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• Silver: An Element of Good Health •

 

If you're a silver lover, here's something else you'll appreciate about this lustrous metal: it can kill or suppress the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria, mold, and fungus.

Silver's association with anti-bacterial properties has long been established. The ancient Phoenicians knew enough to keep water, wine and vinegar in silver vessels to ensure freshness. It is only recently, however, that scientists have discovered why silver works. Quite simply, silver interrupts the bacteria cell's ability to form the chemical bonds essential to its survival. These bonds produce the cell's physical structure so when bacteria meets silver it literally falls apart.

Stainless steel doesn't offer these benefits nor does it retain its value. Why not buy something that has been staving off illnesses naturally for centuries? Consider drinking from a silver goblet or eating from flatware an elegant way to stay healthier. And when it's time to pass down your silver to the next generation, you can extol silver's health benefits as well.

References

1. Silver as an Antimicrobial Agent, Joan Slonczewski, PhD, Kenyon College

2. Silver-Coated Endotracheal Tubes and Incidence of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia, Marin H. Kollef, MD; Bekele Afessa, MD; Antonio Anzueto, MD; Christopher Veremakis, MD; Kim M. Kerr, MD; Benjamin D. Margolis, MD; Donald E. Craven, MD; Pamela R. Roberts, MD; Alejandro C. Arroliga, MD; Rolf D. Hubmayr, MD; Marcos I. Restrepo, MD; William R. Auger, MD; Regina Schinner, Dipl-Stat; for the NASCENT Investigation Group

3. FDA Clears Silver-Coated Breathing Tube for Marketing, Daniel Schultz, MD, Director of FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health

4. Bactericidal Actions of a Silver Ion Solution on Escherichia coli, Studied by Energy-Filtering Transmission Electron Microscopy and Proteomic Analysis, Mikihiro Yamanaka, Keita Hara, and Jun Kudo, Research Dept. 8, Devices Technology Research Laboratories, Corporate Research and Development Group, Sharp Corporation, 2613-1, Ichinomoto-cho, Tenri, Nara, Japan

5. In Vitro Study of Anti-Bacterial Silver Coatings on Orthopaedic Implants, Dr P E Watkins, Hodgkin Building, Guys Campus, King’s College London.

6. The Role of Antimicrobial Silver Nanotechnology, Bruce Gibbins, PhD, AcryMed

7. Silver as an Anti-Bacterial, The Silver Institute


 

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