TotalHealth Editors:

Silver Use Institute, Feb 1st, 2025

Is it about time to take care of our own, our own friends, and especially our own families,  the people who we hold most dear to us?  All the science is in place to help us, but it seems like people are struggling to find it and to put aside all the bad and misleading pseudo information that we are constantly being fed.  It is the intent of this article to bring some of that science into the light!

Introduction

Contrary to current thought, keeping our people safe and healthy may not be all that difficult to do if we actually embrace the science!  In the last few decades, we have all been hit with a host of new and deadly viruses.  Every year or two, a new one hits.  Those would include viruses like HIV, SARS, EBOLA, Swine Flu, Bird Flu, and Covid just to name a few, and there are many more on that list.  Over the past few years, we have had to endure masks, staying home, losing jobs, closing business, food and medical shortages etc. etc.  Worse of all we have had to attend, or not be able to attend, the funerals of many of our friends and family.   The people who have died, possibly unnecessarily, have affected us all in one way or another.   On January 30, 2020, COVID-19 was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) with an official death toll of 171. By December 31, 2020, this figure stood at 1,813,188. Yet preliminary estimates suggest the total number of global deaths attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was at least 3 million, representing 1.2 million more deaths than officially reported (1). As of April 13, 2024, the death toll had reportedly reached 7,010,681.  It doesn’t stop there, currently there are 704,753,890 confirmed cases in 229 countries and territories (2). So how do we protect our people?

Background on Nano Silver

In the mouths of two or three witnesses truth is established, right?  How about from the mouths of over a hundred or five hundred scientists?  How about a thousand scientists in just one publication (3)?  How about millions of people over 1000’s of years?  Silver has been used for at least six millennia to prevent microbial infections. “It has been effective against almost all organisms tested and has been used to treat numerous infections and noninfectious conditions, sometimes with striking success” (4).  Around 400 BC, the “father of modern medicine”, Hippocrates, wrote of using silver to improve wound care, and during the intervening years silver has been featured in a wide range of writings, most of which highlight its capabilities with particular regard to limiting inflammation and infection. . (5)  There are now hundreds and hundreds of peer-reviewed, published medical studies on the medicinal use of nano silver for lifechanging things like: wound care, bio tissue engineering, antimicrobial action including antibiotic resistant bacteria, fungus, mold, and deadly strains of virus.  There are even more than 60 peer-reviewed and published studies on the use of nano silver to help eliminate numerous different types of cancer. (3)

 Prevention

What many people may not know is that a virus can build up in your body for days before you even know you have an infection.  Also important to know is that you can actually spread a viral infection to other people before you know you have it, and before you start feeling sick.  So prevention is a key component to staying healthy.  Prevention is always easier than treatment, so what can we do to prevent a deadly viral infection? A great answer to that question was published on August 19, 2021. It was published by 11 scientists from 8 different institutions located in 3 different countries.  The study incorporated 231 frontline health workers treating Covid patients in hospitals.  The medical personnel were split into two groups.  There were 117 of the people that just followed their regular prevention protocols as directed by their hospitals.  They were the control group.  The second group of 114 medical people added the use of nano silver to their daily prevention routines.

To quote the scientists directly,

“We present a prospective randomized study of 231 participants that was carried out for 9 weeks (during the declaration of a pandemic). The “experimental” group was instructed to do mouthwash and nose rinse with the AgNPs (nano silver) solution; the “control” group was instructed to do mouthwashes and nose rinse in a conventional way. The incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was significantly lower in the “experimental” group (two participants of 114, 1.8%) compared to the “control” group (thirty-three participants of 117, 28.2%), with an 84.8% efficiency. We conclude that the mouth and nasal rinse with AgNPs helps in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection in health personnel who are exposed to patients diagnosed with COVID-19”. (6)

If you could cut your chance of getting infected by a deadly virus from more than 28% to just 1.8% simply by gargling and rinsing out your sinuses with nano silver daily, who wouldn’t do that?  With the use of just a little nano silver, the medical professionals had a 15X less chance of getting covid, all while being directly exposed to infected people!  A person could easily help a child, or an elderly person rinse out their sinuses daily just by the use of a simple nasal sprayer or a nebulizer.  It is an easy way to help people, and to give them an affordable, safe, and effective first line of defense to keep them healthy!

A second validation of the potential effect of just washing out your sinuses came from an Indian government lab, where in testing they found that a nano-silver liquid could kill or neutralize about 50 % of the contained SARS CoV2 virus within just the first 15 minutes of contact time, at a concentration of merely 10 parts per million nano silver.  Slightly higher concentrations of nano silver worked even better.  This study also proves nano silver has a direct effect on the elimination of the deadly virus. (7)

So, what do I do if I get it?

A great answer to that question was published in December of 2022 by eight scientists from six major Universities and hospitals in Canada and the US.  The Universities who participated were the University of Florida, University of Tennessee, and the University of Alberta, all outstanding institutions.  They tested the ability of nano silver to eliminate infections in the lungs and sinuses in both humans and animals, using a nebulizer to get the nano silver into the lungs.

They tested two different viruses, including SARS-CoV-2.  In their own words they found:

“Nano silver solutions demonstrated pH-dependent antimicrobial efficacy; reduced infection and inflammation without evidence of lung toxicity in the rat model; and inactivated HSV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. Pneumonia patients had rapidly reduced pulmonary symptoms, recovering pre-illness respiratory function. Fungal sinusitis-related inflammation decreased immediately with infection clearance within 21 days. Non hospitalized patients with COVID-19 experienced rapid symptom remission”.(8)

In other words, they found that nebulizing the nano silver quickly eliminated the lung infections (killed or neutralized the viruses), reduced the inflammation, and was non-toxic or had no negative effect.  The nano silver helped heal the patients, whether they were animals or humans.  They found that the patients quickly regained their normal lung function, some within just hours.  The study again proves the value of using nano silver as a great first line of defense against active viral infections.

What About Other Deadly Virus?

There are many viruses for which medicine has no established treatment.  Nano silver is one of the best, if not the very best antiviral agent that exists.  It is a very broad spectrum natural antiviral remedy!  The ability of nano silver to kill or neutralize virus and reduce the inflammation associated with the virus, all without causing negative side effects is a very big deal!  There are many different problem viruses, and many different diseases caused by those viruses. Numerous peer-reviewed and published studies from literally hundreds of scientists and doctors from all around the world that have tested nano silver against about any virus you could name.  Some of those tests combined the use of nano silver with other antiviral agents for enhanced action, and some used the nano silver as the only form of treatment.  Either way, the only thing that actually matters is that nano silver has been proven to work.  That published and tested viral list would include virus such as: Adenovirus, HIV1, HIV2, Influenza A (H7N2), MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, EBOLA, Bird Flu (H5N1), Swine Flu, H1N1, Covid 19, Monkey pox, Hepatitis B & C, HPV, Noroviruses, West Nile, RSV, ZIKA, Rift Valley Fever, HSV1 & 2, Poliovirus, Chikungunya virus, and Dengue virus, to list just a few! (3)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13) There is no question about nano silver’s ability to help treat viral infections.  The question is whether or not the powers that be will let it be used to help treat people or whether or not people will be willing to study and treat themselves and their loved ones.

How Does Nano Silver Eliminate Virus?

That question was answered in detail by eight scientists from Texas A&M and Winthrop Universities.  The study was published on the 31st of July 2023 and was made available by the US Government (US NIH) (13).  While the answer is not simple to understand, we feel it is important to add in this info for those who need or wish to know.  The study states:

“In these studies, AgNPs were found to bind specifically or nonspecifically to proteins in the envelope of virions and thereby deactivate them (virucidal activity). These target proteins are mainly responsible for the viral interaction with host cells. During the pre-viral entry into host cells, AgNPs competitively attach to the cells and lyse the membrane of the virions (antiviral activity). In the case of the post-viral entry, AgNPs mainly inhibit the viral fusion with the cell membrane, and in several cases interfered with the stages of the viral replication cycle such as the synthesis of viral RNA (antiviral activity).”

In simpler words, the nano particles were found to attach to the virus and kill them.  Also, the nano silver could kill the virus both before and after they connected or attached to a cell to infect it.   That means the nano silver could act as both a preventive and also as a treatment after infection.  This was also proven in the studies listed in the first few sections of this paper on both prevention and treatment.

Is Nano Silver Safe To Use Daily?

In one published human ingestion study, completed as an FDA registered IND study (Investigational New Drug), it was found that Nano silver caused no negative action on any system of the body.  It was found that both a concentration of 10 ppm and a 32 ppm (parts per million) liquid nano silver, drunk at a level of 1 ounce daily, had no negative effect on any system of the body.  It was also found that the nano silver washed completely out of the body within 24 hours, with no measurable residual, meaning none remained inside! (14) So even if someone drank it at a high volume it was proven safe for human use.  Additionally, the US EPA has established the fact that silver causes no negative effects when used at low levels, saying, “Silver is of low acute dermal toxicity, is not an eye or skin irritant and is not a skin sensitizer”.(15)  One world-acclaimed scientist named Rustum Roy (nominated for the Noble Prize 23 times) stated, “It is extraordinary that no major effort has been made to confirm and expand on the role of metallic silver in human health—especially in light of its huge advantage in lack of side effects.”(16)   In simpler words, nano silver has been proven safe for use both inside and outside the body and that fact has been well established by a number of US government agencies as well as  hundreds of scientists all around the world.(3)

The safety of ingesting nano silver was also proven in two other published human clinical trials.  One trial on the treatment of malaria, which was reported to the US Congress at their request in 2005, tested 56 humans between the ages of 1-90 years of age.  No other medication was used with the nano silver to treat the malaria patients.  Those people infected with malaria were drinking an ounce of nano silver daily divided into three doses (TID).  No negative effects were reported at all.  All 56 human subjects reportedly fully recovered from the malaria within an average of 3.43 days, walking out of the hospitals within 5 days. (17)(18)  In another published study, a group of people with AIDS was given two ounces daily of nano silver, split into three doses for a period of 4 months.  No other medication was used.  No negative side effects were reported at all.  It was also reported that the AIDS patients measured an average white cell increase of 39.54% over the 4-month period of treatment. It effectively helped to rebuild their entire immune system.  Also reported was the fact that the AIDS patients were able to achieve an average weight gain of over 17 pounds during the study, another remarkable and important discovery/achievement (19).

Where to Get It? 

In our research, one of the top new suppliers of nano silver products is a company called SilverCeuticals.  SilverCeuticals is led by a team of doctors that have more than a combined 120 years of experience working in the nano silver industry.  The CEO, Dr Keith Moeller, ND, has co-authored many papers, textbooks, and other publications on silver.  A number of those are peer-reviewed and published in leading wound care, science, and health journals. After working with the US Military to help solve medical problems for soldiers in the field, he was awarded an honorary position as a member of the US Special Operations Medical Association, a designation he is proud to hold. He accompanied his father, standing before the US Congress, at their request, to testify about the use of nano-silver to treat malaria and other humanitarian problems.

He and his team have already engineered a number of new and innovative nano silver products and have been busy getting them approved by different governments.  Their primary focus has been on wound care and disinfection.  They have also proven expertise in the formulation of cosmetics and supplements that don’t need FDA approval.  They have recently engineered a serum that Health Canada has already approved to treat, among other conditions, both acne and eczema, one of the first of its kind.  They have also just achieved a new Canadian registration as an antimicrobial lubricant.  With another partner, they have amassed an ongoing clinical trial in oral care that touts more than 55,000 procedures to date, with heal rates of half the normal time and zero secondary infections.  Their products are available from a variety of sources including doctor’s offices, medical distributors, and amazon, as well as directly from their website. (20)

Conclusion

Silver has been used for thousands of years as both a preventative and treatment for various diseases and human problems.  Newly published scientific papers from over a thousand scientists all over the world have proven nano silver to be an effective and safe antiviral agent.  Nano silver is easily able to eliminate a broad spectrum of deadly viruses.  It has been proven safe as an effective preventative, able to help medical professionals have 15 times less chance of getting a deadly viral infection.  At the same time, other published studies from multiple US Universities have proven nano silver as an effective treatment for Covid 19 and other respiratory infections, in both animals and humans.  It is about time we embrace the science and utilize nano silver to help provide a first line of protection to our friends, and especially our own families!

References

1) https://www.who.int/data/stories/the-true-death-toll-of-covid-19-estimating-global-excess-mortality

2) https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-death-toll/

3)  An Updated Review on Silver Nanoparticles in Biomedicine; Accepted: 20 November 2020; Published: 23 November 2020  An Updated Review on Silver Nanoparticles in Biomedicine

4) History of the Medical Use of Silver, US National Library of Medicine https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19566416/ June 10, 2009

5) https://www.silverinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/SilverInMedicine.pdf

6) Evaluation of silver nanoparticles for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection in health workers: In vitro and in vivo,   PLOS ONE HTTPs://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256401 August 19, 2021

7) Centre For Cellular and Molecular Biology, November 3, 2020.  Hyderabad, India – Viridis Bio Pharma – SARS CoV2

8) Nadworny PL, et al, Treatment of infection and inflammation associated with COVID-19, multi-drug resistant pneumonia and fungal sinusitis by nebulizing a nanosilver solution. Nanomedicine: NBM 2023;48:102654, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nano.2023.102654

9) Silver Nanoparticles as Potential Antiviral Agents, Pharmaceutics 2021, 13, 2034. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13122034

10) A Preliminary Assessment of Silver Nanoparticle Inhibition of Monkey Plaque Formation, Nano Perspectives – Open Access – Published: 09 April 2008

11) ) Effect of Prophylactic Treatment with ASAP-AGX-32 and ASAP Solutions on an Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus Infection in Mice,  https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Effect-of-Prophylactic-Treatment-with-ASAP-AGX-32-A-Pedersen-Sidwell/3de85a153d9b22ddc876aa11e0417935cf14a065

12)Swine Flu Influenza Type A/H1N1 Protection for Health Care  Practitioners and Their Patient Posted in Longevity and Age Management, Dietary Supplementation, Drug Trends, Healthcare and Information, Immune System, Infectious Disease,  Inflammation, Medications, Healthcare and Public Policy, Swine Flu on Thu August 13, 2009

13 Nanosilver: An Old Antibacterial Agent with Great Promise in the Fight against Antibiotic Resistance https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/12/8/1264 Published online 2023 Jul 31.

14) PubMed.gov 23811290  In vivo human time-exposure study of orally dosed commercial silver nanoparticles

15) EPA Registration Eligibility Document (RED) For Silver

16) Ultradilute Ag-Aquasols with extraordinary bactericidal properties: the role of the system Ag-O-H2O   Rustum Roy, M. Richard Hoover, A.S. Bhalla, Tania Slawecki, Sandwip Dey, Wei Cao, Jing Li, S. Bhaskar

17) US Congressional Testimony of Dr. William Moeller on the use of nano silver to treat Malaria at Congressional request https://commdocs.house.gov/committees/intlrel/hfa20915.000/hfa20915_0f.htm

18) Silver Sol Completely Removes Malaria Parasites from the Blood of Humans Subjects Infected bwith Malaria in an Average of Five Days: A review of Jour Randomized, Multi-Centered Clinical Studikes Performed in Africa September 1010 https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/211377/Silver%20Sol%20Malaria%20The%20Indian%20Practitioner.pdf

19) Effect of Prophylactic Treatment with ASAP-AGX-32 and ASAP Solutions on an Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus Infection in Mice (The HIV Study is the Editors Note at the front of the publication)

20) Silverceuticals.com

The post It’s About Time We Take Care of Our Own! appeared first on Total Health Magazine.

This article discusses humanity’s long history with silver, highlighting its diverse uses in medicine, utensils, containers, jewelry, currency, clothing, building materials, wound care, and as a disinfectant. Despite advancements in science and technology, silver remains integral due to its proven utility.

Use of Silver Products: Silver is still utilized in modern medicine, especially for its antimicrobial properties and benefits in wound healing and anti-inflammatory activities. Before antibiotics, silver was a primary treatment for infections.

Safety Concerns: The article addresses concerns about silver causing heavy metal poisoning or toxic nephropathy, clarifying that silver is safe when used in reasonable amounts. The Merck Manual does not list silver as a cause of heavy metal poisoning. High consumption levels, similar to other substances, could be harmful, but typical usage is safe.

Argyria: Argyria, a condition causing skin discoloration, can result from excessive intake of silver salts or compounds, but it is purely cosmetic and non-toxic. The condition is very rare, even among high users of silver products.

Forms and Excretion of Silver: Only ionic or chemical forms of silver can cause argyria, not metallic silver. Nano-silver, due to its small particle size, does not accumulate in the body and is quickly excreted. Most ingested silver is expelled within a few days.

Homemade Silver Products: Homemade silver solutions can be unsafe due to poor quality and uncontrolled concentrations, leading to potential over-consumption and risk of argyria. However, cases remain rare.

Animal Safety: Studies indicate that silver is safe for animal use, with benefits noted in treating infections without adverse effects.

Conclusion: The extensive use and research on silver indicate its safety and efficacy. Reasonable use of silver products poses no significant risk, and metallic silver does not accumulate in the body. The condition of argyria is rare and cosmetic only, with no other known adverse effects.

Study Authors:

Keith Moeller, ND; Herbert H. Warren, DVM; Kirk W. Moeller, ND, Paul Milne, PhD; Cameron D. Moeller, ND; Bracken J. Moeller, NRP

Introduction

Humanity has had a love affair with silver for thousands of years, and it has touched almost every facet of life for those who could afford it. Historically, the precious metal was used in medicine, eating utensils, plates, cups, food containers, jewelry, money/coins, clothes, building materials, and as a disinfectant for water and human infection. Now, after hundreds of years of study and significant gains in knowledge, science and technology, silver is still being used for medicine, eating utensils, plates, cups, food containers, jewelry, money/coins, clothes, building materials, wound care, and as a disinfectant. It remains an important part of our lives because of the exquisite nature and time-tested utility of the metal. It is safe to say that silver is being used in some way almost every day by every man, woman, or child in the civilized world.

Why Would Someone Want to Use Silver Products?

Infection is a common issue among medical patients today, just as it was in olden days. Some healthcare providers today combat this through the use of antibiotics or other medications known to have a variety of clinically significant adverse side-effects. However, before the popularity of antibiotics, the use of silver products to treat infection was a front line technology. It is well documented that silver has been used as an antimicrobial for centuries, and certain types of silver are also associated with accelerated wound healing, as well as Anti-inflammatory activity (Nadworny et al, 2023, pg. 2)⁸. For these reasons silver products are still used by large numbers of healthcare professionals around the world today.

Can Silver Cause Heavy Metal Poisoning or Toxic Nephropathy?

Many misinformed doctors, scientists, and media have been claiming for years that silver is a problem because it is a heavy metal, and as such can cause problems in the body. The problem is not with the silver but with the misinformation and inaccurate knowledge being spread by the people speaking about silver. The real answer is that silver is not toxic when used at reasonable levels and quantities. Any substance, even water, in excessive amounts can be fatal.

Toxic nephropathy or heavy metal poisoning is defined as, “Any functional or morphologic change in the kidney produced by an ingested, injected, inhaled, or absorbed drug, chemical, or biological agent.”¹ The MERCK Manual is sometimes referred to as the “Scientific Bible of Diagnosis and Therapy” by many scientists and doctors. Silver is not listed in the manual for causing heavy metal poisoning, because it does not cause it. (See MERCK manual, 17th Edition, Pg 1880, table 226-1, third item listed, for the full list of heavy metals that cause toxic nephropathy)¹³.

In a peer-reviewed paper “Ultradilute Ag-Aquasols with extraordinary bactericidal properties: the role of the system Ag-O-H2O.” (Materials Research Innovations, vol. 11, no. 1, (2007) pages 3-18)² on the subject of the safety of consuming metallic silver, the paper states (page 1, first paragraph of the introduction), “A recent paper by Das et al. Provides the remarkable datum that some 275,000 kg [(605,000 pounds)] of edible metallic silver foil are consumed every year (in food) in India. No known adverse health effects have ever been recorded. This epidemiological evidence that silver as a metal is not toxic in any way needs no further comment. Further support for the obvious safety of consuming metallic silver (Ag0) is in the worldwide consumption of (so called) silver colloids, often made at home in primitive electrochemical cells by probably some millions of citizens, again with no ill effects.”

What is Argyria and will I get it if I use silver products? These are two very common questions. They are important because each of us needs to know that any product we are using or giving to our families will not hurt them nor do them any harm at all.

Silver products alone generally have no negative side effects if used in reasonable amounts. However, the extreme misuse of some silver salts or chemical silver compounds may cause a condition called argyria. Argyria has no known negative side effects except that it causes a greying or bluing of the skin color. The condition is non-toxic and only cosmetic in nature (U.S. EPA RED Document on Silver, Page 3, Paragraph 3)³.

What Causes Argyria?

Put simply, argyria can result if there is so much chemical or ionic silver in the body at one time that the body cannot wash it out fast enough through its normal excretion systems. In order to get rid of this excess silver, the body walls it off in the cells, as it does with all the products it doesn’t have time to get rid of. In most cases the discoloration is permanent. It is the equivalent of getting a tattoo by misusing silver products in an extreme way. The condition is very rare, even in people who consume large amounts of ionic or chemical silver products at high levels, over years of use.

Argyria has resulted from the extreme misuse of very strong silver solutions usually consisting of silver salts, including silver nitrate, silver arsphenamine, silver chloride and possibly silver iodide. These products were sold until about 1975 under various labels with solutions containing levels of silver ranging from 5-30%. That means that these products were used at levels as high as 50,000 – 300,000 ppm (parts per million) (Federal Register, FDA-21CFR Part 310, pg. 53685)⁴. That is the equivalent of 5,000 to 30,000 times more silver than is used in most silver supplement products sold today, which would be from 10-32 ppm depending on the use.

Argyria has also been known to result from the extreme misuse of some homemade products (usually small machine – battery produced products) where they are consumed daily in large quantities (8-24 ounces daily) over years of time.

Minimum Amount of Silver Intake Known to Cause Argyria Historically

The normal human body contains some silver already, approximately 1 milligram (mg) of silver⁹, with no evidence of argyria. This can be obtained from normal food, water, and other sources. The smallest amount of silver reported to have produced generalized argyria in humans ranges from 4-40 grams (g) depending on the study and the patient’s predisposition (Padlewska et al, 2022)⁹(EPA IRIS Report on Silver)⁶. That is a very large amount of silver.

For a typical silver supplement at a 10ppm concentration, the recommended dose is generally 1-3 teaspoons daily. Each teaspoon contains roughly 50 micrograms (mcg) of silver in water. This means that an individual would have to consume between 80,000 and 800,000 teaspoons of a 10ppm silver supplement to reach the lowest level ever known to cause argyria. It would take between 26,667 days (73 years) and 800,000 days (2,192 years) of continuous use, to consume the lowest level ever known to cause argyria, if taking the typical recommended daily dose. These numbers assume their body retained all the silver they ingested. However, as is referenced below, most of the silver is not retained at all, and leaves the body after a short amount of time.⁶

It should be noted that the EPA standards for the amount of silver that can be safely consumed daily in regular drinking water is about the amount contained in 3.27 fluid ounces of 10 ppm silver solution (Oral Rfd of .014 mg/kg/day – EPA IRIS Report page 2)⁶. According to these standards, you could safely consume about 20 teaspoons every day of your life, based on a typical 70 year lifespan, with no significant degree of risk of developing argyria. That is more than 6 times the standard daily dose of 3 teaspoons of a 10ppm silver liquid, and yet the EPA still considers it safe.

It is also important to note that even during the years from 1918 to 1940, when very high content silver products (sometimes more than 10,000 ppm) were commonly used across the medical field worldwide, there were still relatively few cases of generalized Argyria. For this reason some studies are limited to older information, simply because this condition is so rare.

Only Ionic or Chemical Forms of Silver Can Cause Argyria

A peer-reviewed report from Pennsylvania State University was released after years of studying a number of colloidal silver and silver aquasol or nano products purchased from the U.S. market. The paper was authored by Professor Rustum Roy, along with seven other professors and scientists from leading universities. In the report cited on page 1, on the subject of ionic vs. metallic silver for human use, Dr. Roy states (page 2, fourth paragraph): “In spite of this enormous range of data, it is extraordinary that no major effort has been made to confirm and expand on the role of metallic silver in human health–especially in light of its huge advantage in lack of side effects. (Ingestion of excessive amounts of ionic (soluble) silver, not metallic solid particles is reported to have resulted in a very rare condition labeled argyria, an (irreversible?) darkening of the skin. No one has died of this condition. The safety of metallic silver sols is firmly established by the data cited above.)” ²

The safer “metallic solid particles” or “metallic silver sols” he is referring to are silver particles that have a hard crystalline structure, which are often referred to as ‘Nano Silver’ due to their crystalline structure creating particle sizes 1 nanometer or larger (ie. Nano-silver is Nano-sized). These larger particles are still small enough to enter your bloodstream (see below), but they are not metabolized, and have never been shown to build up in the body.

Nano-Silver Washes Out of The System Quickly

According to a published human ingestion report, as reported to the US FDA “In vivo human time-exposure study of orally dosed commercial silver nanoparticles”, (also published: Nanomedicine. 2014)⁵ a nano silver liquid at an average size of 5-7 nanometer particles, when ingested, hit their height in the bloodstream within two hours.  They also reported that the silver washed out very quickly, meaning within 24 hours with no measurable residual (silver left in the body).

Other Forms of Silver Are Excreted Slower than Nano-Silver

The US EPA IRIS Report on silver (Integrated Risk Information Systems, 5th page, 1st paragraph)⁶ it states that several tests were completed to test the absorption and retention of ingested silver in a number of animals, including primates (we are primates). In its conclusion, the test work indicated that between 90-99% of ingested silver was excreted on the second day after ingestion, and greater than 99% was excreted in less than a week. So, in other words, almost all of the ingested silver was out of the body in about two days, and most of the rest was out of the body in a week.

Homemade Silver Products

There is no simple way to accurately control or measure the amount of silver in products that are made in the typical home-made colloidal silver machines. Recent tests on a number of those machines have also shown that the product that they make is usually of very poor quality. In addition, it was found that the home-made products are made up of mostly ionic or soluble silver particles, not metallic particles. There are other problems associated with these machines as well. One is that because the products are so ineffective, the people who use them usually have to drink a lot of the silver to get a positive benefit. This means that the increased amount of silver needed in their home-made product to receive a positive benefit can be way above the amount of silver a person should drink by government guidelines. When people drink large amounts of homemade silver products, they potentially expose themselves to silver build up in their body (argyria).

However, even among the possibly hundreds of thousands of people who make their own silver products, the argyria condition is still very rare. The news media seems to love to find one of them every few years or so and put them on TV as part of a shock treatment for ratings. Even when it happens, such as the famed “Blue Man” on TV a number of years ago, extensive testing was completed on him and it was found that he suffered no ill conditions from argyria, except his bluish skin color.

Argyria Causes No Known Negative Effects Other Than Pigmentation

In an EPA report on drinking water (report ECAO-CIN-026 revised Jan.1991- Section VI, pages VI-1)⁷ it states that silver has been used therapeutically for centuries. Two doctors in the report were injecting silver into people for various extreme health ills. Having injected silver into patients over a period of years the doctors stated, (Hill and Pillsbury 1939, page VI-2) “the ordinary clinical use of silver compounds practically never gives rise to any gross untoward effect other than argyria.” The paper also states (bottom of page VI-11), “There is no evidence that argyria alone is associated with any adverse effects other than the pigmentation.”

In other words, the only known potential side effect from the extreme misuse of medicinal silver products is the rare condition called argyria and that condition is cosmetic only.

Safe for Animal Use

Numerous published and private studies exist showing that silver is safe for general animal use.  Both oral (ingested) and injected studies are specifically available, and show no negative effects from using silver products with animals.  In one U.S. NIH published study, animals were given a 10ppm nano silver liquid to drink as a supplement every day for 14 days.  There were no negative effects reported, but the silver was also credited with increasing the survival rate of animals suffering the effects of a H5N1 Bird Flu infection by 100%.¹⁰  It is important to note that the H5N1 Bird Flu is a deadly virus that has killed millions of animals.

In another study race horses were being nebulized with a nano-silver product to help eliminate exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage and lung infections.  The silver was shown to be an integral part of helping the horses to eliminate the infection, and again no negative side effects were reported.¹¹  A nano-silver with a 10ppm concentration was also proven to be safe for injection in animals at levels even up to 50ml/kg which is a fairly heavy dose.¹²

Conclusion

There is no question about the amount of data that exists on the safety and general non-toxicity of using silver in its many typical human and animal uses, especially considering the fact that millions of people use the metal daily. It has been used in almost every facet of human life. Metallic silver causes no nephropathy or heavy metal poisoning in the body. Silver is a natural broad-spectrum antimicrobial and healing agent. According to the EPA (who are in charge of defining safe levels of any mineral in water which is used for ingestion, drinking, or disinfecting), the oral consumption of small amounts of silver in water on a daily basis poses no significant degree of risk.

According to historical published information on silver, unless an individual were consistently consuming many times the recommended daily dosage of a typical 10ppm silver product, there should be no realistic possibility of that individual contracting argyria. Metallic crystalline forms of silver have never been shown to build up in the body. Those people who use hundreds or even thousands of times the recommended daily dosages of certain types of silver run a risk of turning their skin blue or grey, but even then, the condition is very rare. There have been no reported deaths from the medicinal use of silver.

References

1. Schreiner GE. Toxic Nephropathy: Adverse Renal Effects Caused by Drugs and Chemicals. 1965;191(10):849–850. doi:10.1001/jama.1965.03080100067015
2. “Ultradilute Ag-Aquasols with extraordinary bactericidal properties: the role of the system Ag-O-H2O.”Materials Research Innovations, vol. 11, no. 1, (2007) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237277538_Ultradilute_Ag-aquasols_with_extraordinary_bactericidal_properties_Role_of_the_system_Ag-O-H2O
3. S. EPA Registration Eligibility Document (RED) Document on Silver https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/reg_actions/reregistration/red_G-75_5-Sep-07.pdf
4. Federal Register, FDA-21CFR Part 310, pg. 53685 https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=310
5. “In vivo human time-exposure study of orally dosed commercial silver nanoparticles” Nanomedicine. 2014 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3877176/
6. US EPA IRIS Report on silver (Integrated Risk Information Systems) https://iris.epa.gov/static/pdfs/0099_summary.pdf
7. US EPA “Drinking Water Criteria Document for Silver”, Erdreich et al., Published 1985, EPA/600/X-85/040, ECAO-CIN-026, Revised Jan. 1991
8. Nadworny PL, et al, Treatment of infection and inflammation associated with COVID-19, multi-drug resistant pneumonia and fungal sinusitis by nebulizing a nanosilver solution. Nanomedicine: NBM 2023;48:102654, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nano.2023.102654
9. Padlewska, K. K., & Schwartz, R. A. (2022, May 13). Argyria. Practice Essentials, Pathophysiology, Etiology. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1069121-overview?form=fpf#a5
10. Pedersen, Effect of Prophylactic Treatment with ASAP-AGX-32 and ASAP Solutions on Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus Infection in Mice
11. Herbert H.Warren DVM, BIOPRO Armour, The Effects of BIOEQUALIZER™, a Purified Thymus Protein, and Silver Sol Solution on Thoroughbred Racehorses Afflicted with Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH) using Flexineb™ Nebulization and or Oral Administration
12. Sheri C. Patel Research Centre For Chemistry and Biological Sciences. To Evaluate The USP Systemic Injection Trest of ASAP Solution In Mouse Model. Viridis BioPharma  Dr A. M. Bagwat, Mrs Avanti S. Joshi
13. The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. 17th ed.Berkow R, Beers MH, eds., Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck Company, 1999. ISBN 0911910-10-7

The post Safety of Using Silver and the Risk of Argyria appeared first on Total Health Magazine.

A. Generally Speaking
Our immune system has evolved over millions of years to successfully defend our cells against all manner of invading microbes, including bacteria, viruses and other pathogens. An important aspect of this defense mechanism is the food we eat. With the first priority being the elimination of these “germs,” or invaders, with certain nutrients that support our immune system. Dr. Bruce Ames established a three-level priority system that ensures we are protected as long as we consume these nutrients that our body has decided are good for our immunity.

The first problem in this regard is that most people do not eat enough of these important nutrients found primarily in fruits and vegetables. A study of 16,000 people by the National Cancer Institute could not find one person with a truly good diet. In fact, most people were deficient in 11 out of 14 nutritional categories. When people say they eat a pretty healthy diet, this is simply not true.

This deficiency becomes more serious when we consider that our nutritional needs increase under certain situations such as:

1. Pregnancy
2. Stress
3. Exercise
4. Injuries
5. Operations
6. Prescription drug use
7. Colds/Flu
8. Toxins
9. Chronic illness
10. Alcohol use
11. Tobacco use
12. Natural loss

This is precisely why chronic illness has increased by over 600 percent in the past 60 years, from 10 to 70 percent of the adult population. It is also why life expectancy will decline for the first time in human history for people born in the year 2000 or later. (New science is now suggesting that this could occur with people born after the year 1980).

The current COVID-19 outbreak can help to sharpen the focus on this nutritional crisis.

B. Three natural strategies for the COVID-19 virus are Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Nanoparticle Silver

1. Vitamin C—The science behind vitamin C began in 1912 when it was discovered. Then, in 1928, it was isolated, and in 1933 it became the first vitamin to be produced chemically. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi discovered ascorbic acid at that time and Linus Pauling became the champion of vitamin C in the 1950’s and beyond. James Lind, a Scottish Naval surgeon, found that citrus fruit prevented scurvy in the 1700’s, so some credit must also be given to him.

Most recently, the Shanghai Government announced that vitamin C is an effective treatment for the COVID-19 virus. Dr. Andrew Saul has found that high doses of vitamin C can also be an effective treatment for a high range of viral infections. Very little has been reported in the main stream media on exactly how this protection happens in our body.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which means it has an extra electron to give to toxins and germs in our body that are missing an electron, known as free radical damage. However, viruses are not free radical molecules, they are fragments that are smaller than bacteria and can only survive when they attach to one of our cells. They can then multiply and begin to overwhelm and damage key organs, especially our lungs. However, vitamin C can prevent this damage in the following way:

1. Our body’s immune system uses phagocytes, such as white blood cells to capture and engulf harmful microorganisms, such as bacteria and viruses.
2. Vitamin C is needed by white blood cells as 50 times the level usually found in our blood stream. Our bodies do not make vitamin C, although there are some theories that indicate they used to make it. We can only get this level of 50 times by consuming vitamin C from foods and supplements. Vitamin C is being moved into our white blood cells continuously to ensure a strong immune response when needed.
3. Sugar and vitamin C have a similar chemical structure, which causes sugar to get into the white blood cells by mistake. If the concentration of glucose/sugar in our blood reaches the level of 120 mg/dl, that means white blood cells are filled with too much sugar, instead of vitamin C. This causes a reduced immune response of up to 75 percent for 4–6 hours.
4. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and moves out of the body within four hours. Therefore, more vitamin C must be consumed, and properly absorbed, in order to build the 50 times concentration needed in our white blood cells.
5. If the viral or bacteria challenge is more serious, such as the COVID-19 virus, this replacement process may need to be done sooner, such as every two hours.
6. Intravenous infusions of vitamin C can help to improve concentration levels, however, even the IV approach must be repeated in order to create a sustained immune response.
7. White blood concentrations of 50 times normal levels from food and supplements can be accomplished by gradually increasing supplement levels from 2,000 mg daily (500 mg every four hours) to 10,000 mg or more daily (1,000 mg every two hours).
8. Vitamin C supplements should contain bioflavonoids because this is how the body recognizes it when it is found in fruits and vegetables. In fact, it helps to take vitamin C supplements with the foods they come from in order to ensure that other co-factors can also help in the absorption process.

By increasing vitamin C levels to 50,000 mg to 150,000 mg daily with the proven co-factors, less sugar and the right foods, there is now mounting scientific evidence that vitamin C is effective against all viruses, as well as many cancers.

Ref #1 In one study, asymptomatic adults with the flu were given 1000 mg of vitamin C on an hourly basis for six hours, they then received 1000 mg three times daily until their symptoms stopped. Their flu symptoms were reduced by 85 percent compared to a placebo group. Life Extension, “Disease Prevention and Treatment,” 2013, pages 825–6.

Ref #2 Based on 30 clinical studies on vitamin C treatment for viruses, such as SARS, Bird flu and Swine flu, the effective dosage of vitamin C can range from 10,000 mg daily to over 100,000 mg daily, primarily via IV treatments. “Coronavirus: Exploring Effective Nutritional Treatments.” Andrew W. Saul, Orthomolecular News Service; January 30, 2020.

2. Vitamin D3
Vitamin D3 is proven to have anti-viral capabilities. Our bodies can make Vitamin D3 by way of exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun, which helps to convert cholesterol into vitamin D. The body can make as much as 20,000 IU of vitamin D with exposure to sizable sections of our skin. However, there is also the risk of overexposure to the sun, resulting in skin damage, and even skin cancer. In the northern climate zones, it is often very difficult to get enough sunshine to produce sufficient levels of vitamin D3.

Vitamin D can also be found in many foods, such as salmon, herring, sardines, cod liver oil, eggs and dairy products. For people who eat vitamin D rich foods on a regular basis and have some exposure to the sun, it makes it possible to achieve sufficient blood levels of vitamin D in order to protect our body from the flu, as well as many other chronic illnesses, including cancer. The effective level of vitamin D3, based on hundreds of scientific studies, is 50–90 ng/ml. Based on these blood test levels, about 90 percent of the US population is deficient in vitamin D3. (Dr. Joseph Mercola, “Top 5 signs of Vitamin D deficiency,” Jan 01, 2019).

This level of deficiency is extremely dangerous since vitamin D helps to regular over 2000 of our genes related to chronic illness. Over 80 percent of all genetic material consists of on and off switches for disease, including viral infections and cancer. When people have sufficient levels of vitamin D3 in their blood, the risks of contracting many cancers, including breast cancer and prostate cancer, are lowered by 70–80 percent.

Vitamin D3 also exerts a direct influence on our immune system by helping to produce an antibiotic protein called cathelicidin, which is known to kill viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. Some studies have reported significant prevention benefits by consuming only 1200 IU of vitamin D3 daily. Dr. John Cunnel recommends taking 50,000 IU daily for the first five days after initial viral infection symptoms occur, and 5,000- 10,000 IU daily as a maintenance dose.

Ref #1 In one double-blind placebo controlled study, the treatment group consumed 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 during the cold and flu season, while the control group consumed a placebo. The vitamin D3 group had a 58 percent reduced risk of the flu. Vitamin D3 helps fend off flu, asthma attacks—American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, March 10, 2010.

Ref #2 In another placebo-controlled study, school children were given 1200 IU of vitamin D3 daily and experienced 51 percent reduced flu occurrence compared to the control group. Life Extension “Disease Prevention and Treatment,” 2013 page 825.

Why did vitamin D3 not work for 100 percent of the people? The following explanation may help to explain this:

• Some participants in the vitamin D3 group may have eaten a less healthy diet, including more sugar.
• Some vitamin D3 group members may have had absorption difficulties related to genetic or biochemical challenges.
• Some vitamin D3 group participants may have had less exposure to the sun.

3. Silver
The history of silver’s use over thousands of years is well documented.

• Hippocrates (460 BC) the Father of Western Medicine, used silver to heal wounds and control infections.
• Herodotus (484 BC) describes how the King of Persia used silver to prevent illness.
• Alexander I of Russia used silver lined drinking vessels to sanitize water during the Napoleon Wars.
• Paracelsus (1493) “Father of Toxicology” used silver as medicine.
• Raulin (1869) observed that Aspergillus niger would not grow in silver vessels. (Aspergillus niger is black fungus/black mold)
• Dr. William Halsted, Chief Surgeon, John’s Hopkins Medical School (1880’s) used silver in operations and infectious wounds.
• Henry Brooks (1910) found that colloidal silver killed germs.
• GA Kruise (1928) used silver to disinfect water in swimming pools.
• 1900—1940 silver was the main antibiotic used in medicine.
• Dr. Larry C. Ford, UCLA Medical School, (1986) studied 650 pathogens and found they were all killed when exposed to colloidal silver.
• Currently many hospitals use silver to treat infected cuts and wounds, as well as bacterial infections known as the wasting disease.

About 80 years ago, antibiotics (man-made) were discovered and began to take the place of silver. This approach has been effective for many decades. However, bacteria have been gradually mutating to build resistance to these synthetic antibiotics. Each year at least two million people in the United States become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, causing over 23,000 deaths. Silver is now coming to the rescue in this battle against the so called “super bugs.”¹

Ref #1 In a study published in 2013 (Collins, et al. 2013, Boston University) it was found that combining silver with antibiotics made the antibiotics 1,000 times more sensitive and effective.

Silver has a wide spectrum of impact to kill pathogens, bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.

• Silver is missing a single electron in the outer shell. When it comes into contact with any pathogen, it will steal an electron, which ruptures the pathogen’s cell membrane, causing death. This mechanism of action allows silver to avoid the resistance experienced by man-made antibiotics.
• Silver also suffocates a virus, preventing access to oxygen, which the virus needs to stay alive. Silver also bonds to the DNA of the virus, thus preventing it from multiplying.

A special form of silver, known as Nanoparticle Silver has proven to be even more effective than other types traditionally used.

Ref #2 “Silver Kills Viruses,” Journal of Nanotechnology, October 18, 2009. University of Texas and University of Mexico.

C. Guidelines for the use of supplements

The three nutritional supplements featured in this article on the prevention and treatment of viral infections, including the COVID-19 virus, are not the only supplements needed by our immune system. There are several more that are also important. A few more of the key ones will be added now to help ensure the optimization of the supplements already mentioned.

1. Zinc—One of the first symptoms experienced by most people with the COVID-19 virus is throat irritation accompanied by a cough. Zinc lozenges can be very effective at killing the virus at this stage, because it has not yet begun to multiple very quickly. Zinc is an antioxidant with proven ability to weaken bacteria and viruses. Sometimes these lozenges include vitamin C and elderberry, which also have antiviral effectiveness.

2. Time to act—At this early stage of the infection, it doesn’t matter which bacteria or virus is involved, it is time to introduce the three products mentioned in this article. If vitamin C, vitamin D, and silver can be introduced early enough they will push the pathogen back and give our immune system a change to identify the invader and create the appropriate immune response.

3. Key foods to add—As was previously mentioned, any supplement works better if it is taken with the foods that it comes from. In the case of vitamins C and D this includes fruits, vegetables and omega 3 fish. These foods have co-factors that help to increase the absorption of the supplements.

4. Chewing our food—Many people do not chew their food good enough, which can cause a serious loss in the nutrients that are created and used by the body. Chewing helps to make the food particles smaller and easier to digest in the stomach and the small intestines. Chewing also causes the release of amylase enzymes, which are needed to begin the digestion process. Many foods should be chewed 20–30 times until they are nearly liquid. Poor chewing can cause the loss of up to 50 percent of the nutrients.

5. Age related nutritional changes—As we age our bodies are programmed to help us to eventually die to make way for the next generation, By the time we are fifty years old our bodies are making 50 percent less digestive enzymes, 50 percent less stomach acid, 50 percent less probiotics and 50 percent less glutathione, our bodies primary antioxidant. Supplementing with these ‘nutrients’ can help to delay this aspect of our aging process, and improve our immune function.

6. The problem with sugar—When we consume too much sugar our immune system is weakened by up to 75 percent for 4–6 hours. Sugar includes added sugar, fruit sugar, simple carbohydrates and alcohol. When fasting glucose levels exceed 85 mg/dl this immune impact begins to occur. When levels reach 129 mg/dl white blood cells are filled with sugar and the immune system is seriously challenged. The ideal sugar intake is no added sugar from pastries or other prepared foods, less than two fruits a day and no alcohol.

7. The rotation factor—Bacteria and viruses seem to have the ability to adapt quickly to whatever is trying to kill it. It can mutate its DBA, and its surface to resist both natural and man-made molecules. Therefore, it helps to rotate the natural products every few hours to confuse the invader and make each strategy more effective. This strategy has helped to keep many people free of colds and flus for over 40 years.

D. Conclusion
When the conventional medical community says that natural strategies to prevent and treat viral infections do not have good scientific evidence, I don’t think they are looking at all of the evidence that is available. Only two references were provided for each of the three natural products mentioned. However, the medical literature has over 500 references for these three evidence-based strategies. The reader can draw his or her own conclusions about why this science is being avoided.

The post Optimizing Our Immune System appeared first on Total Health Magazine.

Former CDC Chief, Dr. Tom Friedan was recently quoted on Fox News affirming, “Vitamin D supplementation reduces the risk of respiratory infection², regulates cytokine production³ and can limit the risk of other viruses⁴ such as influenza. A respiratory infection can result in cytokine storms⁵—a vicious cycle in which our inflammatory cells damage organs throughout the body— which increase mortality for those with COVID-19.” Dr. JoAnn Manson, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School⁶ states in a video presentation on Medscape, “There is emerging and growing evidence that vitamin D status may be relevant to the risk of developing COVID-19 infection and to the severity of the disease,” adding, “Vitamin D has an immune modulating effect and can lower inflammation.”

Sadly, we are also seeing evidence of health care disparity among African Americans who, in an analysis conducted by the Washington Post₇, are contracting and dying of the disease at a higher rate. The Post analysis shows that counties that are majority-black have three times the rate of infections and almost six times the rate of deaths as counties where white residents are in the majority. In Michigan, African Americans, who represent 14 percent of the population, account for more than 33 percent of cases and 40 percent of deaths. Similar statistics are mirrored in Chicago where 70 percent of COVID-19 related deaths were black, a rate six times higher than that of white residents. It is bears noting that vitamin D deficiency is more prevalent among African Americans than other Americans and, in North America, most young, healthy blacks do not achieve what scientists consider an optimal blood serum level, defined as 30 ng/ml by the Institutes of Medicine at any time of year.⁸

The CDC has acknowledged that the data suggests health disparities, including underlying health conditions, access to health care, and living and work conditions, make the African American population particularly vulnerable⁹. According to their analysis of COVID-19 deaths for New York, where race and ethnicity data were available, the death rate among Black/African American persons was 92.3 deaths per 100,000 population, and 74.3 for Hispanic/Latino persons; figures substantially higher than that of white (45.2) or Asian (34.5) persons. Which takes us back to vitamin D.

There is a sound body of research on the health and immune system benefits of vitamin D and a flurry of new reports, some of which have not yet been peer reviewed, from scientists and health care providers around the world who are working to connect the dots between vitamin D deficiency and the underlying conditions associated with increased severity or complications of COVID-19. The most recent is a report on the mean levels of vitamin D for 20 European countries. The study concluded low levels of vitamin D were strongly linked to morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19 in yet another highly vulnerable group, the elderly population.¹⁰

Achieving an effective vitamin D level is essential for your overall health and it is a critical component for building your immune system. An estimated 89 percent of U.S. adults overall, and 91 percent of U.S. children and teens, aren’t getting recommended levels of vitamin D.¹¹ What is the recommended level? Forty-eight high-profile vitamin D researchers from around the globe agree that 40–60 ng/ml is the ideal range for vitamin D. If you’ve had your level tested recently it’s likely your test result ranged from 10-30 ng/ml. If you do take vitamin D on a regular basis, you may be higher. Effective supplementation, however, requires you know your serum level.

The primary source of vitamin D is the sun, and we live in a society that no longer tolerates extended time in the sun without applying sunscreen. Stay-at-home orders have complicated getting enough sun and frankly, unlike many nutrients, you can’t eat your way to a healthy vitamin D level. Fortunately, vitamin D supplementation is an inexpensive, effective and simple way to resolve deficiencies if taken in the right amounts. Knowing your levels requires testing, and that can be done from the comfort of your own home.

Put the power of prevention in your own hands¹².
GrassrootsHealth, offers a simple blood spot test you can have delivered to your home. With your results, you can use the vitamin D calculator to see how much vitamin D you need to take to get achieve that optimal level of 40-60 ng/ml. According to published research, vitamin D levels of 50 ng/ml appear to protect against viral respiratory infection.12 Everyone has just enough time before the winter flu and cold season to monitor and increase your vitamin D level to bolster your immune system.

There is no reason to hesitate. Supplementation is safe. The latest Institute of Medicine report indicates 10,000 IU/day is considered the NOAEL (no observed adverse effect level) and 4,000 IU/day is safe for adults who are age 19 and older. The appropriate intake for you depends on your age, race, lifestyle and latitude of residence. Know your vitamin D level so you can live your future life well.

References

1. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6913e2.htm?s_cid=mm6913e2_w#T1_down
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3543548/
3. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0130395
4. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/91/5/1255/4597253
5. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140227142250.htm
6. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/930152?utm_source=Dr.+Manson+Vit+D+COVID+-+Thurs+5%2F14&utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=email
7. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/07/coronavirus-is-infecting-killing-black-americans-an-alarminglyhigh-rate-post-analysis-shows/?arc404=true
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16549493/
9. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/racial-ethnic-minorities.html
10. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40520-020-01570-8
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2883344/
12. https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202003.0235/v1?fbclid=IwAR3aL2ljr6KgZvjOk8S1Q0_lK62p7lVW_MlI2EnqdzCxINy0LyotJhJuYYs

The post Vitamin D and At-Risk Populations for COVID appeared first on Total Health Magazine.

• “There is no evidence that any flu vaccine, thus far developed, is effective in preventing or mitigating an attack of influenza”. Dr. J. Anthony Morris, former Chief Vaccine Officer, FDA.
• In the October 2008 issue of the Archive of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine it was reported that vaccinating young people against the flu had no impact on flu related hospitalization.¹
• A large-scale systematic review of 51 studies published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews found no evidence that the flu vaccine is any more effective than placebo for children. The study involved 260,000 children.²

On the other hand, there very good evidence to support the use of a variety of natural strategies to deal with any flu. Some of these strategies include:

• Avoid sugar, which lowers the immune systems strength.
• Get plenty of sleep, which helps the body to regenerate and balance itself.
• Avoid stress, which also lowers the strength of the immune system.
• Wash your hands and use sanitizer cleansers, if washing is not possible.
• Eat whole foods, no processed foods, especially plenty of vegetables.
• Certain supplements have been shown to have a good impact on preventing the flu and lessening the symptoms. These include Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Zinc, Vitamin A, L-lysine, Garlic, Echinacea, Olive leaf extract and Elderberry.

The regimen used by the Bens’ family, and anyone who asks for help, includes:

1. Vitamin D- 2,000-4.000 iu/day – Extremely effective at flu prevention.
2. ACF Prevention-Immune Support from Buried Treasure. Potent anti-flu formula.
3. Oregacillin from Physicians Strength. Clinically tested anti-viral formula.
4. Oscillococcinum- Strong Homeopathic symptom relief.
5. Olive Leaf Complex- Made by Barlean’s for bacterial and viral conditions.
6. Vitamin C- If your condition moves into your lungs Dr. Andrew Saul recommends taking 2000 mg of vitamin C every 6 minutes until you get relief. Dr. Saul resolved his viral pneumonia in 3 hours with this approach.

These natural flu prevention and treatment strategies have good scientific evidence as well as support from doctors in actual practice. They are not only effective; they have no side effects. Most of the flu vaccines not only have little scientific evidence, they also have numerous possible negative reactions including increased risk of asthma, autism, and neurological damage. The sooner you start the above treatment the better your results will be.

A strong immune system appears to be the best way to combat any flu.

References:

1. Peter G. Szilagyi, MD, MPH; Gerry Fairbrother, PhD; Marie R. Griffin, MD, MPH; et al Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Among Children 6 to 59 Months of Age During 2 Influenza Seasons Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162(10):943-951. doi:10.1001/archpedi.162.10.943
2. Tom Jefferson 1 , Alessandro Rivetti, Carlo Di Pietrantonj, Vittorio Demicheli Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy children Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Feb 1;2(2):CD004879. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004879.pub5.

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ENTEROVIRUS D68
Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is one of more than 100 non-polio enteroviruses. EV-D68 can cause mild to severe respiratory illness. Mild symptoms may include fever, runny nose, sneezing, cough, and body and muscle aches. Severe symptoms may include wheezing and difficulty breathing. Anyone with respiratory illness should contact their doctor if they are having difficulty breathing or if their symptoms are getting worse.¹

Since EV-D68 causes respiratory illness, the virus can be found in an infected person’s respiratory secretions, such as saliva, nasal mucus, or sputum. EV-D68 likely spreads from person to person when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or touches a surface that is then touched by others. In the United States, people are more likely to get infected with enteroviruses in the summer and fall. Cases are likely to decline later in the fall.²

EBOLA
Ebola, previously known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with one of the Ebola virus strains. Ebola is caused by infection with a virus of the family Filoviridae, genus Ebolavirus. Ebola was first discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, outbreaks have appeared sporadically in Africa.³

The best way to prevent exposure to Ebola is to avoid travel to an area affected by the 2014 Ebola outbreak. CDC has issued a Warning, Level 3 travel notice for U.S. citizens to avoid nonessential travel to Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. CDC has downgraded the travel notice for Nigeria to a Watch, Level 1 because of the decreased risk of Ebola in Nigeria. A level 2 travel notice was also issued for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). If you must travel to those areas, wash your hands frequently or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Also, avoid contact with blood and body fluids of any person, particularly someone who is sick. Seek medical care immediately if you develop fever (temperature of 101.5°F/ 38.6°C) and any of the other following symptoms: headache, muscle pain, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, or unexplained bruising or bleeding.⁴

INFLUENZA
Influenza (“the flu”) is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae, the influenza viruses. The most common symptoms are chills, fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pains, headache (often severe), coughing, weakness/fatigue and general discomfort. Although it is often confused with other influenza-like illnesses, especially the common cold, influenza is a more severe disease.⁵ Influenza may produce nausea and vomiting, particularly in children, but these symptoms are more common in the unrelated gastroenteritis, which is sometimes inaccurately referred to as “stomach flu” or “24-hour flu.”⁶ Typically, influenza is transmitted through the air by coughs or sneezes containing the virus. Influenza can also be transmitted by direct contact with bird droppings or nasal secretions, or through contact with contaminated surfaces.

VITAMIN A
Vitamin A helps regulate the immune system, which helps prevent or fight off infections by making white blood cells that destroy harmful bacteria and viruses.^{7,8,9,10,11,12} The skin and mucosal cells (cells that line the eyes and the respiratory, urinary, and intestinal tract) function as a barrier and form the body’s first line of defense against infection. When those linings break down, it becomes easier for bacteria to enter the body and cause infection. Vitamin A promotes healthy surface linings of the eyes and the respiratory, urinary, and intestinal tracts,¹³ helping the skin and mucous membranes function as a barrier to bacteria and viruses.^14,15,16 In addition vitamin A plays a central role in the development and differentiation of white blood cells, such as lymphocytes, which play critical roles in the immune response by fighting infections.¹⁷

VITAMIN C
Vitamin C also plays a profound role in the health of the immune system, stimulating the production and function of white blood cells, including leukocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes and phagocytes.^{18,19,20,21,22,23,24} In addition, research has demonstrated that supplemental vitamin C increases serum levels of antibodies^25,26 and C1q complement proteins.^27,28,29 Also, Vitamin C has been shown to increase interferon levels in-vitro,30 and research on supplemental vitamin C and the common cold suggests that it promotes an antiviral effect in humans.³¹ In a study involving 252 adult subjects with a cold or flu who were treated with hourly doses of 1000 mg of vitamin C for the first six hours, and then three times daily thereafter. A control group of 463 subjects were treated with pain relievers and decongestants. The results were that overall reported flu and cold symptoms in the vitamin C group decreased 85 percent compared with the control group after the administration of mega-dose Vitamin C. The researchers in this study concluded, “Vitamin C in mega-doses administered before or after the appearance of cold and flu symptoms relieved and prevented the symptoms in the test population compared with the control group.”³²

VITAMIN E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects the integrity of cell membranes from damage caused by free radicals.³³ In particular, the alpha-tocopherol form of vitamin E protects against peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which can potentially cause cellular damage and subsequently lead to improper immune responses.³⁴ Several studies in animal models as well as humans indicate that vitamin E deficiency impairs both humoral and cell-mediated aspects of adaptive immunity, including B and T cell function.³⁵ Moreover, vitamin E supplementation in excess of current intake recommendations has been shown to enhance immunity and decrease susceptibility to certain infections, especially in elderly individuals. In fact, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in elderly nursing home residents reported that daily supplementation with 200 IU of synthetic alpha-tocopherol (equivalent to 90 mg of RRR-alpha-tocopherol) for one year significantly lowered the risk of contracting upper respiratory tract infections, especially the common cold, but had no effect on lower respiratory tract (lung) infections.³⁶

ZINC
Zinc is essential for the integrity of the immune system, and inadequate zinc intake has many adverse effects.37 The immunologic mechanisms whereby zinc modulates increased susceptibility to infection have been studied for several decades. It is clear that zinc affects multiple aspects of the immune system, from the barrier of the skin to gene regulation within lymphocytes. Zinc is crucial for normal development and function of cells mediating nonspecific immunity such as neutrophils and natural killer cells. Zinc deficiency also affects development of adaptive immunity.³⁸ Furthermore, in both young adults and elderly subjects, zinc supplementation decreased oxidative stress markers and generation of inflammatory cytokines.³⁹ According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 12 percent of the U.S. population does not meet the estimated average requirement for zinc.⁴⁰

BEE PROPOLIS
Propolis is a resinous substance collected from various plants by bees. It is used in the construction of, and to seal the cracks in, the beehive. It is a mixture of resin, essential oils and waxes, and also contains amino acids, minerals, ethanol, vitamin A, B complex, E, and flavonoids.⁴¹ In addition to its construction adhesive application, propolis also has antimicrobial properties, which helps to prevent microorganisms from entering the hive and causing illness. In human clinical research, supplementation with propolis has been shown to help effectively treat viral upper respiratory tract infections (e.g. colds and flu).^42,43,44

GARLIC
Garlic has an extensive history of use against a variety of pathogens that cause infections.^45,46 In in-vitro research, the antiviral activity of garlic was tested on human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). In this research, garlic was effective when administered concurrently with the HCMV, but the effect was stronger when pretreatment with garlic occurred. The authors of this study recommended that clinical use of garlic against HCMV infection should be persistent, and the prophylactic (preventive) use of garlic is preferable in immunocompromised patients.⁴⁷ In other in-vitro research, garlic and its sulfur compounds were tested against selected viruses, including herpes simplex virus type 1, herpes simplex virus type 2, parainfluenza virus type 3, vaccinia virus, vesicular stomatitis virus, and human rhinovirus type 2. The sulfur compounds were found to effect antiviral activity.⁴⁸

ECHINACEA
Arguably, Echinacea is the granddaddy of all immune-enhancing herbs. It is excellent in helping to prevent and treat colds and influenza. Research reveals that Echinacea supports the immune system by activating white blood cells (lymphocytes and macrophages).⁴⁹ Echinacea also increases the production of interferon, an immune component, which is important in responding to viral infections.⁵⁰

Several double-blind, clinical studies have confirmed Echinacea’s effectiveness in treating colds and flu.^51,52,53,54 However, some research suggests that Echinacea may be more effective if used at the onset of these conditions.^55,56 One study involving 238 subjects confirmed that Echinacea was safe and effective in producing a rapid improvement of cold symptoms. In the subgroup of patients who started therapy at an early phase of their cold, the effectiveness of Echinacea was most prominent.⁵⁷ In a similar study, 246 subjects with a cold were treated withEchinacea preparations or a placebo.

Those treated with the Echinaceapreparations experienced a reduction of symptoms, significantly more effective than the placebo. The researchers concluded that the Echinacea preparations, “represent a low risk and effective alternative to the standard symptomatic medicines in the acute treatment of common cold.”⁵⁸

MUSHROOMS
Edible mushroom extracts, especially those used in Chinese and Japanese natural medicines (Shiitake, Maitake, Reishi), are a rich source of naturally occurring polysaccharides, especially beta glucans. These polysaccharides in the aforementioned mushrooms can directly stimulate immune reactions by primarily modulating immune responsive cytokines such as IL-1, IL-2, IL-6 and INF-gamma.^59,60,61 Complex polysaccharides found in these mushrooms act as immunomodulators, helping to support immune system function. These polysaccharides, among the most powerful studied,⁶² are well absorbed when taken orally and have been used as a potential tool for viral infections.^63,64

ASTRAGALUS
Astragalus is primarily used for its immune stimulating and adaptogenic properties.^65,66 The Chinese use it as a classic energy tonic, often in place of Ginseng for people under 40 years of age. Astragalus works by stimulating several factors of the immune system. Evidence based uses of Astragalus include the treatment of infections (including common cold, flu, herpes, HIV), water retention, hypertension, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cardiac output.^67,68,69

CONCLUSION
The nutraceuticals discussed in this article are not the only ones that can help promote a strong, healthy immune response, but they are a good start. You can use some or all of them.

References

1. Enterovirus D68. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Division of Viral Diseases. Page last reviewed: September 25, 2014. Page last updated: October 10, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014 from http://www.cdc.gov/non-polio-enterovirus/about/ev-d68.html.
2. Enterovirus D68. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Division of Viral Diseases. Page last reviewed: September 25, 2014. Page last updated: October 10, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014 from http://www.cdc.gov/non-polio-enterovirus/about/ev-d68.html.
3. About Ebola Virus Disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Viral Special Pathogens Branch. Page last reviewed: October 3, 2014. Page last updated: October 3, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014 from http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/about.html.
4. Questions and Answers on Ebola. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Viral Special Pathogens Branch. Page last reviewed: October 8, 2014. Page last updated: October 8, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014 from http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-westafrica/qa.html.
5. Eccles R. Understanding the symptoms of the common cold and influenza. Lancet Infect Dis. 2005; 5 (11):718–25.
6. Duda K. Seasonal Flu vs. Stomach Flu by Kristina. About Heath (A New York Times Company). Updated July 02, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2014 from http://coldflu.about.com/od/flumisconceptions/f/stomachflu.htm.
7. Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 2001.
8. Ross AC. Vitamin A and retinoids. In: Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. 9th Edition (edited by Shils ME, Olson J, Shike M, Ross AC). Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, New York, 1999, pp. 305–27.
9. Ross AC, Stephensen CB. Vitamin A and retinoids in antiviral responses. FASEB J 1996;10:979–85.
10. Semba RD. The role of vitamin A and related retinoids in immune function. Nutr Rev 1998;56:S38–48.
11. Ross DA. Vitamin A and public health: Challenges for the next decade. Proc Nutr Soc 1998;57:159–65.
12. Harbige LS. Nutrition and immunity with emphasis on infection and autoimmune disease. Nutr Health 1996;10:285–312.
13. Semba RD. The role of vitamin A and related retinoids in immune function. Nutr Rev. 1998;56(1 Pt 2):S38–48.
14. Ross DA. Vitamin A and public health: Challenges for the next decade. Proc Nutr Soc 1998;57:159–65.
15. Harbige LS. Nutrition and immunity with emphasis on infection and autoimmune disease. Nutr Health 1996;10:285–312.
16. de Pee S, West CE. Dietary carotenoids and their role in combating vitamin A deficiency: A review of the literature. Eur J Clin Nutr 1996;50 Suppl 3:S38–53.
17. Semba D. The role of vitamin A and related retinoids in immune function. Nutr Rev. 1998;56(1 Pt 2):S38–48.
18. Prinz W, Bortz R, Bregin B, Hersch M. The effect of ascorbic acid supplementation on some parameters of the human immunological defense system. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 1977;47(3):248–257.
19. Vallance S. Relationships between ascorbic acid and serum proteins of the immune system. Br Med J. 1977;2(6084):437–8.
20. Kennes B, Dumont I, Brohee D, Hubert C, Neve P. Effect of vitamin C supplements on cell-mediated immunity in old people. Gerontology. 1983;29(5):305–10.
21. Panush RS, Delafuente JC, Katz P, Johnson J. Modulation of certain immunologic responses by vitamin C. III. Potentiation of in vitro and in vivo lymphocyte responses. Int J Vitam Nutr Res Suppl. 1982;23:35–47.
22. Jariwalla RJ, Harakeh S. Antiviral and immunomodulatory activities of ascorbic acid. In: Harris JR (ed). Subcellular Biochemistry. Vol. 25. Ascorbic Acid: Biochemistry and Biomedical Cell Biology. New York: Plenum Press; 1996:215–231.
23. Levy R, Shriker O, Porath A, Riesenberg K, Schlaeffer F. Vitamin C for the treatment of recurrent furunculosis in patients with imparied neutrophil functions. J Infect Dis. 1996;173(6):1502–5.
24. Anderson R, Oosthuizen R, Maritz R, Theron A, Van Rensburg AJ. The effects of increasing weekly doses of ascorbate on certain cellular and humoral immune functions in normal volunteers. Am J Clin Nutr. 1980;33(1):71–6.
25. Prinz W, Bloch J, Gilich G, Mitchell G. A systematic study of the effect of vitamin C supplementation on the humoral immune response in ascorbate-dependent mammals. I. The antibody response to sheep red blood cells (a T-dependent antigen) in guinea pigs. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 1980;50(3):294–300.
26. Feigen GA, Smith BH, Dix CE, et al. Enhancement of antibody production and protection against systemic anaphylaxis by large doses of vitamin C. Res Commun Chem Pathol Pharmacol. 1982;38(2):313–33.
27. Haskell BE, Johnston CS. Complement component C1q activity and ascorbic acid nutriture in guinea pigs. Am J Clin Nutr. 1991;54(6 Suppl):1228S–1230S.
28. Johnston CS, Cartee GD, Haskell BE. Effect of ascorbic acid nutriture on protein-bound hydroxyproline in guinea pig plasma. J Nutr. 1985;115(8):1089–93.
29. Johnston CS, Kolb WP, Haskell BE. The effect of vitamin C nutriture on complement component C1q concentrations in guinea pig plasma. J Nutr. 1987;117(4):764–8.
30. Dahl H, Degre M. The effect of ascorbic acid on production of human interferon and the antiviral activity in vitro. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand B. 1976;84B(5):280–4.
31. Sasazuki S, Sasaki S, Tsubono Y, Okubo S, Hayashi M, Tsugane S. Effect of vitamin C on common cold: randomized controlled trial. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2006;60(1):9–17.
32. Gorton HC, Jarvis K, J Manipulative Physiol Ther (1999) 22(8):530–3.
33. Traber MG, Atkinson J: Vitamin E, antioxidant and nothing more. Free Radic Biol Med 2007; 43(1): 4–15.
34. Moriguchi S, Muraga M: Vitamin E and immunity. Vitam Horm 2000; 59: 305–36.
35. Ibid.
36. Meydani SN, Leka LS, Fine BC, et al.: Vitamin E and respiratory tract infections in elderly nursing home residents: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2004; 292(7): 828–36.
37. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Zinc. Dietary reference intakes for vitamin A, vitamin K, arsenic, boron, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silicon, vanadium, and zinc. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press; 2001:442–501.
38. Shankar AH, Prasad AS. Zinc and immune function: the biological basis of altered resistance to infection. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998 Aug;68(2 Suppl):447S–463S.
39. Prasad AS. Zinc in human health: effect of zinc on immune cells. Mol Med 2008; 14(5-6): 353–7.
40. Moshfegh A, Goldman J, Cleveland L. What We Eat in America, NHANES 2001-2002: Usual nutrient intakes from food compared to dietary reference intakes. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service; 2005: 56 pgs.
41. Mahmoud AS, Almas K, Dahlan AA, Indian Journal Of Dental Research (1999) 10(4):130 7.
42. Cohen HA, Varsano I, Kahan E, Sarrell EM, Uziel Y. Effectiveness of an herbal preparation containing echinacea, propolis, and vitamin C in preventing respiratory tract infections in children: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2004 Mar;158(3):217–21.
43. Crisan I, Zaharia CN, Popovici F, et al. Natural propolis extract NIVCRISOL in the treatment of acute and chronic rhinopharyngitis in children. Rom J Virol. 1995 Jul-Dec;46(3-4):115–33.
44. Szmeja Z, Kulczyñski B, Sosnowski Z, Konopacki K. [Therapeutic value of flavonoids in Rhinovirus infections]. Otolaryngol Pol. 1989;43(3):180–4.
45. Reuter HD, Phytomedicine (1995) 2:73-91.
46. Sendl A, Phytomedicine (1995) 4:323–339.
47. Guo NL, et al, Chin Med J (1993) 106(2):93 6.
48. Weber ND, et al, Planta Med (1992) 58(5):417 23.
49. See DM, Broumand N, Sahl L, Tilles JG. In vitro effects of echinacea and ginseng on natural killer and antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity in healthy subjects and chronic fatigue syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients. Immunpharmacol 1997;35:229–35.
50. Leuttig B, Steinmuller C, Gifford GE, et al. Macrophage activation by the polysaccharide arabinogalactan isolated from plant cell cultures of Echinacea purpurea. J Natl Cancer Inst 1989;81:669–75.
51. Melchart D, Linde K, Worku F, et al. Immunomodulation with Echinacea—a systematic review of controlled clinical trials. Phytomedicine 1994;1:245–54.
52. Dorn M, Knick E, Lewith G. Placebo-controlled, double-blind study of Echinacea pallida redix in upper respiratory tract infections. Comp Ther Med 1997;5:40–2.
53. Blumenthal M, Hall T, Goldberg A, Kunz T, Dinda K (eds.). The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs. Austin TX: American Botanical Council; 2003:88–96. Brinkeborn RM, Shah DV, Degenring FH. Echinaforce and other Echinacea fresh plant preparations in the treatment of the common cold. A randomized, placebo controlled, double-blind clinical trial. Phytomedicine 1999; 6(1):1 6.
54. Melchart D, Walther E, Linde K, et al. Echinacea root extracts for the prevention of upper respiratory tract infections: A double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial. Arch Fam Med 1998;7:541–5.
55. Grimm W, Müller HH. A randomized controlled trial of the effect of fluid extract of Echinacea purpurea on the incidence and severity of colds and respiratory tract infections. Am J Med 1999;106:138–43.
56. Henneicke von Zepelin H, Hentschel C, Schnitker J, et al. Efficacy and safety of a fixed combination phytomedicine in the treatment of the common cold (acute viral respiratory tract infection): results of a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, multicenter study. Curr Med Res Opin 1999; 15(3):214 27.
57. Brinkeborn RM, Shah DV, Degenring FH. Echinaforce and other Echinacea fresh plant preparations in the treatment of the common cold. A randomized, placebo controlled, double blind clinical trial. Phytomedicine 1999; 6(1):1 6.
58. Borchers AT, Stern JS, Hackman RM, et al. Mushrooms, tumors, and immunity. Proc Soc Biol Med 1999; 221(4):281–293.
59. Mayell, M. Maitake extrcacts and their therapeutic potential. Altern Med Rev 2001; 6(1):48–60.
60. Wang YY, Khoo KH, Chen ST, et al. Studies on the immunomodulating and antitumor activities of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) polysacharrides: functional and proteomic analyses of a fucosecontaining glycoprotein fraction responsible for the activities. Bioorg Med Chem 2002; 10(4):1057–62.
61. Nanba H, Hamaguchi AM, Kuroda H. The chemical structure of an antitumor polysaccharide in fruit bodies of Grifola frondosa (maitake). Chem Pharm Bull 1987; 35:1162–8.
62. Yamada Y, Nanba H, Kuroda H. Antitumor effect of orally administered extracts from fruit body of Grifola frondosa (maitake). Chemotherapy 1990; 38:790–6.
63. Nanba H. Immunostimulant activity in vivo and anti-HIV activity in vitro of 3 branched b-1–6-glucans extracted from maitake mushrooms (Grifola frondosa). VIII International Conference on AIDS, Amsterdam, 1992 [abstract].
64. Bone K. Clinical Applications of Ayurvedic and Chinese Herbs. Queensland, Australia:Phytotherapy Press; 1996:13–20.
65. Mills S, Bone K. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy. Edinburgh:Churchill Livingstone; 2000:273–279.
66. Presser A. Pharmacist’s Guide to Medicinal Herbs. Petaluma, California:Smart Publications; 2000.
67. Kuhn MA, Winston D. Herbal Therapy & Supplements: Scientific & Traditional Approach. Philadelphia:Lippincott; 2000.
68. Mills S, Bone K. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy: Edinburgh;Churchill Livingstone; 2000.

The post Promoting A Strong Immune Response Against Viruses appeared first on Total Health Magazine.

Oh well, that’s life. Nothing much you can do about it, right? In fact, there is a great deal you can do about it if you focus on promoting a strong, healthy immune system during the holidays and beyond. Besides taking care to maintain a healthy diet, the use of specific nutraceuticals can make a significant difference. This article will address those nutraceuticals.

THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
A good place to start the discussion is by defining the immune system. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: The immune system is a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body from infection. The human body provides an ideal environment for many microbes, such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites, and the immune system prevents and limits their entry and growth to maintain optimal health.⁸

Immune defenses may be divided into two broad categories: innate and adaptive. Innate immunity is the early phase of host response to infection, in which innate mechanisms recognize and respond to the presence of a pathogen. Innate immunity is present in all individuals at all times, does not increase with repeated exposure to a given pathogen, and discriminates between a group of related pathogens.⁹

Adaptive immunity is the response of antigen-specific lymphocytes to antigen, including the development of immunological memory (e.g. antibodies). Adaptive immune responses are generated by clonal selection of lymphocytes. Adaptive immune responses are distinct from innate and nonadaptive phases of immunity, which are not mediated by clonal selection of antigen-specific lymphocytes. Adaptive immune responses are also known as acquired immune responses¹⁰.

Ideally, in promoting a strong, healthy immune system, the goal should be to support both innate and adaptive immunity. Vitamin C,^11,12,13 zinc,^14,15,16 selenium,^17,18 beta 1,3/1,6 glucan ^19,10 and Echinacea^20,21 are nutraceuticals that can help you to do that.

VITAMIN C
Consider that vitamin C has been shown to affect various components of the human immune response, including antimicrobial and natural killer cell activities, and lymphocyte proliferation. For the most part, the studies involved healthy, free-living populations who supplemented with 200 mg–6 g a day of vitamin C in addition to dietary vitamin intake. Hence, the results relate largely to the pharmacological range of vitamin C intakes rather than the nutritional range of intakes usually provided from food alone.²³ It should also be noted that immune competent cells accumulate vitamin C, with a close relationship between the vitamin and immune cell activity, especially phagocytosis activity and T-cell function. Accordingly, one of the consequences of vitamin C deficiency is impaired resistance to various pathogens, while an enhanced supply increases antibody activity and infection resistance.²⁴ In one randomized, controlled 5-year trial,²⁵ those who took 500 mg/ day of supplemental vitamin C had a 66 percent lower risk of contracting three or more colds in a five-year period compared to those who took 50 mg/day of supplemental vitamin C. In another study,²⁶ 500 mg/day of vitamin C increased the SOD and catalase activities (powerful antioxidants) of immune cells known as lymphocytes. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 31 percent of the U.S. population does not meet the estimated average requirement for vitamin C.²⁷

ZINC
Zinc is essential for the integrity of the immune system, and inadequate zinc intake has many adverse effects.²⁸ The immunologic mechanisms whereby zinc modulates increased susceptibility to infection have been studied for several decades. It is clear that zinc affects multiple aspects of the immune system, from the barrier of the skin to gene regulation within lymphocytes. Zinc is crucial for normal development and function of cells mediating nonspecific immunity such as neutrophils and natural killer cells. Zinc deficiency also affects development of adaptive immunity.²⁹ Furthermore, in both young adults and elderly subjects, zinc supplementation decreased oxidative stress markers and generation of inflammatory cytokines.³⁰ According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 12 percent of the U.S. population does not meet the estimated average requirement for zinc.³¹

SELENIUM
Selenium is incorporated into a number of selenium-dependent antioxidant enzymes, also known as selenoproteins. These selenoproteins include glutathione peroxidases, which offer antioxidant protection against free radicals and other damaging reactive oxygen species.³² As such, there is much potential for selenium to influence the immune system. For example, the antioxidant glutathione peroxidases are likely to protect neutrophils from oxygen-derived radicals that are produced to kill ingested foreign organisms.³³ Of particular interest is a 12- week human intervention study³⁴ in which 119 volunteers took either a selenium supplement or a placebo daily to examine the response to an influenza vaccine. The results were that there was a heightened immune response in the selenium group (compared to placebo), further supporting the relationship between selenium status and immune function.

BETA 1,3/1,6 GLUCAN
A yeast beta 1,3/1,6 glucan derived from the cell wall of a proprietary strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been well researched, and its mechanism of action for this beta 1,3/1,6 glucan well documented. Once swallowed, immune cells in the gastrointestinal tract take up beta 1,3/1,6 glucan and transport it to immune organs throughout the body. While in the immune organs, immune cells called macrophages digest beta 1,3/1,6 glucan into smaller fragments and slowly release them over a number of days. The fragments bind to neutrophils, which are the most abundant immune cells in the body, via complement receptor 3 (CR3). In fact, neutrophils account for 40–60 percent of all immune cells. Beta 1,3/1,6 glucan primes and strengthens the key immune function of neutrophils that now move more quickly throughout the body. It is important to note that beta 1,3/1,6 glucan boosts immune function without over stimulating the immune system. Also, multiple human clinical studies have shown that this beta 1,3/1,6 glucan is effective in the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) such as the common cold.

In a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial,³⁵ 250 mg/day of this beta 1,3/1,6 glucan or placebo was given to 100 healthy individuals during peak URTI season. The results were that beta 1,3/1,6 glucan decreased the total number of days with URTI symptoms by about 20 percent compared to the placebo group, and the ability to “breathe easily” was significantly improved in the beta 1,3/1,6 glucan group as well. Likewise, additional studies^36,37 have shown that 250 mg/day of Wellmune WGP® this beta 1,3/1,6 glucan reduced URTI symptoms and improved mood state in stressed subjects, compared to placebo.

Since strenuous exercise is known to suppress immunity for up to 24 hours, another study³⁸ with 182 men and women examined if 250 mg/day of this beta 1,3/1,6 glucan could positively affect the immune system of individuals undergoing intense exercise stress, and reduce URTI symptomatic days. The results were that it was associated with a 37 percent reduction in the number of cold/flu symptom days post-strenuous exercise compared to placebo, and was also associated with a 32 percent increase in specific immune cells. Other research^39,40 has shown similar benefits with this beta 1,3/1,6 glucan in association with intense exercise. Also, in a study⁴¹ with firefighters, there was a lower incidence of URTI symptoms with perceived overall health significantly higher when supplementing with 200 mg/day of this beta 1,3/1,6 glucan compared to placebo.

In addition, a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study⁴² found that 250 mg/day of this beta 1,3/1,6 glucan for four weeks improved allergy symptoms, overall physical health, and emotional well-being compared with placebo in “moderate” ragweed allergy sufferers during ragweed allergy season.

ECHINACEA
Arguably, Echinacea is the granddaddy of all immune-enhancing herbs. It is excellent in helping to prevent and treat colds and influenza. Research reveals that Echinacea supports the immune system by activating white blood cells (lymphocytes and macrophages).⁴³ Echinacea also increases the production of interferon, an immune component that is important in responding to viral infections.⁴⁴ There are three species of Echinacea commonly used in herbal medicine: Echinacea purpurea, E. angustifolia, and E. pallida. This article will feature E. purpurea root.

Two different studies^45,46 have examined the effects of short term use of E. purpurea root extract, equivalent to 930 mg/day. Results showed significant increases in T-cells (a type of immune cell). This is the type of quick response desired if you have a cold or the flu. This is also well within the approved dosage range of E. purpurea root approved by Health Canada⁴⁷ (Canada’s version of the FDA) for use to help to fight off infections (especially of the upper respiratory tract), help relieve cold symptoms and shorten the duration of upper respiratory tract infections.

Several double-blind, clinical studies have confirmed Echinacea’s effectiveness in treating colds and flu.⁴⁸ However, some research suggests that Echinacea may be more effective if used at the onset of these conditions.^51,52 In a meta-analysis of 14 studies,⁵³ researchers found that taking Echinacea cut the risk of catching the common cold by 58 percent, and if subjects already had a cold it decreased the duration by 1.4 days. In one of the studies, Echinacea taken in combination with vitamin C reduced cold incidence by 86 percent, and when the herb was used alone the incidence of cold was reduced by 65 percent. The bottom line is that when used appropriately, Echinacea is effective in preventing and treating the common cold.

CONCLUSION
These nutraceuticals can help support innate and adaptive immunity, and may help stave off URTI, or reduce their symptoms and duration during the holiday season and throughout the entire year. If URTI symptoms arise, however, it is important be aggressive, using the full amounts of vitamin C, beta 1,3/1,6 glucan and Echinacea discussed in this article, ideally in about three doses divided throughout the day.

References:

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7. Mossad SB. Upper Respiratory Tract Infections. Cleveland Clinic, Center for Continuing Education. Copyright ©2000-2014. Retrieved October 20, 2014 from http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/medicalpubs/diseasemanagement/infectious-disease/upper-respiratory-tract-infection/#s0015.
8. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. Immune System. Last Updated January 23, 2014. Retrieved February 3, 2014 from http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/immunesystem/Pages/default.aspx.
9. Chapter: Principles of innate and adaptive immunity. Janeway CA Jr, Travers P, Walport M, et al. Immunobiology: The Immune System in Health and Disease. 5th edition. New York: Garland Science; 2001.
10. Chapter: Principles of innate and adaptive immunity. Janeway CA Jr, Travers P, Walport M, et al. Immunobiology: The Immune System in Health and Disease. 5th edition. New York: Garland Science; 2001.
11. Chapter: Principles of innate and adaptive immunity. Janeway CA Jr, Travers P, Walport M, et al. Immunobiology: The Immune System in Health and Disease. 5th edition. New York: Garland Science; 2001.
12. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Vitamin C. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Carotenoids. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press; 2000:117.
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The post Keeping Your Immune System Healthy During the Holidays and Beyond appeared first on Total Health Magazine.

At no time is this missing information more needed than today, when we read alarming headlines about Avian Flus or H1N1, alleged pandemics that were supposedly going to match or surpass the death rates of the Great Flu Epidemic of 1918.

To understand why our government ramps up for these anticipated pandemics, you need to know how much they are involved in the drug business and the creation of laws that sanction the use of our tax dollars to make new drugs. Once developed, these drugs are then handed over to the drug industry to sell worldwide, and officials at all federal agencies, including the State Department, are required to do what they can to make these drugs a commercial success. consequently, the possibility that there might be an epidemic, or even worse a “pandemic” (that is, a situation in which more potential sick people would need drugs) provides yet another opportunity to develop and promote drug products for sale worldwide.

While millions of Americans worry about what will happen if such pandemics reach our shores, we thought we’d set the record straight on what actually happened during the 1918 epidemic, among chiropractors and homeopaths, two medical groups who have always remained skeptical of modern medicine for good reason. Chiropractor, Dr. Christopher Kent, in his article titled, “Chiropractic and Infectious Disease —a Historical Perspective,” which is posted on www.insightcla.com, provides statistics that show the superiority of chiropractic care during the 1918 flu epidemic. In Davenport, Iowa, 6,116 patients died out of 93,590 treated (a loss of one in fifteen) under modern medical care. Meanwhile, chiropractors at the Palmer School of Chiropractic treated 1,635 cases and lost only one patient. Outside Davenport, chiropractors cared for 4,735 cases with only six deaths, or one death per 866 patients. Meanwhile, in Oklahoma, another bastion of chiropractic activity, out of 3,490 flu patients under chiropractic care, there were only seven deaths.

Homeopaths had similar success, as they always do during any infectious disease outbreak. One of the several most interesting public records about homeopathic superiority in treating the flu was reported in Chicago, where three great mail order houses were located: Montgomery Ward, Sears, Roebuck and Co., and Marshall Field’s. Each of these companies had medical clinics for their thousands of employees. Sears and Marshall Field’s were run by allopathic M.D.s, while Ward’s was run by homeopaths. While Sears and Marshall Field’s lost hundreds of patients, Ward’s only lost one lone patient. One homeopath practicing during the epidemic said that allopaths typically lost 20 to 40 percent of their patients while homeopaths lost only 5 to 6 percent at most.

In New York City, the Commissioner of Health, Royal Copeland, a homeopathic physician, was convinced that most of the deaths reported in the city were from pneumonia, a complication from the flu, because most people did not have indoor heating at the time. As a result, he changed the sanitary code to require landlords to keep heat in their buildings no lower than 68 degrees. Dr. Copeland also noted that among the Jewish population, there were lower death rates. He claimed it was because Jewish mothers were the best in the world. We think it’s because of their famous chicken soup, which is known to be nutritionally rich and usually includes several herbs of medicinal value, none the least of which is garlic.

All natural health practitioners would tell you the same thing about the flu season: Be prepared and build up your immune system; it’s the best defense. On the outside chance we do have some kind of unusual flu outbreak, avian or otherwise, you can use homeopathic flu remedies like Boiron’s oscillococcinum, which is prepared from duck organs because the makers know that flu can have an avian origin. You should also know that each flu season, homeopaths gather information about symptoms from the very first sufferers and establish the most effective protocols for that season’s variety of infection. And they don’t necessarily differentiate between flu-like illness or the actual flu, which is only 10 percent of the aches and sniffles that people suffer each year. They choose from Aconite (for the first signs of a flu), Eupatorium (for break-bone fever), Gelsemium (for worry and hurry), Nux Vomica (for overindulgence), and a dozen more. We personally also use oil of oregano, vitamin C, garlic, and magnesium to defend ourselves and also carefully avoid the flu shot and antibiotics.

What we must always remember is that the key to good health is being informed owners of our own bodies. We have a right to choice in health care, and we must fight for that right of choice and the knowledge and ability to self-medicate with fearlessness and confidence.

Allopathy is only a medical model born of the industrial age, and to suggest the oldest and most used healing arts in the world are secondary to allopathy is not only insulting but inaccurate. Traditional methods of restoring and maintaining maximum health, by virtue of their track record of safety and success, take second place to no other medical model.

Health is not only about the body but also about the mind, emotions, and spirit. Each of us must be prepared to stretch beyond the average health book, which merely substitutes dietary supplements for drugs and doesn’t give us the deep, underlying reasons for the very existence of our current health care crises. There have been well over 100 years of deliberate scheming and manipulations, affecting every aspect of our North American society, to create the false picture of the health care (actually disease care) matrix. Become educated; take responsibility for your own health; and if you must take medication, look into all the risks and all the other options.

Also, understand that power comes from how you spend your money, how you make your lifestyle choices, and how you cast your vote. Become active in the health freedom movement.

The post The History of Influenza appeared first on Total Health Magazine.