Ionic Silver Complex Designed for Antimicrobial Use in Humans Receives U.S. Patent
The use of ionic silver in medicine and industry has been growing rapidly in recent years due to its broad-spectrum antimicrobial qualities, the lack of toxicity to humans and the fact that ionic silver is not prone to causing resistant strains. Ionic silver is well known to be a very powerful and very broad-spectrum antibacterial agent. In addition, evidence is mounting that silver ions have powerful antiviral effects as well. A recent university study suggested ionic silver to be effective against the SARS virus. In Europe, ionic silver is a medically approved treatment used to combat systemic viral conditions, including the common cold and flu.
Silver ion compounds have been introduced in recent years for antimicrobial use in food-handling materials, medical devices, surface disinfectants, wound-care products, industrial materials, textiles, and more. In all cases, the key is the carrier agent that is used to stabilize the silver ions and "time release" them at the desired location in the given environment.
The patented technology is designed to utilize naturally occurring substances, such as citrate, to achieve optimal delivery and release of silver ions in the human body, in a highly efficient and entirely safe manner. Silver ions, while being lethal to single-celled microorganisms, are harmless to human cells and, in fact, are increasingly being used in wound care due to their remarkable ability to facilitate the healing of tissue. The patented technology provides for a completely safe product due to the efficient delivery, introducing a minute quantity of silver to the body -- less than what may exist in a person's average drinking water intake as a naturally occurring mineral. The difference is that this new technology is designed to deliver the silver as active silver ions with antimicrobial ability.
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