Shilajit benefits: The complete evidence
1. Role in Alzheimer
Have you ever heard about ancient medicine with a secret of memory preservation, too? Shilajit has been extensively studied for its medical applications in cognition and ageing. Fulvic acid opens an avenue for the study of Alzheimer's therapy.
Alzheimer's slowly destroys memory. The overall symptoms were described as repetitive questioning, poor cognition, getting lost in familiar places, phases of upsetness, anger, disbelief, confusion, and memory loss. Abnormal tau accumulates in those regions of the brain which are involved in memory. The excess buildup of tau proteins causes brain damage, triggers inflammation, and increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers believe that Shilajit benefits Alzheimer's patients and can stop tau protein buildup. Is this true? Yes!
Fulvic acid, a key ingredient in Alzheimer's, has been researched to prevent tau self-aggregation into pathological filaments.
2. Leave aging behind with natural Herbo-mineral Shilajit
What is skin ageing? It is the phase in which the skin undergoes many changes, such as pigmentation, wrinkles, dryness, laxity, and loss of elasticity.
The skin becomes thin, vascularity and circulation are compromised, and the cutaneous perfusion is reduced. The skin tone becomes uneven, and the discolouration appears prominent. Aged skin has compromised sympathetic reflexes because it cannot vasoconstrict or vasodilate in response to changes in environmental temperature.
In one study, researchers gave middle-aged women 250 mg capsules of Shilajit twice daily for 14 weeks. They wanted to determine how this supplement could improve skin ageing. They concluded that oral Shilajit benefits the skin, and its supplementation induces genes relevant to endothelial cell migration and the growth of blood vessels. The supplement improved skin microperfusion. They found it to be safe
3. Shilajit in anaemia: More is yet to come
This wonder medicine, which is neither a plant nor an animal product, has been described in many ancient scriptures. In Charak Samhita, it is written that shilajit is a product of four minerals: iron, copper, gold, and silver.
In Susruta Samhita, two more minerals are present: lead and zinc.
What do we know about iron? It is present in the blood. Iron has been used traditionally in ancient Indian medicine for weakness, which is common in anaemia. Iron deficiency anaemia present as headache, tiredness, weakness, cold hands and feet and irregular heartbeat
Shilajit contains iron and other minerals and can be used to treat anaemia.
4. Shilajit: Storehouse of Energy
Studies have shown that Shilajit increases adenosine triphosphate (ATP) availability by improving mitochondrial function. It has also been proven to increase free testosterone, total testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone levels by 19–31% in healthy men. This is related to an increase in muscular strength.
How can Shilajit supplementation help men gain strength?
· Boosting in Exercise Performance.
· Increase in muscle mass and strength.
A study showed that eight weeks of Shilajit supplementation at 500 mg·d− 1 promoted the retention of maximal muscular strength following the fatiguing protocol and reduced serum hydroxyproline (HYP) while producing favourable muscle and connective tissue adaptations. This property can enhance muscle and connective tissue function.
5. Is Shilajit cardioprotective?
Yes. Shilajit is good for the heart. It lowers serum markers such as SGOT (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase), SGPT (serum glutamic pyruvate transaminase), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatine kinase (CK). A study included 20 subjects. Ten subjects were administered 2000 mg of Shilajit, and ten were administered placebo for 45 days. Those taking Shilajit had decreased serum cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and triglyceride levels. There was also an improvement in antioxidant status. Sharma, the lead author of this study, recorded an increase in SOD, vitamin C, and vitamin E.
6. Shilajit and hormones: How are they related?
A study has investigated the effect of this herbomineral on testosterone. The researchers included healthy volunteers aged 45–55 years. They were treated with a dose of 250 mg twice daily for 90 days. They found increased total testosterone, free testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEAS). In addition to this, Gonadotropic hormone (LH and FSH) levels were well maintained.
7. Is Shilajit antidiabetic?
In 2019, 463 million people had diabetes. This number may reach 578 million by 2030 and 700 million by 2045.
Herbs with blood sugar-lowering properties are helpful for people at risk of diabetes. Clinical studies have shown potential links between herbal therapies and improved blood glucose control, leading to the increased use of these 'natural' ingredients to manage the condition. Shilajit has properties that make it promising for the treatment of diabetes. It has also been shown to control blood glucose levels and improve lipid profiles. It nourishes our body and improves metabolism while helping to maintain body tissue in a healthy state. Some studies have mentioned that Shilajit can prevent maturity-onset diabetes mellitus and safely and effectively treat type-2 diabetes mellitus.
Do you know about the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in diabetes? MDA is a highly toxic product, and its concentrations are increased in patients with diabetes. It is a biomarker that can be used to identify high-risk patients with heart disease and diabetes. How does this herbomineral assist? In a study, when 61 diabetic subjects were given 500 mg of shilajit twice daily for 30 days, there was a decrease in serum MDA and an increase in catalase.
What is Dyslipidemia? This indicates an imbalance in cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-density lipoproteins). This condition is a risk factor for heart disease. Shilajit improves the lipid profile of patients with diabetes.
This is how it helps patients with diabetes.
8. Shilajit benefits for women
Is Shilajit a promising nutraceutical for women? Let us find the answer in the following explanation.
Do you know that this wonder herb saves women from osteoporosis (silent disease)?
A study found the effect of oral supplementation of this purified shilajit in postmenopausal women. These results were surprising. Daily supplementation with this unique herb improved bone health. Scientifically, an aqueous extract of Shilajit supported BMD (Bone mineral density) in postmenopausal women with reduced bone mineral density (osteopenia). It attenuated increased bone turnover, inflammation, and oxidative stress, coinciding with estrogen deficiency. Overall, this herbomineral fights for these three aspects of estrogen deficiency and helps postmenopausal women. The authors highlighted that Shilajit discourages bone loss and combats fracture burden in ageing postmenopausal women.
Preventing bone loss in women during and after menopause is important, and Shilajit helps women in this phase.
9. Shilajit benefits for male
This wonder medicine is an aphrodisiac with spermatogenic and ovogenic properties. It is known to renew vitality and is spermatogenic. It could be used to treat male infertility.
A study by Biswas et al. elaborated on the benefits of this herbomineral in treating infertility. In this study, 60 infertile male patients were included. The patients were given 100 mg Shilajit capsules twice daily after meals for 90 days. It benefitted these patients in numerous ways.
- Improvement in spermia by 37%
- Increase in total sperm count.
- Increase in sperm motility.
- There was a decrease in semen MDA content.
- There was an increase in serum testosterone and FSH levels.
- No changes in liver and kidney profiles indicate the safety of Shilajit at the given dose.
10. Shilajit is more than an immunomodulatory agent.
This mineral pitch has both immuno-potentiating and viral load-reducing properties. It increases the activity of WBC (white blood cells). In his study, Dr. Gupta involved HIV patients who were administered formulations containing processed shilajit. There was not only improvement in symptoms but also augmentation of CD4 and CD8 cell counts.
