Shilajit

Shilajit is a unique natural product since it takes thousands or perhaps millions of years for nature to create true Shilajit. There is a lot of mystery around Shilajit: what it is, how it is formed, and more.

Shilajit, meaning conqueror of mountains in Sanskrit, is an organic-mineral product (meaning it is a mix of organic compounds and minerals). It is a blackish-brown substance mainly found in the Himalayas, though similar-looking substances are also found in other mountain ranges, and they might not be regarded as true Shilajit.

Thus, Shilajit-like substances are found in Siberia, Mongolia, and the Americas. Thus, for example, a similar kind of substance is called mumijo or mumie in Russia since it is thought that it forms due to the mummification of plant materials. Shilajit-like substances have other names like bitumen, zhaxun, asphaltum, and so on.¹

However, it would be correct to say that there is only one source of true Shilajit, and that is the Himalayas. All other substances might resemble Shilajit, but they are not Shilajit, but rather Shilajit-like substances. There is a reason why true Shilajit only exists in the Himalayas because these highest mountains in the world have undergone some distinct geological upheavals. Over the years, plant materials and resins of specific plants were buried inside the Himalayan rocks, undergoing slow decaying for thousands or perhaps millions of years.

Since authentic Shilajit only originates in the Himalayas, and it takes thousands or millions of years for it to form, its supply is not endless. This is the reason why authentic Shilajit is challenging to find, and the popularity of Shilajit-like substances is on the rise. However, it would be correct to say that those substances differ in composition, potency, and health benefits.

Shilajit Composition

Before looking deeper into the topic, it is vital to understand that science has still not fully understood how Shilajit works. There is a lot of mystery. Science is still unable to understand a few things, like how various organic compounds and minerals make Shilajit such a wonderful product.

There have been many efforts in modern sciences to understand Shilajit, and it is known that Shilajit is a mix of organic compounds in minerals. About 80% of Shilajit is made of organic compounds or humic compounds, and among them, two are well-known to science: humic acid and fulvic acid. However, about 20% of Shilajit is made of non-humic compounds that are a mix of various organic compounds and minerals. There are numerous amino acids in Shilajit, along with some lipids, steroids, carbohydrates, alkaloids, and various antioxidants.²^,³

Shilajit is especially rich in calcium and magnesium. However, it has many trace elements like cobalt, chromium, selenium, and many other minerals in small amounts.²^,³

Although many health benefits of Shilajit are due to humic and fulvic acids, or major minerals, some benefits are due to organic compounds in smaller amounts or trace elements. For example, the human body needs chromium and selenium in extremely minute amounts, and Shilajit may help fulfill the body’s requirements and boost metabolism and energy levels.

Shilajit Health Benefits

Shilajit has numerous health benefits. Many of these benefits have been shown in clinical trials, while others have been observed or experienced by people.

Boost Energy Levels / Help With Chronic Fatigue

Chronic fatigue, or lack of energy, is a common complaint in relatively healthy adults. Some people may continue to experience a lack of energy after recovery from specific ailments. Here, it is essential to note that most people complaining about chronic fatigue or low energy levels are relatively healthy adults. Thus, medications are of little use for them. However, studies show that Shilajit can help in such instances.⁴Shilajit has a long history of being used as a natural way to boost energy levels. There is now some sound evidence from clinical studies that it works, can enhance energy levels, and help overcome chronic fatigue. Generally, using Shilajit for about 2-months is enough to experience these benefits.⁴
Enhances Cognitive Function

Most people would like to have a better mood and memory. Moreover, diseases like Alzheimer’s are on the rise. Even if individuals are relatively healthy, they frequently complain about issues like brain fog, low concentration, and troubles remembering certain things. It appears that Shilajit can help reduce stress, boost energy levels, and enhance cognition. Moreover, researchers are now even exploring it for preventing more severe issues like Alzheimer’s.⁵^,⁶
Anti-Aging Properties

Shilajit is an age-old remedy for slowing down aging. It is suggested that it become a part of any anti-aging program. It may benefit in many ways, like boosting metabolic health, improving stress resilience, and increasing memory and energy levels.⁷However, there is a lot of mystery around Shilajit since it is unclear how it really works. However, clinical studies have now started showing that it can help slow down aging. In one of the studies, researchers gave Shilajit to older adults for 14 weeks and found that it could slow down skin aging, improve vascular health, and improve regenerative processes. Researchers even think that it may influence the expression of certain genes, resulting in anti-aging properties.⁷
Supports Male Fertility and Testosterone Levels

Shilajit has a long history of use as a natural remedy for male infertility or even for enhancing male sexual function in Indian traditional medicine. However, now Shilajit is also finding increasing use in the West, as an increasing number of studies suggest that it can truly boost male sexual function and help enhance male fertility. Shilajit use is even on the rise among sports people as a way to boost their physical abilities.⁸Thus, one of the clinical studies found that 90 days of Shilajit use could increase sperm count by a massive 61.4%. It could also increase sperm motility and the number of healthy sperm. Moreover, it could boost testosterone levels by 23.5%.⁸
Anaemia Management

Shilajit contains not only iron, but also many minerals, amino acids, and beneficial organic compounds. Studies show that Shilajit can be really useful for managing anaemia. Moreover, Shilajit’s iron content is not very high; thus, there is no risk in its prolonged and regular use, unlike iron supplements. Many of Shilajit’s benefits are also due to its ability to stimulate the production of red blood cells. Shilajit use may also help by modulating some other biological processes in the body.⁹
Reduces Altitude Sickness

Shilajit can be seen as a general health tonic and as an adaptogen that helps counter various stressors and increases energy levels. Thus, it is an excellent supplement for preventing high-altitude problems. It can help provide the body with some vital nutrients. However, it may also help due to its bioactive compounds, like humic and fulvic acid, that may help build resilience.¹⁰
Enhances Heart Health

Shilajit is generally regarded as good for heart health. It is not a treatment for heart disease, however, Shilajit can benefit by helping reduce stress and providing vital nutrients. Some new studies suggest that Shilajit may also have a positive impact on metabolism. Further, some early studies suggest that it may help regulate heart beat and lower blood pressure. All these effects together may result in better heart health.¹¹
Shilajit For Inflammation

Shilajit is not essentially a remedy, but rather a preventive measure. It has been traditionally used to boost immunity and reduce the risk of chronic ailments. Quite often, people use Shilajit when nothing appears to help with declining energy levels. It appears that many health effects of Shilajit are due to its ability to lower chronic inflammation and due to its antioxidant capacity. So, one can use Shilajit for a wide range of health conditions, for reducing both chronic and acute inflammation.¹²
Good For Bone Health

Shilajit is an excellent source of calcium and certain organic compounds similar to steroids. However, that is not all, and Shilajit may boost bone health due to its content of a wide number of minerals, trace elements, and other organic compounds. Human bones are very complex, and unlike what many people imagine, they are not inert. Bones constantly undergo remodeling, and they are very sensitive to dietary, hormonal, and other changes. New studies confirm that Shilajit can help boost bone health and increase bone mineralisation, especially in postmenopausal women.¹³
Metabolic Health/ Diabetes

Shilajit can be of great benefit for those living with diabetes. Shilajit boosts metabolism, helps lower blood sugar levels, improves insulin sensitivity, and even helps lower bad cholesterol. It is also good for lowering the risk of diabetes-related health complications. There are numerous experimental studies showing that Shilajit can help lower blood glucose and is good for improving lipid profile.¹⁴
Boosts Immunity

Shilajit is an excellent adaptogen with a wide spectrum of activity. It can help counter stress and even boost immunity. There could be many ways in which Shilajit may boost immunity. Shilajit is rich in essential amino acids and minerals. Some trace elements, like selenium, present in Shilajit have been proven to boost immunity. It is also known that humic and fulvic acid can also enhance immunity. Some early clinical studies confirm these benefits, showing that Shilajit can enhance immunity against some common infections, thus increasing lifespan.¹⁵

The Bottom Line

It may be right to call Shilajit a panacea, a solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases. After all, Shilajit can help with many health issues. Of course, it is not a medication, but something that can boost body functions, help build resilience and prevent so many diseases when used regularly. Its content of organic compounds, amino acids, minerals, and trace elements make Shilajit suitable for managing so many health conditions.

However, when seeking nature’s blessing, it is vital to opt for Himalayan Shilajit rather than Shilajit-like remedies. Although Shilajit-like substances may also have health benefits, they are less likely to have all the health benefits of original Himalayan sourced Shilajit.

Properties

Altitude Sickness¹⁰
Anaemia⁹
Anti-Aging⁷
Anti-Inflammatory¹²
Antioxidant²^,³^,¹²
Blood Pressure - Reduces¹¹
Bone Strengthening¹³
Cholesterol¹⁴
Cognition⁵^,⁶
Concentration⁵^,⁶
Diabetes / Blood Sugar¹⁴
Energiser⁴^,⁵^,⁶
Heart Support / Health¹¹
High in / Good Levels of Amino Acids⁹
High in / Good Levels of Calcium²^,³
High in / Good Levels of Fulvic Acid²^,³
High in / Good Levels of Magnesium²^,³
Immune Booster¹²^,¹⁵
Libido & Sexual Performance⁸
Memory Retention⁵^,⁶^,⁷
Metabolic Balance⁷^,¹¹^,¹⁴
Mood Stabilising⁵^,⁶

References:

1. Ali K, Ahmed S, Hussain A, Ali S, Ali I. Shilajit (Asphaltum): A comprehensive review on its composition and pharmacological activities. 2024 [cited 2024 Oct 31]; Available from: https://scimatic.org/show_manuscript/3462

2. Rawat H, Singh R, Dane G, Gandhi Y, Kumar V, Mishra SK, et al. Exploring the geographical variability of Asphaltum punjabianum (Shilajit) from India in elements and phytochemicals variations using GC–MS/MS, LC, ICP OES, and in-silico studies. Results in Chemistry. 2024 Aug 1;10:101691.

3. Kamgar E, Kaykhaii M, Zembrzuska J. A Comprehensive Review on Shilajit: What We Know about Its Chemical Composition. Critical Reviews in Analytical Chemistry. 0(0):1–13.

4. Keller JL, Housh TJ, Hill EC, Smith CM, Schmidt RJ, Johnson GO. The effects of Shilajit supplementation on fatigue-induced decreases in muscular strength and serum hydroxyproline levels. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2019 Feb 6;16:3.

5. Carrasco-Gallardo C, Farías GA, Fuentes P, Crespo F, Maccioni RB. Can Nutraceuticals Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease? Potential Therapeutic Role of a Formulation Containing Shilajit and Complex B Vitamins. Archives of Medical Research. 2012 Nov 1;43(8):699–704.

6. Carrasco-Gallardo C, Guzmán L, Maccioni RB. Shilajit: A Natural Phytocomplex with Potential Procognitive Activity. International Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. 2012 Feb 23;2012:674142.

7. Das A, Masry MSE, Gnyawali SC, Ghatak S, Singh K, Stewart R, et al. Skin Transcriptome of Middle-Aged Women Supplemented With Natural Herbo-mineral Shilajit Shows Induction of Microvascular and Extracellular Matrix Mechanisms. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2019 Jun 4;38(6):526.

8. Biswas TK, Pandit S, Mondal S, Biswas SK, Jana U, Ghosh T, et al. Clinical evaluation of spermatogenic activity of processed Shilajit in oligospermia. Andrologia. 2010 Feb;42(1):48–56.

9. Velmurugan C, Vivek B, Wilson E, Bharathi T, Sundaram T. Evaluation of safety profile of black shilajit after 91 days repeated administration in rats. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. 2012 Mar;2(3):210.

10. Meena H, Pandey HK, Arya MC, Ahmed Z. Shilajit: A panacea for high-altitude problems. International Journal of Ayurveda Research. 2010 Mar;1(1):37.

11. Gaikwad NS, Panat AV, Deshpande MS, Ramya K, Khalid PU, Augustine P. Effect of shilajit on the heart of Daphnia: A preliminary study. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine. 2012 Mar;3(1):3.

12. Goel RK, Banerjee RS, Acharya SB. Antiulcerogenic and antiinflammatory studies with shilajit. J Ethnopharmacol. 1990 Apr;29(1):95–103.

13. Pingali U, Nutalapati C. 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. 2022 Oct;105:154334.

14. Trivedi NA, Mazumdar B, Bhatt JD, Hemavathi KG. Effect of shilajit on blood glucose and lipid profile in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Indian Journal of Pharmacology. 2004 Dec;36(6):373.

15. Musthafa MS, Jawahar Ali AR, Hyder Ali AR, Mohamed MJ, War M, Naveed MS, et al. Effect of Shilajit enriched diet on immunity, antioxidants, and disease resistance in Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man) against Aeromonas hydrophila. Fish Shellfish Immunol. 2016 Oct;57:293–300.