Solvated Metals - Powerful Antibacterial, Antifungal and Antiprotozoal Agents

By: Paul I. Higgs PhD, Dana G. Mead PhD and David J. Wylie PhD

Frustrated by the lack of attention and the absence of effective treatments for the entire medical condition Vaginitis women everywhere can now look toward a new unique multifaceted strategy for relief of the entire problem of vaginal infections.

A trimetal formula created by chemists Paul I. Higgs and David J. Wylie with help from microbiologist Dana G. Mead. We are able to offer new hope for complete relief in the insidious field of Vaginitis and vaginal infections.

In order to do so it is necessary to categorize exactly what is Vaginitis, it’s causes, and what has been attempted by way of treatment before we can embark on a startlingly unique and completely effective strategy.

Vaginitis

Vaginitis is commonly but incorrectly thought of as just yeast infections. Yeast infection or Candidiasis is a fungal infection of the vaginal area by any of a number of species of fungi. In the case of Vaginitis it is a yeast in the Candida family.

The most common of these species is Candida albicans, but other more virulent Candida species are usually also involved. The yeast infection and Vaginitis confusion is that Candidiasis is merely one of three conditions that give rise to vaginal infections. The largest number of infections are caused by bacteria and not yeast.

This condition is called Bacterial Vaginosis.

The third Vaginitis condition is a protozoal vaginal infection caused by the protozoan Trichomonas. A protozoan is a minute single cell amoebic organism.
Bacterial Vaginosis and Trichomonas are the cause of more Vaginitis cases per year than the yeast infection Candidiasis.

NO - Not Again!

That searing, burning agony with the first urination that’s all I need this morning!
The harbinger of yet another painful day, sometimes it is really difficult to be a woman! Why today? It hurts to stand, it hurts more to sit, and walking is an abrasive nightmare. No matter what, the entire day will be a burning, itching, uncomfortable ordeal. Why can’t my doctor do anything about this? I pay her enough.

Forget drinking today, no coffee, no tea, and the absolute minimal number of urinations for me. I’ve tried the stuff from the drugstore, the grease gun and the little wax bullets that melt in my hand and somehow always fall into the toilet before I can insert them.

What’s the latest idea? Spending all day on my back with my legs in the air holding yogurt inside me.

Am I doomed to yet another week with my vagina full of liquid medication slowly dribbling out all night. All to no avail, waking up again to the agonizing ordeal of my first urination.

How many nights will it take to make some of the pain go away this time?
One week? Two weeks, like last time? Wasn’t that just last month! That 1-day miracle pill had no effect, even after a week of using them, and they cost me about $20 each too. How do these drug companies get away with it? None of their stuff works!

My doctor is no use, everything she recommends is the same as the over the counter stuff. I’ve even resorted to douches of vinegar and that nasty yellow antiseptic liquid. Of course they were no help.

What do I do? Another trip to the gynecologist, an hour in traffic, 2 hours in the waiting room, an exorbitant fee, and yet another day missed at work just when I can’t afford it. Then she’ll just give me the same dribbling greasy goo as last time.
How come they can cure leukemia and do heart transplants but they can’t get rid of my damn yeast infection! Obviously I’m going to have to call Dave, so much for tonight’s romantic candlelit dinner. If I lose another boyfriend over this I’m going to scream! I deserve better than this!

Is this something you can relate to? Unfortunately it is a common daily experience for millions of women. Even if your own experiences are not as severe or chronic as this I am sure that you have an extremely good idea of the ordeal involved with a Vaginitis or yeast infection and can empathize and sympathize with such a plea.
Something the male dominated medical and scientific communities have failed to do until very recently. I wonder how long it would have taken to be rid of this problem if men had to go through the same agonizing daily horror. Well this particular daily horror may be a thing of the past.

The Facts

Vaginitis is one of the most common problems in clinical medicine.
It is the reason for more visits to obstetricians and gynecologists than any other condition. Up until very recently it was considered by the medical and scientific communities to be a mere annoyance for women. Moreover, up to half the women incorrectly diagnosed with a Candida yeast infections actually have one of the other Vaginitis conditions.

As mixed infections are also common, they may have up to all three infectious species in any given outbreak. All three categories of Vaginitis are associated with; itching or burning sensations, inflammation of the vaginal walls and membranes, often foul smelling vaginal discharge, and reddening and irritation of the entire vaginal area.

Conversely, some sufferers of these conditions are asymptomatic. That is they outwardly show no sign of the infection. This complicates the situation even more.
Statistics from the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1998 show that by age 25 half of all college women will have had at least one medically diagnosed Vaginitis infection. In fact, 75% of all women will have at least one premenopausal episode of Vaginitis, and over half will have recurrences.

Certain risk factors are evident. Women taking antibiotics are prone to Vaginitis. Also women taking oral contraceptives are prone to an infection, as a result of the high levels of estrogen in such preparations. Women taking any type of steroid, corticosteroid or hormone treatment also have increased risk.

Even higher risk is associated with the use of vaginal sponges and intrauterine devices, indeed, instances of Vaginitis increase in frequency at the time most women begin routine sexual activity.

The use of lubricants, vaginal deodorants, and vaginal moisturizers, that is, items that leave residue which then provides a perfect breeding ground for the infectious species, greatly facilitate Vaginitis infections. More fundamentally even a high sugar diet increases the likelihood of a Vaginitis infection.

Current Attempts to Remedy Vaginitis

Having identified that Vaginitis is not just due to fungal yeast infections we can now turn our attention to treatments available for Vaginitis. Unfortunately, as most women already know, the news is not good. There are a host of treatments for Candidiasis currently available over the counter and by prescription for treatment of Vaginitis "yeast" infections.

These chemical compounds are collectively known in the Vaginitis field as "azoles." This terminology comes from the common chemical group within each compound. Frustratingly, all these azole containing items are nothing more than suppressants for the symptoms of Candidiasis.

They are, unfortunately, unable to irradicate either of the other two higher percentage causes of Vaginitis; Bacterial Vaginosis and Trichomonas. All these azole compounds are antifungal treatments only.

When one examines the molecular structure of the common OTC compounds Monistat, Vagistat, Femstat, Mycelex and Lotrimin they'll find that these chemicals are structurally extremely similar.

It is therefore, no surprise that all these compounds work in exactly the same way in the yeast cell. They have a five membered nitrogen containing ring or azole group that ties up an iron atom of an enzyme which creates a compound, ergosterol, which is an important structural element in the fungal cell wall. The consequence of this binding is that the creation of ergosterol is slowed down, and eventually halted.
The overall result is that when the cell begins the division process there is no ergosterol to include in the architecture of the new cell wall which means the cell cannot divide, and subsequently dies.

There are, however, major problems with these azole compounds. The major manifestation that women everywhere are well aware of is that none of the azole compounds have any lasting effect. This is once again a result of Candida yeast infections being due to a number of different Candida yeast species.
The azole compounds mentioned are only effective against the fungal species Candida albicans. With respect to the other Candida species it has been documented that the azoles are less than one tenth as effective than against Candida albicans.

What does this mean? The usual timeline for women who have a yeast infection is the first time it is treated with an azole product the yeast infection is suppressed enough by the action of the azole on the Candida albicans species so as to outwardly appear as if the yeast infection has been removed. However, any of the other multitude of Candida species present in any yeast "bloom" are resistant and will be unaffected by these azoles.

Subsequent to the azole course of treatment these resistant species increase in population until you next have a bloom of non albicans Candida species or perhaps albicans species which are now resistant after the first dose in anywhere from a 1-6 month time frame. This Candida infection is now dominated by species known to be resistant to the OTC or prescription azole drugs.

I am sure that many reading this are already nodding in agreement having gone through this exact cycle.

We have mentioned that the current azole OTC and prescription products may be effective in suppressing the symptoms of a Candida albicans dominated fungal yeast infection, but have mentioned nothing about their effectiveness against Bacterial Vaginosis and Trichomonas.

These two conditions make up the bulk of the causes for Vaginitis and are often incorrectly self diagnosed as "yeast infections." The problem with treating these two maladies with any of the azoles is that as a consequence of their mode of action they can have no effect. The azoles are suppressive against some fungal species, in the case of Vaginitis Candida albicans.

A word about the vehicles these current ineffectual azole products come in. The OTC products are offered as preparations of the particular azole in a greasy matrix with, or already packaged in it’s own clumsy mechanical "grease gun" applicator. Unfortunately, the trials and tribulations of using these products are not balanced by their performance or effectiveness.

The prescription items are offered as the same grease protocol, orally taken pills, or as intravaginal suppositories.

The suspension of the azole containing product, in either the grease form or glycerin suppositories, is applied inside the vaginal canal where it is hoped it will come in contact with the Candida fungus lining the wall of the vagina, labia or the entire vaginal area.

This might be fine if the particular compound was effective on contact but we now know that the azole compound needs to permeate throughout the cell wall of the fungal cells, diffuse to the site where the cell is biosynthesizing ergosterol, then bind with all the available enzyme, first slowing down, and then after a period of time halting the production of ergosterol.

Having accomplished this the cell must then require ergosterol to build new cell walls, or perhaps repair any damage in the current cell membrane, before the effect of the azole blocking can be manifest.

The observation of the women with the infection on this process is that in time, usually 7-14 days despite manufacturers claims of it being faster or even a one time application, the non-resistant Candida yeast cells recede, abating the initial infection.
As a consequence of this process the azole drug is also permeating throughout all the body’s cells. That is, the azole compound will not only be present in the woman’s vaginal lining and vaginal area, but will in fact have pervaded cells throughout the entire body.

The azole compounds do this as they can diffuse into the blood vessels in the vaginal area and are then transported throughout the body.

This, in turn, forces the liver to remove these foreign compounds from the blood stream, a task made very difficult by the structure of the molecules. More disturbingly these molecules are known to actually damage the liver. This situation should be extremely worrying for any woman who has resorted to using these products as a result of there being nothing effective currently available.

Having explained this process the question begs to be asked, why on earth would a systemic oral pill even be conceived for these compounds? That is, directly introducing these azole compounds into the blood stream in the hope that enough of the compound will get to the vaginal area, then reverse absorb across the vaginal lining to the site of the infection, that being the outer surface of the vaginal canal and vaginal area.

Frighteningly, enough of the compound does permeate to the vaginal area and begins the slow process of receding the non-resistant Candida yeast cells through blocking the ergosterol biosynthesis and it’s gradual cascade of events.

This is clearly a cause for grave concern. If enough of the compound is getting to one particular site in the body that is, the vaginal area, a site it has no preference for, the entire body must have these high concentrations of the particular azole throughout it. These azoles then have to be slowly broken down by the liver, with the known possible harmful consequences.

This ridiculous and often harmful protocol defies logic and is not how one should be handling the delicate human biosystem, especially when the affliction is at the surface of a mucous membrane. This story gets even scarier if you are one of the many millions of women who are using, or have used these azole containing products.

If one were to consult a list of known pesticides you would see that azole pesticides are remarkably similar to the azole compounds currently recommended for yeast infections. In fact, from this it is obvious that the compounds "designed" for use in a woman’s most intimate and sensitive areas have been cleaved from the field of pesticides used for spraying crops.

In a more general and much more alarming sense the basic element of a huge number of pesticides is the chlorinated aromatic ring. It is a six membered ring with one or more chlorine atoms attached to it. Two of the nastiest compounds to have such a ring are the pesticides DDT a banned contact insecticide and Agent Orange a restricted contact herbicide.

All but one of the azole intravaginal or systemic "treatments" for yeast infection contain a chlorinated aromatic ring!

Trichomonas

The only current, advertised as effective, treatment offered for Trichomonas is an extended 2 week oral, or intravaginal suppositories including the grease gun approach regimen of the anti-protozoal drug metronidazole.

Also known as Flagyl, this drug is used for "tourist" diarrhea and dysentery. This prescription only treatment is also prone to leaving resistant strains of the infective species behind, ready to release a subsequent outbreak. Metronidazole is in a class of compounds called nitro-imidazoles, in contrast to the antifungal azole compounds.
The disturbing thing about recommending woman take the large extended doses of metronidazole is, once again, the liver is forced to remove the metronidazole from the bloodstream. However, much more alarmingly, this compound is a suspected carcinogen.

Bacterial Vaginosis

The same extended 14 day protocol of metronidazole shows some effectiveness against Bacterial Vaginosis. However, knowing the possible side effects of the drug this protocol does not seem a rational option for the removal of a surface infection in the vaginal area.

The only other clinical treatment of this condition is yet another somewhat effective 14 day oral regime of the antibiotics clindamycin, or nystatin. Current press bombardment is informing us just how quickly bacteria become resistant to such low level antibiotic drugs. Once again, as for the compounds that suppress the Candida infection, women typically show a relapse of resistant infection in the very near future.

Alternatives

The lack of effective long term remedies to the overall problem of Vaginitis leads women to desperate pursuit of possible alternative treatments. These often ludicrous alternatives consist of vaginally applied, or a diet containing large amounts of, yogurt for the supposedly helpful acidophilus bacteria it contains.
There is also vaginally applied boric acid which is an ant and cockroach killer, vaginal douches containing such caustic compounds as acetic acid, capryllic acid a known skin irritant, or the yellow staining antiseptic Betadine or povadone iodine.
Unfortunately, these alternatives are largely ineffective and often do more harm than good.

Where does this leave us?

Before Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin and the subsequent worldwide advent of antibiotics the most effective antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal and antiviral compounds were solvated metal ions.

Three solvated metal species in particular are extremely potent biocides to bacteria, protozoans, fungi and viral particles, and yet are not harmful, in fact they are beneficial to the human biosystem. These three metals are solvated silver, copper and zinc.

To illustrate how mild these bioactive compounds are on the human body, solvated silver is routinely used as an eye wash for new born babies to remove and protect against gonococcal infections, as well as on severe burn patients to remove and protect against possible infection during the healing process. This healing process is in fact catalyzed by the presence of silver.

That is, the silver kills all possible bacterial, fungal, protozoal, or viral infections to which such burn patients are extremely susceptible, and also helps induce the wounds to repair themselves by speeding up human skin cell division.

This is an incredible multi-action which no antibiotic can mimic. Furthermore, solvated copper and solvated zinc are especially powerful antifungal agents, and as a consequence of the mode of action against the fungal organism, are also extremely fast acting. Coupled with this action is the fact that both these metals are required minerals by the body.

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for copper is 2-5 milligrams per day while for zinc the RDA is 25-50 milligrams per day. Copper is used by the body in many enzymes for energy production, while zinc is pivotal to the immune system and is necessary for wound healing.

The mixture of these three metals is obviously, specifically targeted towards the three pronged problem of Vaginitis. We are now aware that Candida yeast infections are fungal infections, and that solvated copper and zinc are known to irradicate fungal infections quickly and completely. How can they do this in comparison to the azole drugs that are so ineffective?

First, the site of attack for all three of these metals is the bacterial, protozoal or fungal cell wall itself. This is important as the metals never get inside the cell to the inner machinery of the cell and hence, do not give the inner workings of the cell time to identify and become resistant to them.

This is in complete contrast to antibiotics and the azole compounds which have a slow action inside the cell, which gives the cell’s defenses ample time to become resistant to such compounds. The result of the combined action of three metals is that any microorganisms will be completely irradicated within 24-48 hours.
This is a far cry from the 7-14 day suppressive yeast infection products, or the 2-week protocol for Bacterial Vaginosis and Trichomonas.

How Do the Solvated Metals Work?

Solvated metals bind to certain components in the cell wall of these species and cut off the flow of oxygen into the cell.

The cell cannot, therefore, carry out respiration, the process of using oxygen to create energy, and the cell dies. This mode of action is inherently quick and is exclusive to the unicellular microorganisms causing the infection that is the bacteria, fungi or protozoa.

Indeed suffocation is much quicker than starvation. The human body is not effected in this way and indeed the metals are free to carry out their beneficial functions. As previously mentioned all three metals attack all three infective species but silver has a special affinity for antibacterial action along with strong antiprotozoal and antifungal actiona.

Whereas, in comparison, copper and zinc have extreme potency towards fungal infections along with a strong bioaction against bacteria and protozoa.

Other Advantages

These are not the only advantages that solvated metal ions have over the azole compounds, or the antibiotics. As previously stated one major disturbing factor about the intravaginal azole drugs is because of their structures and properties they are able to permeate across the vaginal lining into the bloodstream, and hence, cause systemic side effects.

How do they do this? Chemists describe these azole compounds in a broad sense as "organic" compounds. A major criteria of "organic" compounds is that they are water insoluble, but soluble in other "organic" media.

Consequently, human cell walls are also "organic" which allows compounds like the azoles and antibiotics to literally dissolve across the cell walls of any human cells, for example the cells of the vaginal lining, the cells of arteries and veins, and enter the entire human body.

Conversely, solvated metals are not organic compounds, they do dissolve in water, which is indeed how they get solvated, and cannot permeate across the human body’s organic membranes. What does this mean? The potent antimicrobial solvated metal ions are introduced into the vaginal area in a cream that then absorbs into the surface of the applied area.

The solvated metal ions suspended in the cream cannot cross the organic barrier of the surface, and hence, remain adsorbed or "glued" to the epithelial surface of the vaginal canal. This is exactly the place were the bacterial, fungal or protozoal infections are. We have already documented how capable they are of irradicating any and all of these infestations.

This means no possibility of systemic effects, that is, no chance of liver damage and no carcinogenic compounds being introduced into the bloodstream for treatment of a surface infection.

Jack D. Sobel M.D. is an acknowledged medical expert in the field of Vaginitis, most particularly4 Candidiasis. In the February 1998 issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology he mentions all the same misgivings about the azole compounds and their inherent lack of ability to actually irradicate even Candida albicans yeast infections.

Frustrated with this major deficiency he and his fellow authors categorized the ideal Vaginitis remedy as being effective in a short course of therapy. It should provide results in less than a 7-14 day regimen. It needs to be fungicidal.

As Dr Sobel points out, although the currently available azole compounds do achieve fungal killing, the rate of killing is not sufficient to meet the definition of a true fungicidal agent. That is, treatment of the infection with an azole drug may suppress the organism to a level as to be undetectable, or to a level at which the symptoms are no longer manifest.

However, the yeast infection organisms have not been irradicated and hence a stronger resistant infection will soon return. It should promote immediate relief. As has been discussed, none of the available azole compounds result in any dramatic relief for 24-48 hours and usually up to 7 days.

It should lack systemic and local side effects. We have already pointed out the systemic consequences of these azoles. It needs to be safe during pregnancy. Pregnant women are especially susceptible to yeast infection. However, no oral azole should be taken during pregnancy, and it has long been recommended that no topical azoles be applied during the first trimester.

A vaginitis treatment should prevent recurrent infection. Once again, in practice the azoles provide no long-term relief of even Candida yeast infections let alone Vaginitis. Dr Sobel's ideal treatment would have a broad spectrum of activity.

That is, it should be effective against non-albicans Candida species that the azoles are not. It should also be effective against the other two causes of Vaginitis, Bacterial Vaginosis and Trichomonas that again the azoles are not.

Using the categories of Dr Sobel for the ultimate effective Vaginitis remedy it is clear that the approach using the three solvated metals silver, copper and zinc covers all the bases. Consequently, we are sure that women everywhere are going to be ecstatic that, finally, their long torments and battles with Vaginitis; be it a Candida yeast infection, a Bacterial infection of Vaginosis, or a protozoal infection of Trichomonas, may now be at end. It is certainly about time!

The introduction of three trace element metals into a vitamin E and aloe cream will provide instant antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal and antiviral action along with a subsequent anti-infective protective barrier on the skin and any associated wounds or abrasions.

Upon application to the skin the cream absorbs into the skin leaving the active, solvated individual metal ions adsorbed in to and on to the skin surface. These three metals all have proven bioactive clinical track records. This unique tri-combination of metals all individually potent to bacteria, micro organisms and viral particles and yet inert or even helpful for the human body acts instantly as an antiseptic upon application.

That is they destroy any and all bacteria or viral particles present on the skin prior to application and indeed will continue to do so until washed off, thus providing an impenetrable anti-infective epidermal layer.

Before the advent and subsequent widespread use of antibiotics the major bioactive antibacterial, antimicrobial and antiviral compounds were solvated metal ions. With bacteria now evolving resistance to antibiotics, attention is focusing back to these metals and their inherent bioactivity.

Three of the most effective metals with such activity are Silver, Copper, and Zinc, and as a result of their mode of action bacteria and viral particles cannot develop immunity.

Solutions of silver are regularly prescribed as topical antibacterials and anti-infectives. Silver ions are known to kill bacteria in concentrations as low as 10 ppb or 1 part silver in 1 billion parts of water. The trimetal cream silver ions are at a concentration known to kill all bacteria within minutes but also are completely inert towards the human body and skin.

This is easily illustrated by the routine washing of newborn's eyes with silver solutions for prevention of gonococcal conjunctivitis. Silver in such concentrations is already being applied to bandages to kill infections in open wounds.

Copper ions are also bactericides but more strikingly are extremely potent anti-fungal agents. Apart from the germicidal activity of copper ions they are also important nutrient metals in the human biosystem. Copper is an essential element with a recommended daily allowance of 2.5 milligrams.

Therefore, the presence of copper provides the previously described anti- bacterial, microbial, fungal and viral action as well as the possibility that the metal may also be utilized by the body for it's usual metabolic functions.

This is also the case with the remaining metal in our potent triumvirate. Solvated Zinc ions are again known and potent anti- bacterial, microbial and fungal agents. This action alone would be enough cause to apply zinc topically but again this action is augmented by the benefit that zinc is a known promoter of wound healing. It is specifically prescribed in hospitals for this function.

Thus, this cream has the ability not only to clear wounds of infection and provide protection from further bacterial or viral encroachment but also to hasten the body's own repairs of such wounds.

Mode of action

The action of these metal ions with bacteria is known to be in the cell walls of such microorganisms. All three metals can and do bind to free sulfur residues in enzymes that facilitate oxygen transfer through the bacterial cell membrane and hence allow respiration of the microorganism.

By binding to these sulfur groups in the active site of the enzyme the enzyme is blocked from binding oxygen and transporting it to the cell inside. Hence the bacteria cannot undertake respiration and die. Because the cells of the human body are markedly different from the cells of these bacteria the metals are inert towards it and as described above are indeed beneficial.

This specific binding to the oxygen carrying enzyme is augmented by the metals ability to bind to other proteins and enzymes within the microorganism and cause the proteins to change shape and indeed crystallize hence, rendering them inactive, again causing cell death of the microorganism.

This mode of action is thought to also explain the anti-viral activity of these solvated metal ions.