What is Shilajit?

Shilajit is a sticky blackish brown tar-like substance found mainly in the rocks of Himalayas. This region has an extreme variation of hot and cold weather, the weather variation when combined with massive pressure from the weight of the mountains, makes this mineral-rich substance to ooze out of the cracks of the rocks. Shilajit is made by the decomposition of the plants, organic matter trapped in between the many layers of the rocks over the million years. It has been found that Shilajit has many unique plant organisms such as Trifolium repens, Euphorbia Royleana, Pellia, Minium, Barbula, Stephenrencella-Anthoceros, Fissidens, Asterella, Plagiochasma, Thuidium, Marchantia, and Dumortiera.

Discovery

It is said that Shilajit was first discovered in the Himalayan by some villagers. Villagers observed that white monkeys would journey to mountain tops each summer and there they were seen consuming a soft black substance. Eventually, villagers also started consuming the black substance and then they realized it’s amazing healing powers.

Ingredients

There are many important nutrients present in Shilajit, it contains more than 85 natural ionic minerals as well as fulvic acid, humic acid and imperative phytonutrients. The chemical composition of fulvic acid is 100% natural organic water extraction from around 75 million-year-old deposit which contains approximately 74 essential complexes dissolved mineral and also the trace elements, according to Chakrapani Ayurveda Clinic & Research Center, India. Fulvic acid allows more than 85 minerals from shilajit to enter into the cells of the body rapidly which may help to  “effectively prolong cell life and keep it healthy for a very long time. Shilajit also contains Dibenzo Alpha Pyrones, Humins, Humic Acids, trace minerals, vitamins A, B, C and P (citrines), phospholipids and polyphenol complexes, terpentoids. The microelements like cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, manganese, chrome, iron, magnesium are also present in Shilajit.

Health Benefits

1. Improved Testosterone Level: Testosterone, the primary male sex hormone and the levels of testosterone May decrease with age, stress, smoking and other idiopathic factors. According a paper published by NCBI, Purified Shilajit when evaluated on the  volunteers of age between 45 and 55 years for its effect on testosterone in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study at a dose of 250 mg twice a day with Shilajit for consecutive 90 days revealed that it significantly (P < 0.05) increased total testosterone, free testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEAS) compared with placebo and Gonadotropic hormones (LH and FSH) levels were well maintained.
2. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: CFS has been associated with mitochondrial dysfunction which occurs when cells don’t produce enough energy and cause extreme tiredness and fatigue.   According to a clinical study published by NCBI, Shilajit helps to mitigate the effects of Chronic fatigue syndrome, possibly through the modulation of the HPA axis and preservation of mitochondrial function and integrity. The reversal of chronic fatigue syndrome also induced the behavioral symptoms and mitochondrial bioenergetics by shilajit indicates mitochondria as a target for the treatment of this syndrome.
3. Aging And Longevity: The main composition of Shilajit are humic substances, which includes fulvic acid, fulvic acid present is around 60% to 80% of the total nutraceutical compound and some oligoelements, including selenium of anti-aging properties. Shilajit may also protect against free radicals and as well as cellular damage. Thus, the regular use of Shilajit may contribute to make the aging process slow and boost the health.
4. Alzheimer’s Disease: Alzheimer’s disease is the disorder related to the brain which affects the memory and the behaviors of a person. Shilajit may help prevent or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease based on its molecular composition.
5. Brain Detoxifier And Brain Ageing: Stress and aging decrease the level of Acetylcholine which is a neurotransmitter critical for brain function, memory, and attention. It has been found that shilajit to inhibits the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine. Also, proteins like beta-amyloid plaque and tau can build up over time in the brain causing nerve damage related to cognitive decline. Shilajit has been shown to help in driving, minerals, and nutrients into the brain tissue which supports the brain’s natural ability to drain these potentially damaging proteins.
6. Infertility: In one study, “Clinical evaluation of spermatogenic activity of processed Shilajit in oligospermia”, published by NCBI Initially a group of 60 infertile men were administered Shilajit after meals twice a day for 90 days. At the end of the 90-day period, it was found that more than 60 percent of the study participants showed an increase in total sperm count. There was also more than a 12 percent increase in sperm motility.
7. Heart Health: As a dietary supplement Shilajit may support heart health with lower heart rates, breathing rates as well as healthy blood pressure when under stress. The cardiac performance test was conducted by researchers in a lab on rats. The rats were given the pretreatment of Shilajit and after the pretreatment, they were injected with isoproterenol to induce the injury, it was found that the rats who were given Shilajit before the cardiac injury has fewer cardiac lesions.

If you have active heart disease you should not take Shilajit

Suggested Usage

The dosage of Shilajit depends upon the individual, aliment and the reason for taking. Traditionally Shilajit can be taken in warm milk, with ghee or with honey; all these help in to increase the absorption of Shilajit. The Shilajit can also be taken with warm water which is also an effective way of administering it.

• healthline.com/health/shilajit
• sciencedirect.com
• researchgate.net
• ncbi.nlm.nih.gov