an antibiotic (which should be few and far between), I would recommend silver 100% of the time. In addition, any time in which you know there is bacterial replication happening, take silver. Strep throat or scarlet fever. Staph infections… or potential food poisoning. And yes, this applies to the kids too. Just smaller doses. I am inclined to say there is a time and a place to start dosing the silver.
Be well and Be blessed, true knowledge… TRUE knowledge, will set you free. Be on the alert for faux promises, as I am always slow to trust in this world that I operate in. Snake oil exists at every turn.
– Dr. E