The Silver Lining in Silver

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but silver can be a mom’s best friend.  I’m not talking about silver as in the shiny metal that makes beautiful jewelry and home decorations (although that’s good too).  I’m talking about silver as in Ag on The Periodic Table of the Elements.

Did you know that silver is one of the oldest antimicrobial agents?  It serves as an antiseptic and disinfectant making it extremely useful day to day in multiple forms and functions.  I could rattle off dozens of medical uses that prove the effectiveness of silver in the disinfectant/antiseptic capacity, but I’ll let you research that on your own if you’re interested.  Instead, I’ve included a list of the most practical uses and products containing silver.

I think the germ-a-phoebes out there will find this especially interesting.  And let’s face it. That label includes most moms these days thanks to scary new illnesses like Staph and H1N1.

Without further delay…here’s how silver can work for you:

• Fabric – silver has been added to many fabrics to prevent the growth and spread of odor and germs.  This includes:
  • Workout attire like the Lululemon Metal Vent Tech shirts that incorporates anti-stink Silverescent™ fabric using X-Static, the silver fiber.
  • True Silver bedding from Select Comfort including pillows, sheet sets and mattress pads.  The fabric is woven with pure silver to help regulate your temperature while you sleep and protect against bacteria and odor.
• Oral and topical – Nature’s Sunshine offers a line of products called Silver Shield with Aqua Sol Technology.  This is different from colloidal silver, which you may have heard about after the “blue man” appeared on Oprah.
  • Silver Shield Cosmetic Gel– can be used in place of products like Neosporin to disinfect cuts and scrapes.  I’ve used it with great results on myself and our boys.
  • Silver Shield Liquid– can be used to treat infections orally or topically.  I’ve used it to quickly heal cold sores and found it much more effective than Abreva as a topical treatment.  I’ve also used it fight off colds.  Ask your doctor or alternative health practitioner for an appropriate dose before taking.  It can also be used as an EPA-approved surface disinfectant.
  • Curad Silver Bandages– silver in the pad reduces the growth of bacteria like Staph and E. Coli.

What silver infused products are you using?  How are they working for you and your family?