Did Colloidal Silver Turn This Man Blue?

[We are grateful to Life & Health Research Group, LLC for permission to re-print the following interview from their newsletter, regarding the colloidal silver user who was said by the news media to have “turned blue” from using colloidal silver. We find it astonishing that the major news media could get a story so wrong, when a simple phone call could have clarified everything. Absolutely no reproduction of any part of this report is allowed without the expressed written permission of the publisher. Copyright 2006, Life & Health Research Group, LLC, PO Box 1239, Peoria AZ 85380-1239]

An interview with Stan Jones, the 2002 Libertarian Senate candidate from Bozeman, Montana who news media outlets have claimed “turned blue” from taking colloidal silver:

Background:

On 10-3-02 a friend in the nutrition industry forwarded to me a CNN news article that had been circulating on the internet. The news article basically stated that Montana Senate candidate Stan Jones had “turned blue” from taking daily doses of colloidal silver between 1999 and 2001. This story soon began circulating widely on the internet, and was even picked up by the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) web site.

On 10-4-02 I called Mr. Jones’ campaign office and left a message on his answering machine introducing myself as a health writer and publisher, and asking him to return my call. I explained that I hoped to be able to speak with him briefly about colloidal silver usage and the information in the news articles that had been circulating on the internet regarding his skin discoloration. I asked if he would clarify some points so that I could relay the information to the readers of my publications who may be interested in the proper and safe usage of colloidal silver. On 10-8-02 at approximately 1:30 p.m. (PST) Mr. Jones returned my telephone call.

Notes:

I began by thanking him for returning my call, and promising not to take up too much of his valuable time. “I know you are in the middle of a busy election campaign so I’ll try to keep this brief. Your case is very unusual, something of an anomaly,” I began. “Yes, yes, very unusual,” he answered, “this normally doesn’t happen with colloidal silver usage.” He continued, “However, the first thing I want to tell you is that I am not as blue as the news media is making me out to be. At certain times there is what I suppose you could call a bluish-gray tinge on the skin under my eyelids and perhaps a little on my lips. And the skin under my finger nails also has a tinge of discoloration to it. On some days the discoloration seems to be more pronounced, and on other days it is barely visible, if at all. Most people who meet me never even notice it, but on occasion some do. The spin that the media has put on this story is not at all accurate. It is highly exaggerated. The discoloration is very minimal. I have not ‘turned blue.’ The extent of skin discoloration is not even remotely near what the news media are saying. It is very minor and generally barely noticeable.”

I told him I had a number of questions that I hoped he could answer, so that other people interested in using colloidal silver could do so from a more informed perspective. He replied, “Let me tell you what happened first, and that will probably answer most of your questions…I began taking colloidal silver in 1998 while I was living in Washington state. I had done some research on Y2K and learned of colloidal silver and its powerful natural antibiotic qualities through that research…I started out using distilled water to make my colloidal silver, but I soon switched to tap water(1) because I erroneously believed the tap water in Washington State was relatively pure and mineral free. I added saline drops(2) to the tap water to increase the electrical conductivity of the solution. To make the colloidal silver I used a device composed of three nine volt batteries(3) along with two silver wires that were .9999 fine in purity. I was making the colloidal silver solution in a small plastic cup(4) at that time. That was my introduction to colloidal silver…In 1999 I moved to Montana. At this time I began drinking about eight ounces a day of colloidal silver, using an eight minute generation period. I was still making it in tap water, and of course, I had no idea what concentration I was making. At that time I kept a two gallon jug of water in the refrigerator, so I started making very concentrated eight ounce batches of colloidal silver, and adding it to the two gallon jug of water in the refrigerator(5). To make these concentrated batches, I used a one hour generation process. I was still using tap water to make these initial highly concentrated(6) eight ounce batches of colloidal silver which I was then adding to my drinking water(7).”

At this point in the conversation I interrupted and told Mr. Jones about the research from the late 1960’s in which doctors had given rats extremely high dosages of silver in water, relative to their body weights, and discovered that the silver solution at those high dosages had a very toxic effect on the rat’s livers. This toxic effect on their livers appeared to shut down the process by which silver is carried from the body and excreted. I explained that the doctors had discovered something very interesting: when they supplemented the rats with vitamin E and selenium, the liver damage and resulting toxicity was completely negated, and the rats were then able to ingest these relatively large dosages of silver with no problem. I asked Mr. Jones if he was aware of this research, and he said he was not. I asked if he had been taking a daily multi-vitamin/mineral supplement containing vitamin E and selenium at all during the period of time he had been using colloidal silver in Washington state and Montana, and he said he did not think he had been. He stated, “Of course we know for a fact that the body is able to process colloidal silver quite well, if it is made correctly and the dosage levels and concentrations are not too high. I think it is when colloidal silver is incorrectly made using tap water or sources other than distilled water, and is taken at higher dosages and concentrations for long periods of time that minor problems like the one I’ve experienced can result.”

He then stated that since he first started noticing the minor skin discoloration a year ago, he began studying colloidal silver usage more carefully, and has learned there are many variables to take into consideration when making colloidal silver. He said, “Even things like the type of water you use to make your silver solution, the size of the silver wire you use, the length of the time and the electrical voltage at which you generate the silver, the resulting concentration you produce in terms of parts per million, and many other factors, all of which can make a big difference in the final result.” He stated that he has since learned that some people strain their homemade colloidal silver through a paper coffee filter in order to remove larger particles, so that they are only ingesting the tinier particles that make it through the filter. He said he now believes the tinier particles are easier for the body to process.

I asked him if he had any advice for users of colloidal silver, in terms of things they can do to avoid the apparently minor problem he has encountered with skin discoloration. He said that people should be sure to use nothing but pure distilled water to make their colloidal silver, and that they should be very careful in regards to the dosages and concentrations they take. “Don’t use tap water to make your colloidal silver. Use pure distilled water only. And don’t take very large dosages or strong concentrations for long periods of time.”

I asked him how he felt about the media’s take on his story, and he stated once again that he felt it was highly exaggerated, and in fact was being blown out of proportion. “I am not blue,” he reaffirmed, “but there is some minor skin discoloration in small areas on my face and hands which is occasionally noticeable, though not always.” I asked him why he felt the skin discoloration seemed to be more noticeable on some occasions and barely perceptible on others, and he stated that he did not know.

I further asked if he felt the FDA would attempt to use his case in order to bolster their attempts to ban colloidal silver. He stated, “It doesn’t matter if they do, because we now know how to produce colloidal silver ourselves. We don’t need the FDA. We have the means of production at our fingertips. They can’t stop us from using it. I am convinced it is a very powerful and effective natural antibiotic, and that it is relatively safe when made and used correctly.”

I asked whether he was still taking colloidal silver and he said “No. Not at this time. I stopped using it last year after I first noticed the slight skin discoloration. But I can feel a cold coming on right now, so I am going to start using it again.” He stated that during the entire time he had been taking colloidal silver he had not been sick, not even so much as a cold. “Now that I’ve learned more about how to make colloidal silver correctly using distilled water, and to watch the dosage and concentration levels, I will start using it again.”

At this point in the conversation Mr. Jones was interrupted by the arrival of guests (I could hear him telling someone to come in and take a seat and that he’d be with them momentarily). I assumed he was calling from his campaign office. I thanked him profusely for taking time out of his busy schedule to speak with me. He asked me to name the two nutritional supplements that helped prevent silver toxicity in the study I had mentioned earlier, and I told him they were vitamin E and selenium, and that the daily dosages I had read about were 200 to 400 IU of vitamin E and 200 micrograms of selenium. He stated that he thinks the daily vitamin/mineral supplement he now uses has those levels of vitamin E and selenium in them. I asked if he wanted me to send him a copy of the research on vitamin E and selenium in conjunction with silver usage, and he said it would not be necessary. He concluded by stating once again that he is convinced colloidal silver usage is completely safe as long as it is made properly, and the dosage levels and concentrations are not overly high.

I then wished him luck on his campaign for the Senate seat in Montana. He said “thank you” and we hung up.

Notes and afterthoughts on the conversation:

The following footnotes and afterthoughts on my conversation with Mr. Jones may aid in understanding why he had such an unusual reaction to the colloidal silver he took. (See corresponding notations in paragraph #4 of this report.)

Colloidal silver should always be made with pure distilled water, according to the experts we have spoken with. Contrary to Mr. Jones’ initial belief, virtually all tap water contains a wide range of minerals, including lead. More importantly, tap water contains many potent chemicals that are usually added at the local municipal water processing plant. He is right in concluding that tap water should never be used to make colloidal silver, except perhaps under the most dire of emergency conditions during which pure distilled water is unavailable. Chemicals put into tap water for disinfectant purposes – including various forms of chlorine, bromine, aluminum and others – can potentially form a chemical bond with the silver during the electrical generation process, resulting in extremely caustic and possibly toxic forms of silver in the solution. Although not harmful initially, if such poorly made colloidal silver is taken in large dosages over extended periods of time, toxicity can indeed result. Furthermore, naturally occurring nitrates and nitrites found in tap water, and especially in well water and other household water sources, may do the same thing. It is unclear what effects minerals such as arsenic and lead that are commonly found in tap water and other household water sources, may have on the human body if bonded electrically with silver particles. Experts say that using pure distilled water when making colloidal silver helps resolve these potential problems.
Adding saline drops to tap water may theoretically increase the ability of potentially harmful chemicals in the tap water to bind with the silver particles, forming unknown silver compounds. Therefore, use of tap water is not recommended (see footnote #1 above) and most certainly use of tap water with saline solution added is not recommended. Producing colloidal silver in pure distilled water is the method recommended by most experts we have spoken with. Adding saline drops to pure distilled water in order to increase the electrical conductivity of the water and increase the speed at which colloidal silver can be made is not generally considered to be harmful. In fact, when treating antibiotic-resistant infections, Dr. Robert O. Becker, M.D. is said to have successfully generated silver particles directly into the saline bodily fluids of his patients by laying silver mesh into their infected wounds and using micro-currents of electricity to drive the silver particles into their tissues. According to Dr. Becker, there was no apparent harm to the cells or tissues, and in so doing, he was able to cure infections that no prescription antibiotic had been able to cure. Adding a small amount of saline solution to distilled water will increase the electrical conductivity of the water and will therefore allow you to produce colloidal silver at a faster rate (10-15 minutes with saline, as opposed to one to two hours without saline). The trade-off is that you will always get larger silver particles, because of the silver/saline bond which is formed. It is thought that in some rare cases, certain people may have more difficulty processing these larger silver particles, resulting in a potential buildup of silver in the body if the colloidal silver is taken daily, in large quantities or in high concentrations, for long periods of time. This is why many experts recommend that regardless of how colloidal silver is made, larger quantities (i.e., over an ounce a day) and larger concentrations (i.e., over 15 or 20 ppm) should not be taken for more than 10 days at a time. If colloidal silver is to be taken daily for long periods of time, for mineral supplementation purposes, most experts we’ve spoken with agree that no more than one teaspoon to one ounce should be taken each day
No mention was made by Mr. Jones as to whether the 27 volt (three nine volt batteries) device he used to make colloidal silver had the voltage properly balanced against the amperage in order to help limit the production of overly large silver particles. Electrical experts we’ve spoken to have told us that when using a 27 volt device to produce colloidal silver in a 16 ounce container of pure distilled water with 14 gauge .9999 fine pure silver wire, the voltage to amperage ratio produced by the unit when not under load should be 27 volts to 4.5 mA. This voltage to amperage ratio is said to limit both the rate and size at which silver particles pour off of the silver wires when they are placed into pure distilled water and then placed under electrical load. Generally speaking, the faster the silver particles pour off of the silver wires under electrical load, the larger the resulting particle size. And the slower the silver particles come off of the silver wire while under electrical load, the smaller the resulting particle size. This is why some 27 volt colloidal silver units appear to produce copious amounts of silver solution in a very short period of time (i.e., a matter of minutes), whereas other 27 volt units appear to take significantly longer to produce the same volume of silver particles in the water. The manufacturers of the faster producing units generally have not properly balanced the voltage against the amperage in order to produce smaller silver particles (for more information, see our report, Buyer Beware: Not All Colloidal Silver Generators Are the Same). You can test the voltage to amperage balance of just about any 27 volt colloidal silver unit using a good digital multimeter (available from Radio Shack and other sources). Be sure to get one that reads amperage all of the way down to milliamps. Simply attach the positive and negative clips on your digital multimeter to the positive and negative clips of your colloidal silver generator (while not under load), and check the voltage and the amperage coming from the unit.
Household plastic containers are not generally considered proper for making colloidal silver using the electro-colloidal process. Most experts say glass containers are best. Some plastics can leach potentially toxic chemicals into the water, and this leaching may be accelerated during the electrification process used in making colloidal silver. Furthermore, an electrical bond between the silver and the potentially toxic chemicals may result. Many plastics are also susceptible to conducting static electricity, which in turn can cause the silver particles to agglomerate, resulting in a significantly larger than desired particle size. Certain specially made plastic containers may be available from scientific supply houses that are appropriate for manufacturing colloidal silver. But household plastic wares are generally not considered appropriate. According to the experts we have spoken with, using a glass container to make colloidal silver alleviates these potential problems.
Refrigeration of colloidal silver is never recommended, according to the experts we have spoken with. It is generally agreed that colloidal silver should be stored at room temperature, somewhere between 60 and 85 degrees. Correctly made, electrically generated silver particles are suspended in water by their electrical charge, and are in a constant state of flux called Brownian motion. However, colder temperatures such as that involved in refrigeration are said to dramatically slow down the Brownian motion, causing the silver particles to fall out of suspension. We are told it is because of this that pure, electrically generated colloidal silver should never be refrigerated.
In a situation where such very strong concentrations of colloidal silver are being produced, the negative effect of refrigeration described in point #5 above may be even more pronounced.
Most experts agree that there is no added benefit in taking such large concentrated amounts of colloidal silver for extended periods of time. For mineral supplementation purposes, most experts we have talked to suggest that one teaspoon to one ounce per day of 5 to 15 ppm colloidal silver is sufficient for the average individual. Some experienced users of colloidal silver claim they benefit greatly from taking larger doses (up to 12 or even 16 ounces per day in three or four divided doses) of higher-concentration colloidal silver (20 to 50 ppm or higher) for very short periods of time (usually no more than 10 days), such as when fighting an active infection. But experts tell us that to do so for long extended periods of time (months/years) is completely without merit, and may in certain cases (such as in cases of vitamin E or selenium deficiency, or in cases of poor kidney, liver or bowel function) result in a case of silver toxicity in which the body’s ability to process the silver particles effectively may become compromised. Several experts have told us that when taking larger daily doses of colloidal silver it is generally considered safer to use a silver solution produced by a colloidal silver generator that makes ultra-small particles of silver (i.e., in the thousandths to ten thousandths of a micron in size) in low to moderate concentrations (5-10 ppm), since the human body is far more effectively able to utilize and eliminate the smaller particles, and higher concentrations are simply not needed when the silver particles are that small. Nevertheless, even when producing ultra-small particles at low concentrations, it is generally agreed among the experts we’ve spoken to that larger doses should only be used for very short periods of time, and certainly not for months and years at a time. For additional information on colloidal silver usage, get a copy of The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual: Introducing the Powerful Natural Antibiotic They Want to Take Away From You. It is over 540 pages and covers safety issues such as argyria as well as dosage questions in great detail. To order just call Life & Health Research Group, LLC toll-free at: 1-888-846-9029.

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