Shilajit may be one of the world’s most unique substances. It is formed by the compression of organic material between layers of rock over hundreds or thousands of years.
During the summer months, this biomass literally exudes out of deep fissures in the rocks of the Himalayas.
Here are the top 10 reasons why everyone should get to know this resin.
Top 10 Benefits of Shilajit
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Shilajit the Adaptogen
Shilajit has been classified as an adaptogen, which means it helps the body adapt or process both internal and external stressors. (1,2) It has been used for thousands of years to fight stress and fatigue, while rejuvenating and regenerating tired cells.
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Shilajit the Energizer
Shilajit works by increasing the production of the body’s primary fuel supply, adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This energy supply is made by the mitochondria in every cell as they convert food into ATP or energy. As we age, the mitochondria make less and less ATP. (1,3)
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Shilajit the Anti-Aging Agent
The mitochondria manufacture about 95% of the cellular energy of the body, which dramatically reduces with age. The mitochondria are responsible for muscle strength, hormonal energy and, as it turns out, shilajit is a powerhouse for mitochondrial energy, along with an enzyme called CoQ10. Shilajit alone has been shown to activate, stabilize and revitalize CoQ10, making it more available to boost mitochondrial energy production. (3,4)
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Shilajit Battles Fatigue
In one study, mice were given shilajit for 21 days before exposure to a stress procedure. They were forced to swim daily for 15 minutes for 21 consecutive days. They were then given a series of stress tests for endurance and anxiety. The mice that took shilajit had significantly less stress and anxiety compared to the group that were not given shilajit. (4)
When I was the Director of Player Development for the New Jersey Nets NBA team, all the players took shilajit (along with boswellia and ashwagandha) regularly. We went from the 3rd most injured team in the league to the 3rd least injured team in the league that year.
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Shilajit the Turbo-Charger
One of the secret ingredients in shilajit are the humic acids, which speed up the transfer of electrons and energy to the mitochondria. Studies suggest this is like a turbo-charger in your car, but for your mitochondria. (1,3) In nature, humic acids found in soils are what break down nutrients and deliver them to plants in a digestible form. In the body, they play a similar role. (1)
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Shilajit Slows an Aging Brain
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that is critical for brain function, memory and attention. Stress and aging decrease levels of acetycholine, and shilajit has been found to inhibit the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine. (5)
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Shilajit the Brain Detoxifier
Proteins like beta-amyloid plaque and tau can build up over time in the brain and cause nerve damage related to cognitive decline. Shilajit has been shown to drive oxygen, minerals and nutrients into the brain tissue and support the brain’s natural ability to drain these potentially damaging proteins. (8, 10)
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Shilajit the Fight-or-Flight Blocker
It is accepted that fight-or-flight stress from the sympathetic nervous system is degenerative for the body. The opposite calming parasympathetic nervous system is the rebuilding, repair, rejuvenate, rest-and-digest nervous system. Shilajit has been shown to increase parasympathetic activity, supporting health and longevity. (5)
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Shilajit the Heart Health Enhancer
Shilajit has been shown to support heart health with lower heart rates, breathing rates and healthy blood pressure when under stress. (6)
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Shilajit Boosts Performance and Pleasure
Shilajit has been shown to boost performance and reduce worry when under stress. It was also shown to trigger the release of pleasure hormones such a dopamine. (7)
Why is Shilajit considered an herb? It’s not a plant, it’s a mineral pitch.
Shilajit is not an herb. Anyone who’s ever used the real stuff can tell you. You’re not crazy! See my comment lower down.
Hi Dean, you are correct that Shilajit is not an herb in the traditional sense. We use this nomenclature at times to refer to it as part of our herbal line.
Be well,
Dr. John
Where do you get the real shilajit to buy
I have real shilajeet
Shilajit is a “mineral pitch” exuded from mountains, sort of like how spring water comes from a spring, and is considered the essence of the strength of the mountains. Shilajit is composed of many unknown parts, but the known stuff includes concentrated trace and ultra-trace elements and organic molecules (thus the theory is that it results from the action of internal mountain “weathering” on plants and plant-like organisms).
There are four main types of shilajit described by Charaka: the Iron type, Copper type, Silver type, and Gold type. Of the four, the IRON type is considered the most balanced and alone it’s suitable for “all diseases.” The other three can be used to treat any disease if the proper method is applied (meaning, if they’re prepared properly and combined with other medicines). The most common REAL shilajit on the market is, to my knowledge, iron-type shilajit. They all have their own color, smell, and taste which can help you to identify the type (if you don’t know the origin, which would be very helpful).
In ayurveda, there are actually a number of “panaceas.” These are individual medicines that are used for the purpose of rasayana and as aphrodesiacs (which according to charaka and others can be used for rasayana treatment themselves, if used appropriately). Here’s a quick list of “panaceas” mentioned by various authors that have variously been prescribed to treat any curable disease, IF a suitable strength material is gathered and if USED CORRECTLY:
-Pippali (Indian Long Pepper)
-Amalaki (Amla)
-Haritaki
-Shilajit
-Licorice Root
-Gotu Kola
-Gudduci
-Sankha puspi
-“Soma” (identity obscured/unknown today)
Not to mention mineral medicines… metallurgic texts describe 4 main rasayana “cure-alls:”
-Iron bhasma
-Copper bhasma
-Silver bhasma
-Gold bhasma
-Seashell/coral/pearl bhasma (runner up)
Keep in mind that (except for iron) the above have to be administered at the right time, in the right place, and with the proper “vehicles” (activating substances, one example being raw honey). Silver bhasma has some limitations, copper bhasma applied with the right vehicles is considered about as good as iron bhasma, and depending on the author gold bhasma is considered a cure-all. Various calcium-based bhasmas are prescribed for pretty much every disease, and are used as rasayana substances for every disease during certain times.
KEEP IN MIND that these are worlds different from the supplements you buy on the shelf. In fact, even the herbs, which are traditionally gathered wild from sacred places have very different potencies compared to common agricultural products. As an example, gather wild alfalfa from the himalaya regions and it will have a completely different ash content than the weak stuff you’d buy from the US, which will have almost the same amount of nutrition as the salad greens you’d buy at the store. And that’s not everything; there are still unknowns in science. The advice of real ayurvedic authors is solid, and we should try to practice ayurveda as it was given to us, rather than reinventing methods and materials. No surprise – if we don’t follow the recommendations exactly, gather the right materials, or process them as described, we end up with dead-end results in treatment.
Other than ancient ayurvedic authors, many people have used SHILAJIT to treat disease, and thus there are many recommendations for what to use, when-where-how-etc. One solid recommendation: dissolve real in “milk, buttermilk, meatsoup, vegetable soups, water,” (-and some others). Charaka: “During administration of silajatu, one should avoid vidahi (causing burning and hyperacidity) and heavy substances particularly horse gram. Horse gram, due to exceedingly contradictory nature, breaks the stones ([referring to shilajit and/or its properties]) as seen in practice, that is why its use is contra-indicated.”
I’ve always taken my shilajit dissolved in raw honey-water. Never use metal to stir or collect shilajit – wood, glass, and plastic are fine. Don’t swallow your shilajit whole, because it’s very difficult to digest this way, and will not produce as many good results. Real shilajit isn’t cheap, but I know from experience that it works! This stuff gave me a kick of energy for hours and hours, cleared my lungs, improved my cardiovascular function, elevated my mood, and produced various other effects every single time I took it. I’ve also used it for bone healing (taken internally) – can’t say for sure, but I’m convinced it sped things up a lot.
Hope this’ll help someone. There’s a lot of confusion about shilajit out there, because it’s such a popular ancient remedy. As it becomes more and more popular for people today, there’s bound to be frauds and bad advice. Keep in mind that not every good medicine has to be a panacea or pricey, so if you don’t have the money for real shilajit, consider humbler medicinals, diet changes, and even spiritual practices like meditation and martial arts. People have turned their health around without shilajit, and will continue to do so. (…Not to belittle shilajit’s potency… this stuff works miracles if used correctly.)
Also, add about 9 “celestial drugs” (herbs) to the list of rasayana herbs above – they’re considered good for all diseases if directions for use are followed. One of them is the mysterious “soma,” and many of the others haven’t been identified with certainty. One of them is almost definitely a type of alfalfa from the mountain slopes, named Nari or “Aswabala” (referring to the strength it gives horses).
I would very much like to try real shilajit. Colby can you recommend a good source?
Thanks
Fiona
Though JD’s shilajit capsules (see store on this website) may contain real, high quality shilajit, I still recommend against taking shilajit in capsule form. I’ve gotten good effects from Lotus Blooming Herbals brand Authentic Shilajit, though as I stated before, it’s more pricey than “fulvic” and “humic” acid products, which I don’t consider real shilajit and have never given me desired results (or any at all, really).
If you go on the hunt for good shilajit, remember the basics: there are four main types, the harvesters shouldn’t use metal tools to extract the shilajit, it’ll have a strong smell (no matter the type), it’s very thick and has physical properties like a thick starch paste. (The stuff most people have played with in middle grade or highschool science classes – apply a lot of force and it solidifies, but gently press it and it molds and moves.) All good shilajit dissolves slowly in water. You can smash a pea-size amount against the side of your glass, add water, and rub the shilajit until it’s fully dissolved. Take apart from meals with an easy-to-digest snack, add honey to the water, or supply some other form of calories when taking it. Avoid eating proteins within 30 minutes or so of shilajit – stomach acid in this case is counter productive (which is why raw honey is great for co-supplementing, as a delivery agent to get shilajit into cells.)
If for some reason you can’t prepare it properly for medicine, you can stick a small amount in your mouth and dissolve it with your saliva, though it may turn out less effective.
I’d really like to see JD supply a bare form of authentic shilajit like Lotus Blooming Herbals does! Sourcing may be difficult, but most people interested in ayurveda are willing to “do it the hard way” and skip the capsules. Maybe Lotus Blooming would even be willing to do a bulk re-labeling – something to check into!
Hope that helps, Fiona. 🙂 Careful though; there are plenty of scam shilajit products out there.
What are the 4 basic types?
Can somebody show a photo of Shilajit please. Thank you!
I have just bought purblack shiligit resin and have taken it for two days without see many results. Would you consider this a good source? And how long do I need to take it before it takes effect?
Thanks
Abi
Does shilgit support cellular energy more effectively than co enzyme Q10? I suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome and am considering supplementation with shilligit. I this substance still effective in capsule form.Additionally can you recommend a good source?
Cheers
Shaun
shilajit and gugal we combine it togather,incasotor oil,it is benificial to reduse wheight
I want to have shilajit for reducing my fatigue and for joint pains is it useful for dat thing ..?
Hi Karen, thanks for reaching out! Shilajit is generally useful for helping everything in terms of supporting the body. For fatigue and joint health you might want to research the following: https://lifespa.com/boswellia-for-your-joints/ http://store.lifespa.com/energico.html
And this free podcast: https://lifespa.com/episode-28-say-goodbye-to-aches-pains/
Be well.
Please check with suppliers as I’ve heard that many shilajit products have been found to be contaminated with heavy metals – so, I’m not attempting to put people off, but merely asking people to be careful, and this may be yet another reason to possibly (although not necessarily) avoid cheaper products.
Wishing good health to all.
How can we wean off from longevity herbs? If the point is to keep using them.