Most of you have probably have never heard of Shilajit, which is why you’re part of the 61,000 Google searches each month, asking about what Shilajit is, Shilajit benefits, and how Shilajit works. Shilajit is an ancient ayurvedic herb, used in traditional herbal remedies to treat a wide variety of conditions. And you may have never heard of it because it’s only found 10,000 above elevation.

What Is Shilajit

Believe it or not, but to even find Shilajit in the wild, you’d have to climb the Tibetan, Himalayan, or Altai Mountains. Shilajit is a resin which contains an important compound, called fulvic acid, rich in over 84 minerals and found in the rock crevices at an altitude that would make most sick.

Shilajit Benefits

Before we get into the benefits of Shilajit, it is important to note that the majority of research has only been evaluated using animal studies. Very few human clinical trials have been conducted to evaluate the benefits of Shilajit. Currently, the only human study conducted used 200mg of Shilajit with 50% Fulvic acid content in two divided doses with meals for a period of 90 days.

Research on Shilajit benefits is limited, and most have researched health conditions such as anemia, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, and cardiovascular health.

Recently however, there have been an increase in the number of clincal studies evaluating the effects of Shilajit on humans.

1. Testosterone Levels

Some research has found that Shilajit may improve testosterone levels. Testosterone is a vital male and female hormone, that controls mood, body composition, and overall vitality.

A double-blind placebo-controlled trial published in the journal Andrologia evaluated healthy participants between age 45 and 55 for its effect on testosterone. Results showed that 250mg of Shilajit for a consecutive 90-day treatment protocol, increased total testosterone, free testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEAS) compared with placebo [R].

Another study examining the spermatogenic activity on 60 infertile male patients, found that after a 90-day period, more than 60 percent of the study participants showed an increase in total sperm count, with more than 12 percent experiencing an increase in sperm motility. It is important to note however, that only 28 patients completed the treatment protocol [R].

2. High Altitude Sickness

It only makes sense that Shilajit has proposed health benefits on helping high altitude sickness. I mean, it lives amongst the clouds.

High altitude sickness can be triggered from decreased oxygen levels at high altitudes, and cause a range of symptoms.

The fulvic acid found in Shilajit can function as an antioxidant, protecting your body from outside variables, and improve your body’s immune system and memory. It also boosts energy and is a diuretic which helps remove excess fluid from your body. Because of this researchers believe that Shilajit may be able to counteract the symptoms associated with higher altitudes. Of course, none of this is really confirmed, as there are no studies replicating these findings.

3. Heart Health

A study published in the journal Cardiovascular Toxicology assessed the cardioprotective effect of mumie (shilajit) on experimentally induced myocardial injury induced on rats.

Animals were divided into two groups, once receiving 250mg and the other 500mg for 7 consecutive days, each consisting of two subgroups—with and without heart injury.

Treatment had no significant effects on hemodynamic and cardiac indices of normal animals. However, when the cardiac injury was induced, Shilajit maintained and attenuated the serum cardiac troponin I, and reduced the severity of cardiac lesions. Despite this mild difference, it was not significant enough to recommend as a potential treatment or for further etiological evaluation [R].

What Are the Side Effects of Shilajit?

Considering the fact, that Shilajit is not well researched and lacking evidence to support its use in a clinical setting, Shilajit may have potential side effects.

little is known about the safety of short-term or long-term use of shilajit. Currently known side effects may include but are not limited to

Shilajit may increase iron levels
Shilajit may alter the body's hormone levels
May have heavy metals or fungus present which can make you sick

Shilajit Benefits: Takeaway

Shilajit. Is it legit, or is it shit? Currently, there is no evidence that supports that use of Shilajit, for… anything. There is a severe lack in research and the research that is available has not shown many if any favorable outcomes. Overall, this is a supplement, we would recommended staying away from, and not wasting your money.

Need Help With Optimizing Your Diet And Nutrition Plan To Finally Get The Results You've Been Waiting For?

The Swole Kitchen provides 1:1 nutrition coaching, macro coaching, and custom meal plans to help guide you to becoming the best version of yourself. We teach you how to enjoy the foods you love in the right amounts, so you can fit into your favorite pair of jeans, hit your health and fitness goals, and be healthy and happy. We guide you through making sound nutritional decisions and teach you along the way, so you can learn how to take control of your health, and discover what if feels like to live again.

SWOLVERINE IS AN ENDURANCE ATHLETE AND ACTIVE LIFESTYLE BRAND. MADE FOR THE ELITE ATHLETE, AND THE STRONG-WILLED OUR PRODUCTS WERE DESIGNED TO FUEL YOUR ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE. WE PERFORM WHEN YOU PERFORM.

We believe that everyone can optimize not only their athletic performance but their human potential. The way we believe we can optimize performance is through transparency, clinically effective doses, and clinically proven ingredients with evidence-based outcomes. We provide the nutrients you need to power your active lifestyle.

Tags: Supplements