THE PRO SHOP
>
> Health Sciences Institute e-Alert
>
> November 14, 2002
>
> **************************************************************
>
> Dear Reader,
>
> Would you be surprised to learn that our bodies are made up
> of more bacterial cells than human cells? I certainly was.
> But don't let this factoid scare you - fortunately most of
> the bacteria in our body perform useful chores such as
> helping to eliminate toxins and protecting us from
> Salmonella.
>
> The bacteria subject was raised by this question e-mailed to
> me by an HSI member named David: "What effect does taking
> colloidal silver have on the beneficial bacteria that are
> supposed to live in your stomach?"
>
> Good question - and the answer leads directly to some very
> important information about natural antibiotics that may come
> in handy during the upcoming flu and cold season.
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> Days of silver past
> --------------------------------------------------------------
>
> To begin with, David is probably thinking about the
> beneficial bacteria that live in other areas of the digestive
> track. Compared to the intestines, for instance, the stomach
> doesn't contain many bacteria (good or bad) because of its
> high acidity. The most notable exception is the bacterium
> called helicobacter pylori (h. pylori) that causes peptic
> ulcers and thrives in the mucous layer that protects the
> lining of the stomach from the intense acidic activity.
>
> We'll come back to h. pylori in a moment. First I'll address
> David's concern about colloidal silver and its effect on good
> bacteria - a concern that anyone who uses any type of natural
> or synthetic antibiotic should be aware of. Most likely,

> David was writing in response to a recent e-Alert about
> antibiotics written by HSI Panelist, Allan Spreen, M.D. ("Be
> Afraid...be very Afraid - Part II" 10/17/02).
>
> Colloidal silver is nothing more than submicroscopic metallic
> silver particles finely dispersed in water, which is taken
> orally to prevent infections. As Dr. Spreen pointed out, Dr.
> Jonathan V. Wright's research has found that bacteria have an
> enzyme system that is disrupted by the presence of silver
> ions, causing the organism to die. Before the advent of
> pharmaceutical antibiotics in the 1940's, colloidal silver
> was a commonly used antibacterial agent. Today, however, it's
> considered controversial, probably because there is no known
> use for the silver ion in human biochemistry.
>
> So can colloidal silver do harm to the good (and necessary)
> bacteria in your body?
>
> Absolutely.
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> Add some essential "pro"
> --------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I asked Dr. Spreen if he would address this question and he
> agreed, first pointing out that when using olive leaf extract
> (another natural antibiotic), the good bacteria are adversely
> affected and need to be replaced, during and after use, with
> probiotics - supplements of good bacteria. He added, "My
> assumption is that the exact same thing happens with the use
> of colloidal silver because bacteria all operate similarly
> metabolically. That's why probiotics must be taken with any
> anti-bacterial attempt, and also why such agents (olive leaf
> extract, grapefruit seed extract, colloidal silver, etc.)
> should not be used for extended periods."
>
> Which brings us back to the stomach and how to deal with the
> hard-to-treat h. pylori bacteria - the primary cause of
> peptic ulcers. A recent study from Taiwan concluded that
> probiotics may increase the effectiveness of conventional
> antibiotics in treating h. pylori by reducing the harsh side
> effects of the antibiotics, which include diarrhea, nausea,
> vomiting and allergic reactions. But in addition to
> problematic side effects, the antibiotics used to treat h.
> pylori have created a new drug-resistant strain of the
> bacterium.

>
> In a previous e-Alert ("Enchiladas and Beer" 5/30/02) I told
> you about a formula called Probiotics 12 Plus that contains a
> beneficial bacterial strain proven to destroy resistant
> pathogens. In vivo (living organism) testing showed that this
> formula's helpful bacteria, called TH 10, inhibits all
> strains of h. pylori - even those that have become resistant
> to antibiotics. Probiotics 12 Plus is available from Uni Key
> Health Systems (800-888-4353).
>
> So in the next few months, if you find you need to take a
> round of antibiotics (either synthetic or natural) to fight
> off a stubborn cold or a flu that stops you in your tracks,
> consider adding a good quality probiotic to your supplement
> regimen. It may help considerably in bringing your body back
> to normal functioning, with trillions of bacterium cells
> working hard to keep you healthy.
>
> **************************************************************
> PROTECT YOUR PROSTATE
>
> One in every two men will be stopped in their tracks by
> prostate problems after age 50. And that number gets as high
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> brothers. I don't know about you, but I don't like those odds.
>
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>
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>
> http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/V02/W650CB16
> (if you can't click here use the HTML links listed below)
>
> **************************************************************
>
> ...and another thing
>
> Have you ever seen a blue person? I'm not talking about
> someone who's sad or depressed - I mean a person whose skin
> has a distinct blue coloring.

>
> A recent issue of The New Yorker magazine carried an article
> about the Libertarian candidate for the US Senate from
> Montana, Stan Jones. Jones stood out politically (he
> advocated the dismantling of the F.B.I., the C.I.A., and the
> Departments of Energy and Education, among others), and he
> stood out personally because his skin is a light shade of
> blue.
>
> This rare condition is called argyria (from the Greek word
> for silver: "arguros"), and it's caused by excessive intake
> of silver. There was a time when silver was a typical
> ingredient in nose drops and other medicines for colds.
> Before its use was discontinued in the 1950's, a number of
> people suffered from argyria, which is a permanent condition.
> In Jones' case, argyria was caused by colloidal silver.
>
> Three years ago, Jones was using a colloidal silver
> preparation in anticipation of possible shortages of
> antibiotics due to Y2K. But apparently he overdid the
> treatments. According to Dr. Spreen: "Amounts needed for
> antibacterial effect tend to be far below doses that cause
> argyria. Dr. Wright suggests adult doses of 1 tablespoon of
> colloidal silver at a 40 ppm (parts per million)
> concentration at the first signs of any infection and 1-2
> teaspoons three to four times daily until the infection is
> gone. Then stop!"
>
> The key word in those instructions, of course, would
> be "stop!" As Dr. Spreen has already pointed out - no
> antibiotic treatment should be used on an extended basis.
>
> I've heard of argyria cases where people who were treating
> infections with colloidal silver felt that it wasn't working
> and upped their dosage. Not a good idea. And there are
> proponents of silver that claim argyria can only be triggered
> by ingesting impure colloidal silver.
>
> By all accounts, argyria is a difficult condition to live
> with. So if you do decide to try colloidal silver, be
> absolutely certain that you're using it properly. Because,
> as noted in The New Yorker article, if you do develop
> argyria, one of the hardships you'll have to endure are
> the predictable Smurf jokes.
>
> To Your Good Health,

>
> Jenny Thompson
> Health Sciences Institute
>
> Sources:
> "Impact of Supplement with Lactobacillus- and Bifidobacterium-
> Containing Yogurt on Triple Therapy for Helicobacter Pylori
> Eradication." Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Vol.
> 16, Issue 9, Page 1669, September, 2002
> "'Friendly Bacteria' Help Eradicate the Peptic-Ulcer
> Organism" Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Healthnotes Newswire, 10/17/02
> "Normal Flora" Medical Microbiology, Southern Illinois
> University Carbondale
> "A Case of the Blues" Robert Sullivan, The New Yorker,
> 11/11/02