The following quotations have been attributed to Roger Altman, which I found too hard to ignore.
I estimate that no more than 16 ounces of colloidal silver, or silver chloride, at a concentration of 5 ppm should be ingested within 24 hours, or 64 ounces within 10 days. In addition, the ingestion of colloidal silver and/or silver chloride should be stopped for at least 5 days following any period of heavy consumption to lower the risk of argyria. He estimates this, based on what? He appears to be operating on the assumption that any kind of silver, if taken in enough quantity, will cause argyria. In spite of numerous reports of people ingesting far greater quantities of CS than he is cautioning about (up to 1-gallon per day of 10 ppm for years), he is cautioning at such a conservative level as to be ridiculous. Selenium binds with heavy metals, including silver. Any references to substantiate this? As the body eliminates these metals, it eliminates selenium along with them. References, please. Opinion has very little weight without substantiation. It's logical to assume that anyone who is ingesting colloidal silver or silver chloride on an ongoing basis is slowly but surely eliminating selenium. I find his logic flawed. Every day our bodies eliminate various minerals/metals. When someone begins to drink adequate amounts of water, they eliminate more metals/minerals/toxins/fat cells, etc. Should we assume that, anyone who is ingesting water on an ongoing basis is slowly but surely eliminating selenium. (or calcium, or potassium, etc.) He appears to be assuming that, because people with low levels of selenium MAY have a slightly greater chance of experiencing argyria, that means the reverse, that ingestion of silver increases a deficiency of selenium. Lot of speculation here. While many believe it is impossible to contract argyria by ingesting colloidal silver, the facts indicate this may not be an absolute truth. What facts? All the facts I have ever seen establish very strongly this to be a truth. Imagine that a man drinks one gallon of 10 ppm colloidal silver every day for a year. Like Bob Beck does. Some of that silver will bind with selenium. No substantiation for this idea. The Silver binds with (whatever) idea does not stand up in the face of Mr. Altmans own report on the bodys propensity to retain silver, which concluded that there was virtually no silver accumulation whatsoever. At first, it may appear that everything is going fine, but once selenium levels have dropped low enough, perhaps in three or four months, a small percentage of silver will be sent to the face for storage. As more selenium is depleted, a larger percentage of silver will be routed to the face. (In the most extreme case noted in one EPA study, eighteen percent of all silver ingested by an argyric individual was routed to the face.) A study noting the ingestion of WHAT KIND of silver? Of HOW MUCH silver? I am unaware of ANY official studies of the effects of electro-colloidal silver, not silver compounds. And now Mr. Altman appears to be doing the same thing: using the consequences of toxic silver COMPOUNDS as a basis for cautioning about silver COLLOIDS. The end result is that within a year the condition of argyria could be quite pronounced as a result of ingesting large amounts of colloidal silver. This statement sounds so much like an FDA/EPA gloss-over (attributing to colloidal silver what can only be experienced with LARGE amount of silver compounds) that I am unable to reasonably attribute this statement to Roger Altman. Did this actually come from him? If it did, I defy Mr. Altman to support or substantiate that statement. It is erroneous and irresponsible. Did you recently get some kind of pharmaceutical grant to study CS, Mr. Altman? Please tell us you are being misquoted, or that you didnt even say this! I once asked myself this question: What is the one thing that could happen regarding colloidal silver that would change everything if it happened? While I think it is critical that all people learn how to make silver colloids, I still worry about the possibility of negative experiences. What has caused this worry? Reviewing reports on argyria caused by large amounts of silver compounds? The medical literature contains NO reports of ANY problems of ANY kind ingesting ANY amount of ANY ppm pure, electro-colloidal silver. Even the conservative estimates of the amount of silver which must be ingested to eventuate in argyria are based on the assumption that 100% of the silver ingested is retained in the body, which assumption is absurd, even without Mr. Altmans report showing virtually NO silver accumulation. For example; when silver medicines were commonly used, the occurrence of argyria was also more common. Of course, silver medicines are referring to silver nitrate and other silver compounds. If the general public of today begins making unlimited amounts of colloidal silver, there will no doubt be some people who will get themselves into trouble, either by ingesting fantastic amounts, or simply by being deficient in selenium and vitamin E. Let me get this straight. If people begin to consume 18 gallons/day of 10 ppm colloidal silver (the amount needed to ingest the minimum quantity of silver to cause argyria, based on 100% silver retention), there will no doubt be some people who will get themselves into trouble. Yes, I cannot argue with that logic. People will get themselves into trouble, not from too much silver, but from too much water. ..or simply by being deficient in selenium and vitamin E . The EPA documents showed that vitamin E and selenium deficient persons sometimes contracted argyria at one fifth the minimum dose thought to be necessary to incur the condition. It seems I must point out again, the increased incident of argyria in people who were deficient in selenium and vitamin E were in people who ingested silver COMPOUNDS, NOT colloidal silver. One might assume that the absence of vitamin E and selenium are like a gate that's been left open, allowing silver to go where it shouldn't go. It seems, at this point, that there is no longer any attempt to differentiate between what is known (or suspected) about silver compounds causing argyria and the complete absence of any evidence to implicate colloidal silver in the same way. This is the same thing the FDA/EPA has been doing all along. He goes on to discuss a proposed, theoretical nutritional therapy that might help the body chelate and remove silver from the skin. No problem. Good idea to try. Cant hurt. I found this article to be full of speculation and unsubstantiated assumptions, coupled with, in my opinion, faulty reasoning (not differentiating between colloids and compounds, and assuming the same reaction to both in the body). Terry Chamberlin Metabolic Solutions Institute RR1 314 Carleton Rd Lawrencetown, NS B0S 1M0 902-584-3810 voice 413-826-7641 fax service msi...@yahoo.com ______________________________________________________________________ Only a few days left to file! http://taxes.yahoo.ca -- The silver-list is a moderated forum for discussion of colloidal silver. To join or quit silver-list or silver-digest send an e-mail message to: silver-list-requ...@eskimo.com -or- silver-digest-requ...@eskimo.com with the word subscribe or unsubscribe in the SUBJECT line. To post, address your message to: silver-list@eskimo.com Silver-list archive: http://escribe.com/health/thesilverlist/index.html List maintainer: Mike Devour <mdev...@eskimo.com>