I want to get something banned. A so called Healthy antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal ‘medicine’.
It is called Citricidal or GrapeFRUIT seed extract, which is gunge from the pips of grapefruits.
Not to be confused with Grape Seed extract which is Oil from the seeds of grapes.
We are talking about a grapefruit.
Or are we? Citricidal or Grapefruit Seed extract is effective at destroying bacteria, virus and fungii because of a drug or synthetic chemical used in its processing, not because of the grapefruit itself.
How do I know this? Because I have PROVED it.
The drug used in making grapefruit seed extract is used in agriculture for its antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal properties.
The gunge extracted from grapefruits that had been cold-pressed from organic grapefruits with no added drugs when tested under strict laboratory conditions in a lab grew bacteria, it did not kill it.
When I used it on my athlete’s foot fungal infection, the organic cold-pressed grapefruit extract made it worse.
The reason why I want to get it banned is two-fold.
1. It is a lie
2. Any drug company could take up the idea, shove some of the drug into a piece of fruit or vegetable and call it a healthy way of curing diabetes or whatever disease the drug has been designed to cure.
Citricidal is a drug and should not be allowed to be sold in Health Shops or any other health industry. It should not be allowed as a preservative in Health Products. Many health products sold in Health Shops have citricidal or grapefruit seed extract listed as a preservative.
Read about the laboratory testing and an email string from companies that sell Citricidal or Grapefruit Seed extract: Ban Citricidal
The synthetical chemical used is Benzethonium Chloride.
Here is what NIOSH say about that: Benzethonium Chloride
Check your Health Product’s Ingredient’s lists, if it contains Citricidal do not purchase, you are buying products saying healthy when in fact they contain a very nasty synthetic chemical.
Sponsored links:
{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }
It has been banned in Denmark now, only available as a topical product.. (which the health shop owner said i should just take as ususal with water) ..
That is such good news that Denmark has BANNED grapefruit seed extract (Citricidal). Excellent work Denmark!
I certainly admire and respect your desire to have only truly healthy products/materials in use by those in need, however, my research and use of quality GSE materials does not indicate that you are correct in your assessment regarding same. The confusion over GSE possibly containing one or more toxic quaternary compounds is based upon incomplete understandings, apparently, of the similarities between GSE’s essential components and the toxic quats’ structure, which indeed are similar, but not the same. Additionally, simple cold pressed extracts of grapefruit parts do not produce the same material as that in GSE’s more complex production methodologies. So, stating that you’ve “PROVEN” your theory after using “cold pressed grapefruit extract” doesn’t reflect a very serious knowledge of scientific testing and evaluation protocol. Indeed, however, I (and many other consultants in this field) have used GSE’s and recommended same for years, with never anything but good results, except for the occasional “bad taste” complaint. Be careful “what you wish for”, as in “wanting to have GSE banned”, etc., when, indeed, you may be trying to “ban” something quite by mistaken bias that can end up eliminating another seriously useful nutraceutical, at the expense of many who rely upon same for their very survival.
Basically you are admitting that Grapefruit Seed Extract contains a toxic substance but say there are no reported side-effects and that because it seems to benefit people to shut up about it containing a toxic chemical?
Firstly there are other safe anti-microbials – colloidal silver or essential oils like Tea-tree. That can be used by the individual or in products as a preservative.
Secondly the public deserves to be able to make informed choices and allowing the individual to assume that Grapefruit Seed Extract is natural denies them their right to choose between natural and synthetic.
Actually your attitude is not good. I have just published a link to another horror story about synthetic chemicals – Fluoride deception.
You say that the non cold pressed grapefruit seed extract has only good results? How on earth can that be proved without clinical trials? And I have to wonder what caused the CFS/ME I suffer with, was it the citricidal I used to use?
And how can you boast of good results for the grapefruit seed extract with no anecdotal evidence let alone clinical trials and knock my laboratory testing and observances of the difference between organic cold pressed grapefruit seed extract and your grapefruit seed extract with toxic quaternary compounds?
I have used grapefruit seed extract for 3 months due to CFS chronic systemic infections(mycoplasma, candida,etc) and apart from the herx symptoms(die off of bugs) i have never felt better, and i have tried colloidal silver, olive leaf,etc and they didnt do much…so i encourage people who have chronic infections to try it, its fantastic!!!! MAKE YOUR OWN JUDGEMENT!
Thank you Angela for your view. That of course is the point: the individual must make up their own minds. Medicinal drugs are preferred by some because they are stronger and work quicker in the body so providing more immediate relief. Natural products like the olive leaf and colloidal silver may take longer to work. If you are using colloidal silver take 3 teaspoons of silver 3 times a day for 3 days to kill an infection and top up with one teaspoon 3 times a day for a further 3 days. Unfortunately citricidal or grapefruit seed extract is masqueraded as a natural product and I think I have shown now in this article that it isn’t. As far as CFS/ME is concerned I do feel there is a toxic overload and this is probably why an antibiotic product helps some symptoms. I have found a charcoal supplement very helpful as this drives toxins out of the body even mercury apparently. Olive leaf powder helps with parasites. Colloidal silver fights virus and fungus and bacteria so a very useful product. And tea tree and olive oil is good on the skin on a daily basis. Essential oils (tea tree is an essential oil) when applied to the skin in a medium such as olive oil have been found in the blood stream 12 hours later. So applying tea tree in olive oil to the skin may help with infections.
Omega 3 fish oils as do other fruit and seed oils, ie olive oil, also help support the gut to an over-production of candida and maintains the gut environment, keeping it healthy.
Changing the diet and avoiding foods that may cause pathogens means you possibly won’t have to take an anti-biotic product in the first place.
I disagree with everything you say about this product.
My life or my husbands would not be the same without grapefruit seed oil. I stumbled on it by chance and it has transformed my health. I will never be without it from now on.
Look don’t shoot the messenger! If you want to take this substance so be it! Here is the toxic data about Benzethonium Chloride: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ipcsneng/neng0387.html and there are two ways of looking at the problem.
1. Is there still presence of this toxic compound in the grapefruit seed pulp once it has been in contact with Benzethonium Chloride and after processing? If not maybe the toxic data doesn’t count as far as ingesting grapefruit seed extract.
2. The NIOSH weblink above providing the toxic data shows that Benzethonium Chloride is very toxic to the environment and by purchasing products that uses this compound, the consumer and those who sell the products are encouraging this environmental hazard.
I agree with you about feeling better after taking grapefruit seed extract. I nearly wept with disappointment when I discovered the nasty chemical that was used. I thought it was a natural product. I often felt nauseous and grapefruit seed extract sorted that immediately. But I was masking the cause by ‘curing’ it with grapefruit seed extract. The cause of my nausea was foods with sulphites and since stopping those I feel very well.
I use the Citricidal tablets when I feel a candida imbalance – and the tablets seem to work. However, I’ve now read the comments on here, and unless I’m mistaken, I’ve not noticed where anyone has offered an alternative to Citricidal – or a ‘natural’ grapefruit seed extract. So could we cut through all the pros and cons, and just state what you feel we should use instead? So, Ms Marianne Gutierrez what do you recommend? Your response would be hugely appreciated.
Hi Simon
I use Colloidal Silver. You can get it from http://www.ukcolloidalsilver.co.uk/?gclid=COGf_q-UlKkCFQoa4Qod8WaydQ
I have mentioned this before as a substitute for grapefruit seed extract but that article is possibly buried deep within the bowels. I also use tea-tree and olive oil (olive oil and olive leaf have anti-parasitic qualities) on my skin. When I feel ‘yeasty’ from eating sugar. (I make an eton mess type of pudding – loads of sugar!! But nice and only once in a while . . . honest!)
But the problem with using citricidal/grapefruit seed extract is that a lot of people may be masking what is really wrong.
Candida is a natural component of our gut and we need it, so we shouldn’t kill it. It is controlled naturally by good bacteria. Good bacteria is made in our gut by eating fruit and vegetables. It proliferates when too much sugar or refined flours are consumed.
Most illnesses can be solved by a healthy diet (ref: The China Study by T Colin Campbell with Thomas M Campbell 1934 – 2004)
Symptoms of a candida overgrowth are not pleasant to see or smell and indicate a very, very poor diet. In this case I used tea-tree and olive oil in a blend with lavender on the skin and asked the patient to stop eating sugar and anything with sugar in. The following week she was so much better and was sleeping better too.
Changing my diet (avoiding added sulphites, additives and my personal allergens) and introducing a calcium and magnesium supplement, The Perrin Technique (straightened out) by a Perrin Practitioner and continued maintenance with my own Tone and Stretch routine all help me to continued wellness.
Im sorry, but you are clearly not in the position of understanding what you are talking about, as someone who has had CFS for 25 years (has been bed ridden for past 8 months) and has within the last month discovered citricidal and the enormous benefit that it has had in my life, it turns out my candida problem responds to almost nothing bar GFSE, and as for a healthy diet restoring the normal balance – well thats just bunkum, after having a perfect diet for the last month – last week I ate some potato’s – the next 3 days were utter hell due to the candida growing like MAD, did you know candida doubles its population every 3 hours in the right conditions ?? Granted the last 8 months have been due to swine\flu\ bronchitics\antibiotics – but your suggestion of using olive leaf extract, silver for a serious candida infection is a dangerous one. GFSE seems to mostly be used for anti parasite\fungal and at this seems much more potent than either olive leaf or caprillic acid.
For reference – bacterial infections I always use raw garlic, zinc, 1g vitc, works wonders, for viral – echineaforce, zinc, 1g vit c every 4 hours for both.
At the moment my regime consists of fivelac,citricidal,oxygen elements max and this is restoring my health as long as I forgo any carbs of any type for the moment.
Hope you can understand the position of someone who has lived through the utter hell of this and has found extreme benefit from citricidal, I am also very chemically sensitive and also now practice some energy based testing, both of which would have indicated a strong reaction if there was an harmful chemical within GFSE.
regards
Hi John
I am so sorry you have been so ill. I have never suggested that Citricidal does not work as far as its antimicrobial properties are concerned. I used to use it. It is antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal.
I was shocked when I discovered the agricultural chemical used in the producing of citricidal and then the knowledge of the lack of microbial activity in organic cold pressed grapefruit seeds.
I wanted others to know this so that they could be discerning on what they chose to use. I feel it is deceitful of health food companies to advertise it as a natural product. It is a bit like putting paracetamol into an apple and selling the apple as a natural painkiller.
The trouble with using antibiotic substances whether natural or not is that the antimicrobial substance kills all good and bad bacteria. So in effect you may re-creating your condition and making the candida worse.
So one does need to be careful and I do wonder if the use of the relatively cheap and easy to use Citricidal masks what really is wrong in the body.
Candida is what some people use Citricidal for and using Citridical will kill the good bacteria as well and this good bacteria is what keeps the bad and yeasts like candida in check. So if someone has a really bad candida growth a short term use of an antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal product may be advised. But after that the good bacteria needs to be fed with good food to supply an environment in which they can thrive and therefore keep the bad bacteria, yeasts and candida in check.
Toxic overload has similar symptoms to candida and many conditions. Toxic overload can come from food intolerances, stress and an inability of the body to detoxify due to conditions of the gut, kidneys, liver, lymphatics, circulation not just consuming sugary foods or ingesting [synthetic] chemicals.
Not every one who is chemically sensitive has to avoid all [synthetic] chemicals. For example you can tolerate the antibiotics your GP recently prescribed to you for your flu/bronchitis, so you may be able to tolerate Benzethonium Chloride that is in Grapefruit Seed extract.
I am chemically sensitive but can tolerate sodium nitrates in bacon and ham.
One thing you may like to try is Activated Charcoal powder (in capsule form not tablet). This is an old fashioned remedy still in use today to aid the removal of toxins from the body.
Then you need to eat a good diet of foods with as few pesticides and additives as possible so freshly grown from a local source would be good and avoid all manufactured foods from bread to tinned soup to frozen vegetables.
You may also like to investigate the possibility of food intolerance through hair analysis testing or blood testing. Look at these websites: http://www.testyourintolerance.com/ and http://www.yorktest.com/en/food-intolerance-choices/?gclid=CMaXhsn-56kCFcEd4QodiHejWw
I hope all this helps you and thank you for commenting on my website.
with kind regards
Marianne
Have you seen this recommended daily intake? I think it could be dangerous..
http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=citricidal&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=1682738249760256000&sa=X&ei=NCwUTpXhMtKxhQfLg5HEDQ&ved=0CFYQ8wIwAQ
I think it means 4 and one half drops which is a bizarre amount, 1 to 3 times a day. The recommended amount was always 15 drops in a glass of water or fruit juice. Yes well, as you realise, any amount of this stuff is dangerous, I think. See the toxicity report in the article above.
I’m not sure how you can say, “That of course is the point: the individual must make up their own minds, ” in regard to GFSE. How is an individual to make up their own mind if the product is banned as you suggest???
It has been a life-changer for me. I have a close friend who has found tremendous help from colloidal silver (for a different health problem than my own). But you can also find a lot of information out there that advises against the use of colloidal silver. Sounds like a good thing for you that they didn’t push to have that product banned, too.
Well spotted Janelle, if the product is banned, then no-one can make a choice.
I know Citricidal or grapefruit seed extract is popular. It is more prevalent than you perhaps realise and is the ‘preservative’ in many ‘natural’ shampoos and body moisturisers.
There are suggestions ‘out there’ that colloidal silver can cause one to go blue, but it suggests you would have to consume enormous amounts of sliver for years and even then it might not happen and if it did, the only problem with being blue is just that, looking a funny colour. The YouTube ‘Blue Man’ is a hoax and on that hoax it is suggesting that the consumption of silver is huge. It is a joke against all those who go on about things that are good for you.
Anything one consumes in too higher a dose can make one ill. But in the right doses can be supportive.
Silver is a natural component of the soil. Grapefruit seed extract is not natural. I prefer natural.
I try very hard not to use antibiotic substances synthetic or natural. Antibiotic substances kill good bacteria too. So I avoid that. But in cases of infection I use tea-tree on my skin and spray colloidal silver in my throat for an infection. It works so well. Then I eat plenty of fruit and veg to restore the gut flora. Kiwis are good for this: http://www.xtend-life.com/product/Digesten_K_Digestive_Supplement.aspx
I hope this clarifies the Citricidal argument along with all the other information I have put here.
Take care
Hi,
Personally I don’t go anywhere without Citricidal. I saw your web page but then found another http://www.naturalingredient.org/GSE_Interview.html I found it interesting that you would have to take bucket loads to cause problems. I seem to remember someone dying from eating a cupful of apple pips. But who would attempt to ban apples? Some 48 years ago I obtained amazing results for ulcerative colitis from comfrey tablets. They have now been banned, they are deemed carcinagenic. But how many would one have to consume I wonder for that to be true? Do we not breathe in and eat more potentially harmful chemicals every day?
Hi Dee
Thank you for commenting on my website.
I do agree with you, we are consuming more chemicals than we realise. I remember reading somewhere that women can put on as many as 600 different chemicals when they get ready for the day in shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, face products, make-up, deodorant, perfume. My article to get Citricidal banned was labelled so to get attention. What was irritating me with the stuff was that I had been hoodwinked into believing it was natural and at the time I had a health issue and I was trying to reduce chemicals to nil.
Now I try not to take any antimicrobial substances as the end result of them is an upset gut whether a natural product is used or not. At the time of consuming Citricidal – (Higher Nature a popular Vitamin and Supplement company sell it; a company I still use, and, decades ago, believed they only sold natural products)
I was trying to aid a constant sensation of nausea. It did help. But I have discovered since then that the nausea was caused by food additives. My gut became ultra sensitive and it has taken a long time to reverse what I consider to be the damage caused by taking antimicrobial substances. Yes an antimicrobial substance is useful in the case of severe discomfort and illness but it must be fully understood that natural or not, antimicrobial substances upset the gut – long term. This was many, many years ago and I have come a long way since then.
There are two aspects here: We should not be consuming an antimicrobial product ad lib, it is very bad for health. And we should not be encouraging the use of toxic chemicals that destroy the fauna and flora of our environment.
Citricidal or Grapefruit Seed extract is a chemical because it has been denatured with toxic substances. What shocks me is that some highly bone fide ‘health’ and ‘natural is best’ companies use it as a preservative in their products.
I repeat again, anything natural or not, can be bad for one in very high doses, but unless we are fully informed of what is in products how can we knowingly make the natural choice? Thank you for the link to the Natural Ingredients website.
The problem is alot if not most “health food products” are unproven. Even the best medicines that ARE proven are only proven to a degree of a small majority and we ignore the negative health implications of taking those.
What if the citricidal cured MS but shortened your life by 10 years would that still be bad? Would you call for it to be banned? I am sure there are many MS sufferers that would take it in a shot.
I wouldn’t be so quick to knock peoples positive responses on here. I for one would like to read more information from them. What it did for them? How long did it take? Any issues with it etc?
I also read about Threelac alot. Some claim it to have changed their life and some blame it for putting them in hospital. Thats non regulated products for you.
um i must point out that is states citrisidal should not be used on broken skin(athletes foot usually breaks skin) and also that it is not formfungal infections or to be taken if you suspect candida ,maybe you should read up the facts before getting on the bandwagon, myself and my child have had nothing but positive health benefits from using this, so i would hate to see it banned, that is my opinion anyway
mine contains only grapefruit seed extract and vegetable glycerine, , beware a lot of info found on the net is scaremongering by big pharma companies, they are trying their hardest to banish all natural, herbal “alternative” remedies
Hi Emma,
Thank you for reading my website and thank you for your comments.
The national candida society does not suggest citrocidal or grapefruit seed extract SHOULD be used, and it does have other products that may help.
http://www.earthclinic.com/Supplements/grapefruit_seed_extract.html offers the views I have about grapefruit seed extract.
http://www.pureliquidgold.com/candida-diet.htm makers of grapefruit seed extract advise its use alongside a special diet.
Wherever I look on the web, the sites suggests that grapefruit seed extract is antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal but without evidence that there is scientific evidence that the grapefruit seeds themselves have these properties.
In the days long gone when I used grapefruit seed extract, I used it diluted and on unbroken skin. My athlete’s foot when I used the extract was on the itch stage of athlete’s foot and before the skin was broken. Neither the proprietary blend or organic cold pressed grapefruit seed extract cleared up my athlete’s foot.
I hope this clears up some confusions here.
If you have symptoms where you feel the need to use an antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal product you are strongly advised to see your GP for a professional diagnosis.
Wow… that’s sad to see, but all this really is… it’s the advertisement for colloidal silver.
You make me smile!
I don’t sell colloidal silver so why would I be promoting it?
If you read further you will read that I don’t advise the use of any antibiotic whether it is colloidal silver or medicine.
I smile because many people don’t realise the money that pushes the advertising and the research that is sometimes flawed in order to promote the product.
Everything written here on this website is born from a desire to be healthier.
Thank you for your comment!
From reading the comments posted here it seems that many people are missing the point of this piece. As I understand it, Ms. Gutierrez has a problem with the branding of Grapefruit Seed Extract or Citricidal as a natural supplement and a natural preservative for other products when it would appear that it contains synthetic substances.
Now, not only does she claim that the contents are partially synthetic, but that the active ingredient itself – the ingredient responsible for the benefits experienced by the people commenting – is Benzethonium Chloride, a synthetic chemical.
If this is true, then the grapefruit seed extract is nothing but an inert vehicle for the synthetic chemical, and what you’re taking for your illness is a synthetic drug – not a natural remedy. In health shops we are led to believe this is not the case, and that is what I understand Ms. Gutierrez to have a problem with.
The question then becomes about the accuracy of Ms. Gutierrez’s findings. If she has in fact proved that Citricidal as a consumable product contains Benzethonium Chloride, then I would agree that the product no longer has a place in our health shops.
Arguments about the efficacy of Citricidal as a treatment for various illnesses are beside the point, as far as I can see – but I believe the discussion has taken this direction because of the quite sensational (rather than carefully worded) title.
I greatly appreciate all the info, both for and against. It provides food for thought….. although in this case not completely natural food for thought.
It’s possible that not all of these comments are genuine. I can’t help but get the impression Citricidal planted at least one of the negative comments here – to turn the tide of opinion and protect their internet reputation.
That kind of activity does get seen on the web, and seeing as this blog is the fourth (fourth!) website listed when I google ‘citricidal grapefruit seed extract’, your blog is quite a threat to their internet sales. I’ve certainly been put off buying the product!
I agree with Marianne that all ingredients should be published so that the consumer knows what they are buying.
I came across this blog when looking for a site to buy Citricidal.
I used to use the product some 10 years ago when it was recommended by a homeopath for my allergies. It gave very good results and even cleared my skin from the occasional acne flare up.
It is an interesting and concerning topic, one that I would never have known about had Marianne not brought it to public attention. We can all make a more informed choice as a result.
For me personally, it has not put me off trying it again as my allergies have taken a turn for the worse lately. I just put my faith (maybe naively) in the authorities not allowing a product to be sold for all these years if it was dangerous.
The ingredients on the Citricidal that I use are: Vegetable glycerine, Citricidal Grapefruit Seed Extract 34% (contains grapefruit extractives, glycerine, antioxidants: ascorbic acid).
Are you saying that this product contains Benzethonium Chloride because of the way it was produced? But not enough for it to constitute an ingredient? And that is why it is effective? Thanks.
Hi Kelly
This is where I originally (back in 2006) got my information from: http://www.terressentials.com/truthaboutgse.html they say:
“Further, the USDA did a grapefruit seed extract study (full text here (pdf)) and declared, “Confirming an earlier study by researchers in Germany we found that some commercial grapefruit seed extracts contain benzethonium chloride, a synthetic antimicrobial agent commonly used in cosmetics and only approved for topical use, at relatively high levels of 8%.
The Swiss Toxicological Information Center of Basel, Switzerland, reports that “Grapefruit seed extracts containing benzethonium chloride in concentrations of 7-11% represent a major health risk if larger amounts of a concentrated solution are ingested (i.e. by mouth). Exposure of the skin or the eye may cause toxic symptoms. The Swiss Toxicological Information Center discourages consumers from administration of these extracts unless it is known which of them are containing benzethonium chloride and what the concentrations are.” ””
When you click on the link in their text, the introduction on the pdf states: Commercial grapefruit seed extracts (GSE) were extracted with chloroform. The solvent was evaporated, and the resulting solid was subsequently analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and elemental analysis (by proton-induced X-ray emission [PIXE] analysis). The main constituent was identified as benzethonium chloride, a synthetic antimicrobial agent commonly used in cosmetics and other topical applications. This compound comprised 8.03% (n ) 2) of the liquid GSE sample. Higher amounts of benzethonium chloride were found in powder GSE samples.
I cannot tell you how much of the Benzethonium Chloride is in Citricidal or grapefruit seed extracts or what anti-microbial is used nowadays.
All I do know is that the seeds from organically grown grapefruits that were cold-pressed to obtain the pulp from inside the seed did not have an anti-microbial effect and in a test in a professional lab, actually grew bacteria and yeasts.
I hope this helps. Best wishes, Marianne
So…I understand you are recommending colloidal silver. I did google it and this is what came up!
Its from Mayo clinic..so I assume they know what they are talking about!
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/colloidal-silver/AN01682
Question
Colloidal silver: Is it safe or effective?
My dad takes colloidal silver for his health, but is it safe?
Answer
from Brent A. Bauer, M.D.
Colloidal silver isn’t considered safe or effective for any of the health claims manufacturers make. Silver has no known purpose in the body. Nor is it an essential mineral, as some sellers of silver products claim.
Colloidal silver products are made of tiny silver particles suspended in a liquid — the same type of precious metal used in jewelry, dental fillings, silverware and other consumer goods. Colloidal silver products are usually marketed as dietary supplements that are taken by mouth. Colloidal silver products also come in forms to be injected or applied to the skin.
Manufacturers of colloidal silver products often claim that they are cure-alls, boosting your immune system, fighting bacteria and viruses, and treating cancer, HIV/AIDS, shingles, herpes, eye ailments and prostatitis. However, no sound scientific studies to evaluate these health claims have been published in reputable medical journals. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration has taken action against some manufacturers of colloidal silver products for making unproven health claims.
It’s not clear how much colloidal silver may be harmful, but it can build up in your body’s tissues over months or years. Most commonly, this results in argyria (ahr-JIR-e-uh), a blue-gray discoloration of your skin, eyes, internal organs, nails and gums. While argyria doesn’t pose a serious health problem, it can be a cosmetic concern because it doesn’t go away when you stop taking silver products.
Rarely, excessive doses of colloidal silver can cause possibly irreversible serious health problems, including kidney damage and neurological problems such as seizures. Colloidal silver products may also interact with medications, including penicillamine, quinolone, tetracycline and thyroxine medications.
Hi Bala
Thank you for pointing this out to me. I used colloidal silver trusting the recommendations and research of the reputable company I bought it from.
There is no doubt that silver is an effective topical antimicrobial product. The Mayo Clinic seem to be more cautious but The Harvard Medical school and Pubmed say something a little different.
See this link to an article from Harvard Medical School:
“Silver has several uses in conventional medicine. Silver sulfadiazine is used to treat serious burns. Fabric impregnated with silver is sometimes used as a dressing for wounds or skin infections. And silver nitrate is occasionally used to treat warts and corns.”
And this abstract: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1742-481X.2007.00316.x/abstract “Results showed all silver dressings and topical antimicrobials displayed antimicrobial activity. Silver-containing dressings with the highest concentrations of silver exhibited the strongest bacterial inhibitive properties. ”
I have used it on myself to good effect on: styes, eye infections, athlete’s foot, rashes, cuts, sore throats.
One person in her dissertation said that silver nanoparticles showed neurological toxicity but she was talking about developmental toxicity [meaning in developing young] Silver would not be recommended for babies for example. “Silver nanoparticles (AgNP; many other names such as nanosilver and colloidal silver) have already been used in everyday consumer products requiring broad spectrum antibiotic performance because of their enormous surface area and reactivity. Faunce and Watal [1] recently have critically analyzed the international regulatory issues for medical and domestic use in USA, EU, UK, and Australia. They found that in spite of the fact numerous studies have been made in the past decades, but many scientists are still uncertain of its safety. Very recently, Powers mentioned in her dissertation that her results showed positive that Ag+ and AgNP are developmental neurotoxicants in vitro and in vivo [2]. Therefore, there is a need to conduct a study to identify a global landscape of AgNPs and their products, and their manufacturers.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22023078?dopt=AbstractPlus
As I have said before no-one should ingest an antibiotic substance over a long period of time. I have ingested colloidal silver 3 x 1 teaspoon 3 times a day for 3 days for an infection (viral) and did feel better. And I would not take any more than that, in fact I have not used colloidal silver for over a year now and can’t remember the last time I did use it.
It may eventually be proved to be like all substances used to help heal – digitalis for example for heart conditions – OK in small doses and toxic in large. Digitalis is from fox gloves and foxgloves are poisonous in large doses.
It is odd really when you read all the comments here on this website on Citricidal, which can only have it antimicrobial affect from the chemical used in its manufacture which is toxic to plants and animals.
But even so if research is now demonstrating toxicity to ingesting colloidal silver, then DO NOT INGEST COLLOIDAL SILVER!
This site does strongly advise that the reader does their own research to make up their own minds.
Well, if the labs were correct… You would be too.
My own research shows that the compounds that were identified in Germany and Europe were in products other than citricidel.
In fact it is not available in Europe or Japan and as such was never tested.
The FDA however found nothing!
The FDA also says it’s ineffective.
I don’t trust the FDA.
I also don’t agree with you at all. Do more research before you get up on a soapbox. I’m sorry your feet itch but try getting a real overgrowth!! You will be sucking on gse and praying some idiot doesn’t try and get it banned.
Do more research.
Better research.
Thank you.
My feet don’t itch thank you and haven’t for years ever since I stopped using grapefruit seed extract and used tea-tree and used natural products for cleansing.
So let me get this clear, are you saying that the labs, the FDA, Europe are wrong?
That is quite a statement! Where is your research to back up that statement?
Another reason for getting athlete’s foot and skin infections are the cleansing products used that have adverse effects on the natural barriers of the skin, so that the natural protection of the skin is reduced.
Using an unnatural product to solve the problems caused by other unnatural products could be argued to be the cause of many health problems.
Thank you for taking time out to comment on my website and here is a recipe that may really cure your overgrowth. If you can tolerate tea-tree then use it neat direct on the itchy area, it will sting but tea-tree also has an analgesic action and so will help the sting sensation. Use it every day for 3 – 5 days. When the itch has gone, then apply extra virgin olive oil 5 mls and one drop of tea-tree and thoroughly moisturise the area with this solution. This will help prevent future attacks. If you cannot tolerate tea-tree, then spray with colloidal silver every day for 3 – 5 days. Then use extra virgin olive oil as a moisturiser to protect the area and strengthen the skin against future attacks.
Images of the result of bacterial and fungal overgrowth when using organic cold pressed grapefruit seed extract to be published soon.
This is what they say on the Nutriteam website http://www.nutriteam.com/citricidal.htm :
Citricidal® is synthesized from the polyphenolic compounds found in grapefruit seed and pulp. Numerous reactions are involved, including distillation, catalytic conversion, and ammoniation. The active component of Citricidal is a quaternary ammonium chloride(a diphenol hydroxybenzene reacted with ammonium chloride) similiar to benzethonium chloride when analysed in accordance with USP XXII/NF XVII. (Benz. Chloride is a powerful germical agent, but is highly toxic to all animal life. See info on toxicity, below)
You can read a lto more info about their product on their website. So is it possible that you have misunderstood, and is it possible that banning things won’t help? What you really should request banning of are all those big pharma drugs out there then, don’t oyu think? And don’t you think your focus is a little biased from your own preferences?
Studies that conclude a herbal remedy is not safe is sponsored by – who else – the drug companies. Many drug company executives have been arrested for altering a study to yield the desired results, that a herbal remedy is not safe or effective. Why? Because if we all used naturopathic medicine, the drug companies would lose money. There are also millions of dollars spent on supressing natural remedies from the public – and corrupted studies to brainwash us. Major government agencies are not innocent in this, either.
I know this, because I know someone who used to work for the cancer industry. She went to doctor’s offices to inform them when new drugs came out. She quit when she started seeing that when there was a safety concern with the new drug, the drug company executives gave her orders not to mention the safety concern to the doctors! She quit and became a naturopath.