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Also known as Salajit, shilajatu, mimie, or mummiyo, and it’s a black-like powder gathered from the high mountain rocks from the Himalayans. Origins have been also discovered in Russia, Tibet, Afghanistan, and Chile. Shilajit has been used for centuries by the Ayurvedic Medicine for its antiaging properties and ability to increase strength and vitality. However, does Shilajit really work as people claim? That’s the question we seek to answer.
Fulvic Acid? (FvA)
What’s giving Shilajit this power? Shilajit’s unique composition as a phytocomplex is very rich in fulvic acid and selenium. fulvic acid, is known by its properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and memory enhancer. Novel investigations indicate that fulvic acid is an antiaggregation factor of tau protein in vitro, which projects fulvic acid as a potential anti-Alzheimer’s disease molecule.
Shilajit also contains dipenzo-a-pyrones (DBPs) and chromoproteins (DCPs) and are potent antioxidants, which plays a powerful role in reducing inflammation.
What is Fulvic Acid? (FvA)
Fulvic Acid comes from humic substances produced by microorganisms in soil. Traditional medicine and modern research claim FvA can modulate the immune system, influence the oxidative state of cells, and improve gastrointestinal function; all of which are hallmarks of diabetes.A randomized controlled trial shows treatment with Shilajit for 90 days at 250mg taken twice a day improved total testosterone, free testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone compared to placebo. The most significant increase was DHEA, which is a precursor of testosterone. After 90 days, there was nearly a 32% increase in DHEA.Another study focused on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with osteopenia. Supplementation with Shilajit at 250mg for 48- week treatment shown the increased bone turnover, inflammation and oxidative stress that coincides with estrogen deficiency.
A randomized control trial shows significantly increased type 1 collagen synthesis, and collagen is a protein that makes up our skin, eyes, bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscle. Supplementation with Shilajit has been shown to increase collagen synthesis. However, the trial was to see if collagen synthesis resulted in increased circulating levels. The results were supplementing with 500 and 1000mg increased type 1 collagen synthesis and circulating levels as indicated by serum pro-c1α1.
A study received 63 recreationally active men who were randomly given a low dose, high dose, and a placebo group. After 8 weeks of supplementing with 500mg, participates in the high dose group elicited favorable muscle and connective tissue adaptations. Meaning, while exercising on maximal voluntary isometric contractions strength, concentric peak torque, fatigue-induced percent decline in strength and serum hydroxyproline, the high does group maintained maximal muscular strength following the fatiguing protocol.
Conclusion, the randomize control trials were completed by using PrimaVie purified Shilajit extract, which may contain very little heavy metals as compared to other products. Not all Shilajit products are equal and therefore results may vary. Shilajit is a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, memory enhancer and may prevent against Alzheimer’s disease.
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References:
Carrasco-Gallardo C, Guzmán L, Maccioni RB. Shilajit: a natural phytocomplex with potential procognitive activity. Int J Alzheimers Dis. 2012;2012:674142. doi: 10.1155/2012/674142. Epub 2012 Feb 23. PMID: 22482077; PMCID: PMC3296184.
Pandit, S., Biswas, S., Jana, U., De, R.K., Mukhopadhyay, S.C. and Biswas, T.K. (2016), Clinical evaluation of purified Shilajit on testosterone levels in healthy volunteers. Andrologia, 48: 570-575. https://doi.org/10.1111/and.12482
Usharani Pingali, Chandrasekhar Nutalapati, Shilajit extract reduces oxidative stress, inflammation, and bone loss to dose-dependently preserve bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with osteopenia: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, Phytomedicine, Volume 105, 2022, 154334, ISSN 0944-7113, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2022.154334.
Morgado, A., Tsampoukas, G., Sokolakis, I. et al. Do “testosterone boosters” really increase serum total testosterone? A systematic review. Int J Impot Res 36, 348–364 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-023-00763-9
Winkler J, Ghosh S. Therapeutic Potential of Fulvic Acid in Chronic Inflammatory Diseases and Diabetes. J Diabetes Res. 2018 Sep 10;2018:5391014. doi: 10.1155/2018/5391014. PMID: 30276216; PMCID: PMC6151376.
Neltner TJ, Sahoo PK, Smith RW, Anders JPV, Arnett JE, Schmidt RJ, Johnson GO, Natarajan SK, Housh TJ. Effects of 8 Weeks of Shilajit Supplementation on Serum Pro-c1α1, a Biomarker of Type 1