It is not a status symbol or sign of royalty to use silver cutlery and vessels. In India even the middle class section use silver articles for gifting to newly married couples and newborn babies. In age old days silver was gifted to babies during their naming ceremony, as its importance was known amongst the people. Today it’s more a status thing then to use it to acquire its health benefits or else better way of saying would be its benefits are acceptable only if science has proved it and Google shows it. Ayurveda had long stated the benefits of silver metal on human body and use of silver in day today life. Dr Gaurav Desai – Ayurvedic doctor in Goa is here to provide you with valuable information that can help you in daily life.
Silver a natural mineral can super-charge your immune system and help you stay healthy. Research has shown that consuming silver daily is both safe and effective for boosting and maintaining a healthy immune system. It also has anti-cancer properties. Water in the silver vessel has the power to remove free radicals from the body and gives a cooling effect in the intestines and smoothens the process of digestion. Drinking water from silver container and glass was long used by generations prior to coming to high-tech water purifiers. Silver’s antibacterial properties have been applied for thousands of years, long before the discovery of microbial organisms. Silver containers and coins were known to prevent spoilage of liquids like milk, long before the use of refrigeration and pasteurization. Today, a silver coating prevents bacterial build-up in carbon-based water filters, while silver ions in water purification systems carry oxygen that oxidizes and kills microbes.
The mineral silver has the amazing ability to fight and destroy antibiotic-resistant super-pathogens. It has been documented and proved that silver can actually kill over 650 bacteria, fungi, parasites, molds and fungi that have the potential to sprout diseases. At the same time the tests have established that silver has no known side effects.
Silver also helps treat skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis, silver effectively kills the infectious microorganisms responsible for the disease. While it also triggers remarkable and quite unexpected re-growth of human tissue and bone at the site of the infection. Dr.Robert Becker (MD surgeon at Syracuse Medical University) discovered that silver caused cellular repair, resulting in dramatic healing of damaged tissues, when he used silver ions directly on infected wounds. And so today silver can be found to be used in few of the topical ointments used to treat burns, thrush, periodontitis and other conditions.
Silver destroys Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections, which may be the reason why airborne allergy sufferers experience excellent results from using silver materials. Silver even kills the deadly, drug-resistant MRSA pathogen, now responsible for up to 94,000 life-threatening infections. When an individual uses too much antibiotics over a course of time they can develop a resistance to it. Silver, doesn’t create resistance or immunity in the organisms that are killed by it. With this said, people should seriously consider looking into using silver as possible substitute for antibiotics.
Today highest use of silver is in electrical & electronics segment because it is the best thermal and electrical conductor of all the metals, silver is ideal for electrical applications. Silver paste is also used to make solar panels. Silver’s reflectivity gives it another role in solar energy. It reflects solar energy into collectors that use salts to generate electricity. Nuclear energy also uses silver. Silver is used even in the chemical industry as embalming agent and disinfectant. Apart from this it is used to make solid plastics and resins and as a protective coating. Its high luster and reflectivity make it perfect for jewellery, silverware, and mirrors, will remind you of the silver handheld mirrors used in past. Its photosensitivity has given it a place in film photography with the rise of digital media. Its antimicrobial, non-toxic qualities make it useful in medicine and consumer products. Silver-copper ions can even replace corrosive chlorine to sanitize pools and tanks.
Use of silverware for babies –
Silver has an inherent property that prevents the buildup of bacteria cells in its chemical bonds. This means that bacteria aren’t able to survive and thrive, unlike many other metals. Silverware also doesn’t need to be sterilized unlike plastic and synthetic utensils because of this property. This is one of the main reasons medicines are given to babies in silver bowls or trays.
Silver doesn’t cause cancer of any sort unlike plastics and many other metals. It doesn’t cause any problems in the reproductive system or even neurological damage which the former two can. It has some great properties and is safe for kids to use.
Storing food in silverware is always a good idea because it can destroy the viruses, bacteria and germs in the food. In olden times, milk was infused with silver coins to keep it fresher over the longer period. Water and wines were also kept in silverware to help enhance freshness and keep it tasty for more time.
BPA is an additive in plastics that are used to make it more durable. This can sometimes latch onto food items and cause hormonal imbalances in addition to obesity. Other risks also include increased risks of breast cancer, prostate cancer and infertility. Instead of searching for high BPA or “BPA-Free” plastics, you could switch to silver.
Another common ingredient used to make plastics is phthalates and this is known to cause both fertility and immunity issues. This can affect full-grown adults, so imagining the effect it could have on children is a scarier thought. Instead, try using silverware as it is proven to have no additives that can harm anyone from a health perspective.
And above all since silver can kill germs, this can be good for health in the long term. As said earlier silver helps boost immunity.
So not just for babies silver can also be used for adults. Cooking in silver is however not recommended as it reacts with acids and oxidising agents. Certain food items like example egg contains a little hydrogen sulphide. That is why you get a characteristic stinky smell in eggs. This reacts with the silver in the silver bowl to form a grey or black patch which is actually silver sulphide. Silver +hydrogen sulphide gas = silver sulphide + hydrogen gas. And so in earlier times the food served in silver was a tool used to check use or addition of any poison to the food.
Even with all the above health facts the use of silver is highest in other segments of industry then in personal health. Silver is used as investment but use of silver for health investment is a food to thought to all. Silver doesn’t rust or need to be replaced over time unlike other like steel, ceramic, clay and plastic. So use of silver is a total health investment in kitchen.