Shilajit is a pale-brown to blackish gummy substance found on steep rocks in the mountains of India, the Himalayas and Afghanistan. It contains a mixture of microbial substances and at least 85 minerals and has been used in traditional folk medicine in several countries for centuries. In current studies, it's showing promise for everything from treating peptic ulcers to enhancing memory.
Allergies
Laboratory rats sensitized to horse serum were treated with processed shilajit. After 14 days, the mast cells of the treated animals had significantly less degranulation than the control group, meaning less histamine was released, leading to fewer allergy symptoms. Although these results haven't been replicated in human trials to get FDA approval, shilajit may hold promise for treating allergies in the future.
Altitude Sickness
Many people suffer from breathing difficulties, swelling, fatigue, body pain, confusion and depression when they ascend to high altitudes. In some cases, these symptoms can even be life-threatening. A study conducted by the Herbal Medicine Division of the India Defense Research and Development Organization found that shilajit improved the body's ability to handle high-altitude stresses and stimulate the immune system.
Antioxidant
Two studies in India tested processed shilajit to see how well it acted as an antioxidant against damaging free radicals that lead to a variety of diseases and aging. One of the studies, published in the Indian Journal of Chemistry in 1996, found that the processed shilajit took more than 72 hours to metabolize, providing significant antioxidant activity throughout the process.
Diabetes
Rats with diabetes were treated with different doses of shilajit alone and in combination with two commonly used diabetic drugs, glibenclamide and metformin. As researchers reported in the December 2004 issue of the Indian Journal of Pharmacology, after four weeks of treatment, the rats showed a significant reduction in their blood glucose levels and had improved blood lipid profiles, including cholesterol and triglyceride levels, in all the various combinations of shilajit.
Energy
Oral supplementation of a processed shilajit formula helped improve energy levels in albino mice in a forced swimming test. The effects included an 18 percent rise in the inosine mono phosphate concentration, which is a marker for energy depletion in muscle.
Fertility
Shilajit has traditionally been used as an aphrodisiac. Now scientists are finding that there may be a scientific basis for the practice. The Chungbuk National University College of Pharmacy in South Korea gave shilajit supplements to rats over a six-week period. The male rats had a much higher sperm count in the treated group versus the control, and ovulation was induced in seven out of nine female rats in the group fed shilajit.
Immune System
Mice given shilajit extract in two Indian studies showed increased white blood cell activity that rose in correspondence with the dosage. The rats given the highest dose exhibited neurotransmitter changes associated with increased immune system response.
Learning and Memory
As the elderly population in society increases, it's promising when new treatments arise to help memory retention, often affected by aging. Shilajit is one such potential treatment, with rats fed the extract demonstrating improved learning acquisition and memory retrieval in a battery of tests. The results, published in Phytotherapy Research in January 2006, also showed that high doses produced significant anti-anxiety effects in behavior tests.
Ulcers
Shilajit has also been widely used by folk medicine practitioners to treat ulcers. Scientists at Banaras Hindu University studied shilajit obtained from rocky mountains in Afghanistan and found the shilajit decreased the gastric ulcer index by increasing the stomach's protective mucus barrier.
References
- Journal of Ethnopharmacology: The Spermatogenic and Ovogenic Effects of Chronically Administered Shilajit to Rats
- Primavie: Shilajit
- International Journal of Ayurveda research: Shilajit: A Panacea for High-Altitude Problems
- Indian Journal of Pharmacology: Effect of Shilajit on Blood Glucose and Lipid Profile
- Phytotherapy Research: Effects of Shilajit On Learning and Memory in Rats
