In a message dated 8/24/2001 6:50:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes:
> Subj:RE: CS>Mineral deficiencies from CS > Date:8/24/2001 6:50:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time > From: [email protected] (Ivan Anderson) > Reply-to: <A HREF="mailto:[email protected]";>[email protected]</A> > To: [email protected] > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Langsley Russell [mailto:[email protected]] > > >>>I find it very interesting that no one on this list has any personal > knowledge of, or clinical evidence to either support or refute the findings > published in Mr.. Metcalf's book. That is, that silver bonds with selenium > and sulfur causing a deficiency in people who ingest CS on a regular basis. > Is it just because nobody has ever bothered to check? Or is it that the > effect is so slight as to not be of any importance? On the surface it would > seem to me to be fairly important information, particularly in light of the > fact that most of our diet's are already lacking in selenium.<<< > > Hi LTR, > > The reason that nobody has replied to your message, to your satisfaction, > may be as simple as they haven't had the time, or perhaps haven't had the > inclination to do so. No one can be expected to do anything on a list such > as this, but you will find most to be accommodating as far as they are able. > > For myself, I had thought to look at your question this weekend, but as I > have some time now, I send you this response. > > Selenium binds with and forms complexes with silver, copper , mercury and > cadmium, and in so doing lessens the toxicity of these metals, such as it > is. Silver toxicity has similar symptoms as selenium deficiency, and so it > may be that silver in sufficient doses combines with the limited amount of > selenium in those with lower than ideal selenium levels, and does indeed > cause selenium deficiency syndrome (rather than 'silver toxicity'). > > Sulphur has an attraction to silver, but this depends upon the form in which > the sulphur is found. The sulphur which is bound to proteins and enzymes are > much less free to bind with silver as is the hydrogen sulphide gas which > gives rise to the tarnishing of silver metal in air, and the human cell does > not present sulphide groups on its surface as do bacterial or yeast cells, > with which silver binds and performs one of its inhibiting actions. > > In studies of selenium deficient animals, silver was found to be toxic > (further antagonising the selenium deficiency?) but in those animals which > were supplemented with selenium no such toxicity was found. There is no > mention of sulphur deficiency caused by silver as far as I know. > > Taking a supplement that includes some selenium and Vitamin E would be > prudent in those suspecting that they are not receiving enough in their > diet, and this would ensure that selenium deficiency is not antagonised by > the ingestion of silver. > > Regards > Ivan. > Ivan: Thanks for suggesting of Jon Hill's book. I'll look into it. Returning to the subject at hand, I would like to underscore your statement, "However, bare in mind that the studies that show this outcome used massive doses of silver in the mg/kg range." If you look at Langsley's actual quote from Metcalf's book, I think you'll find that the silver-selenium reference in question is based on a study that had a silver ingestion to body mass ratio that was ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE greater than anything approaching that consumed by all CS users including those who gulp it by the quart (or liter if they are 'ferners'). Roger
