What Are Shilajit Supplements And How Are They Used?

One of the many beneficial supplements out there is shilajit, which can confer positive health benefits when used properly. Here we have all you need to know about shilajit, the supplements made from it, and how it is used. When it comes to natural treatments, it can be hard to know if you’re getting a genuine article. Before you take the plunge and get some ingredients, you should check out shilajit reviews to make sure you get the good stuff.

What Is Shilajit?

First, what is shilajit anyway?

Shilajit is the name that’s given to a sticky, plant-based substance that forms on the rocks of the Himalayas. These forms over hundreds and hundreds of years as plants grow, die, and decompose on the Himalayan mountainsides. It forms on many other mountainsides too, from Peru to Russia, though its Himalayan forms are the most well-known. It is also called mumie, mummiyo, or mumijo in other places.

If you hadn’t already figured it out, shilajit is a common ingredient used in ayurvedic medicine. This is a branch of natural, holistic medicinal practices that have been used by the Indian subcontinent since ancient times.

Unlike some other areas of alternative medicine, science has found that the substances found in shilajit and other ayurvedic remedies are beneficial to the human body. We have explained this in more detail below.

Shilajit Supplements

Like so many other holistic ingredients, shilajit is often made into easily consumable substances that are more cost-effective to sell and ship. Instead of ordering a block of sticky shilajit, it is often formed into a resin or tar-like mixture. Note that it isn’t technically a resin – but it sure looks and feels like it! It’s very viscous, which is theorized to be due to the latex and resin in the dead plants.

While that’s the purest form of shilajit you can get, you can also get it in a powder or pill form. These are easier to handle, not to mention less messy, and confer many of the same benefits as ‘fresh’ sticky shilajit.

When getting supplements, make sure you get them from trusted suppliers. While shilajit is packed with minerals, some of those can be heavy metals and other contaminants. Good suppliers make sure to push the safest products to market.

Shilajit Uses & Health Benefits

Now that we know what shilajit is and how it is used in supplements, why take it?

As we said, there are identifiable health benefits that can come from the substances found in shilajit. It’s not just mountainside sludge – it’s comprised of substances, mainly acids, that influence the human body.

The primary active ingredients in shilajit are humic and fulvic acids. These have been found to have a variety of health benefits such as:

• Improving brain function, particularly where it is declining due to cognitive disorders.
• Fighting chronic fatigue in those that suffer from it.
• Fending off viral infections within the system.
• Reducing free radicals in the body, fighting one of the key factors that cause aging.
• Improving male fertility.
• Humorously, this mountainside remedy may also help those with altitude sickness.
• Through rat testing, shilajit has had a positive effect on cardiac health. More research is required for human beings, however.
• Iron in shilajit can help those with blood disorders, particularly anemia.

It should be noted that more studies have been done on rats and other animals over humans. That’s the case for many substances, naturally, but it is something to consider. With that said, the cognitive and iron benefits of shilajit have been identified in studies on human beings, typically with males over females.

Conclusion

That’s our rundown of shilajit, what it is, how it’s used, and the health benefits you can expect from using it regularly. If you’re taking supplements, make sure that you get them from a trusted supplier who is getting you the right stuff. Shilajit that hasn’t been processed properly can have fungus in it.

Lastly, note that some ingredients in ayurvedic medicine can contain toxic substances like mercury. While shilajit is fine, the highly acidic content in shilajit makes it dangerous for those who are pregnant/breastfeeding. Also, if you have too much iron in your system already, you should also avoid it.

As always, don’t use shilajit to medicate problems that could be faster and more effectively treated through medical intervention. While shilajit is full of beneficial minerals like iron, it isn’t going to help a body that is in crisis.