Everywhere we turn we're bombarded with advertisements compelling us to buy this and that supplement that promises to help us lose weight, get rid of inflammation, banish wrinkles, heal our guts, and fix our lives.

At Soma, we have high standards for supplements in our lineup. Our favorite products are so foundational that they address multiple areas of health at once, simplifying our health routines and supplement cabinets. They must also have an established track record of safety and efficacy.

Shilajit checks all of those boxes. 

Coined "the destroyer of weakness" in Sanskrit, this adaptogenic supplement has been a staple in Ayurveda and folk medicines of Russia, Tibet, Nepal, and other mountainous regions for thousands of years—where it can be found under various names: mummy, moomiyo, shargai, mumlai, or simply 'mineral pitch'.

At first glance, it might sound off-putting. This thick, tar-like substance—technically an 'herbomineral exudate'—is harvested from high-altitude rocks and results from the breakdown of compressed humus and plant matter. Its smell and taste have been likened by many to asphalt (don't worry—this is why we offer it in tablet form).

But when you dive into the benefits of shilajit, you will see why it's almost unmatched as a dietary supplement. This substance impacts almost every bodily system from immunity to bone to mitochondrial health due to its unique constitution. Here are 6 shilajit benefits that might just convince you to add it to your supplement cabinet:

 

1. Hormone balance and fertility

Hormone imbalances and fertility challenges are rife in our world due to toxins, heavy metals, xenoestrogens, and nutrient depletion. Fortunately, shilajit may be an antidote to these problems.

In several animal and human studies, shilajit supplementation in doses ranging from 200-500 mg per day has been shown to increase free and total testosterone levels, as well as its precursor, DHEA, to improve health of the testes, and to increase sperm motility, total sperm count, along with normal sperm count (1, 2, 3, 4). Additionally, shilajit administration reversed the effects of cadmium toxicity-induced infertility in male rats, restoring normal fertility (5).

While studies of the effects of shilajit on female fertility are so far limited to animals, the results are exciting. Shilajit supplementation has led to increased ovarian function and ovulation, and even protected ovarian function in the face of radiation damage (1, 4, 6)! The same study on cadmium-induced infertility in rats found that the females treated with shilajit had higher libido, increased fertility, and larger litters than the control group (5). 

The best part? All of these studies noted the safety profile of shilajit, and how zero toxicity or side effects were observed.

 

2. Nutrient absorption and potentiation

Shilajit is referred to as a yogavaha in Sanskrit, which means "joining carrier". Due to its high fulvic and humic acid content, shilajit was often traditionally paired with other herbs to drive nutrients deeper into tissues and increase their effectiveness (7). On its own shilajit contains a whopping 85 ionic trace minerals!

More recent research on fulvic acid lends more credence to this ancient concept as well. In fish models, fulvic acid supplementation was found to favorably shift the gut microbiome, as well as increase the activity of digestive enzymes, such as lysozyme, proteases, and acid/alkaline phosphatases, leading to enhanced absorption of nutrients and drugs. Interestingly, fulvic acid did not enhance the uptake of pollutants, such as perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) (8).

  

3. Enhances bone, muscle, joint, and skin health

What if you could replace your pre-workout, collagen, and bone health supplements with one single supplement?

While we're not suggesting you do this, there's evidence that Shilajit improves each of these areas through a few mechanisms. 

Several studies have found shilajit supplementation (in dosages ranging from 250-500 mg per day) to preserve bone density, to promote muscle strength in response to exercise, healing of bone and cartilage, as well as the adaptive response of skin and muscle to exercise and weight loss. 

How does shilajit help with all of these things? It increases activity in key genes responsible for muscle cell proliferation, skin and bone regeneration, collagen synthesis, growth of micro-blood vessels, and remodeling of the extracellular matrix (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14). Amazing, right?

 

4. Neuroprotective properties

Neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's, are one of the fastest-growing classes of chronic disease—and both preventatives and treatments have so far eluded modern medicine. 

Shilajit has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine to address cognitive issues, and research suggests there may be a basis for this. A few key studies show us that shilajit has the potential to improve brain health in multiple ways. 

In one study, the administration of shilajit to rats for one week led to reduced acetylcholinesterase activity, as well as an increase in acetylcholine receptor capacity, which researchers believe may be responsible for its memory-enhancing effects (15). Another study of cultured rat hippocampal cells showed increased function in the cells cultured with shilajit compared to control cells, adding more strength to the notion that shilajit has pro-cognitive properties (16). 

Two important components of shilajit, in addition to its high mineral content, may deserve much of the credit for these findings. Fulvic acid (FA), which we've already discussed, has been studied for its ability to prevent the intracellular aggregation of tau proteins, a hallmark of neurodegenerative conditions, as well as promote the disassembly of formed clusters (17)! Another study suggests that FA has the ability to remove lead from brain tissue, as well as decrease oxidative stress and improve antioxidant status—both important factors in brain health (18). 

While fulvic acid gets most of the attention, a lesser-known metabolite present in shilajit, called urolithin A, is equally as exciting. It has been shown to improve mitochondrial health and enhance mitophagy, or our body's natural process of clearing out old and defective mitochondria (19). As mitochondrial health and mitophagy are both thought to be causative factors in Alzheimer's, the potential is exciting.

 

5. Anti-infectious and anti-cancer properties

Now, more than ever, are people looking for low-cost and effective ways to prevent disease. While there's no magic bullet, there are many promising natural substances—shilajit being one of them.

Thanks to its high fulvic acid content, shilajit supplementation could prove to be a simple way to strengthen our immune defenses. FA has been studied for its broad anti-viral properties, its action against candida, pathogenic biofilms (how chronic infections hide from our immune system), and drug-resistant bacteria (20, 21, 22, 23). In vitro studies have also highlighted its ability to induce apoptosis in certain cancer cell lines (24, 25). 

Additionally, researchers have shown that shilajit-enriched diets resulted in lower mortality rates in fish exposed to pathogens and enhanced innate immunity, higher growth rates, and increased antioxidant status (26, 27). 

  

6. Mitochondrial optimizer

A common thread underlying all of these unrelated benefits is shilajit's potential to improve mitochondrial health. 

Components of shilajit, like fulvic acid and dibenzo-alpha-pyrones, have been shown to improve mitochondrial bioenergetics by increasing respiration and oxidative phosphorylation—a step in producing ATP (28, 29). 

Shilajit is also known to improve the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, even maintaining normal oxygen levels under hypoxia-like conditions. For this reason, shilajit is often used for altitude sickness (30).

In a rat model, shilajit supplementation was even shown to reverse markers of experimentally-induced chronic fatigue—including oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, immobility, anxiety, and loss of adrenal gland weight (31)!

 

Discussion:

The benefits of shilajit extend far beyond what is mentioned in this article, including possible improvements in alcohol addiction, anxiety, depression, cardiovascular health, and more. While few supplements are right for everyone, shilajit may benefit most people due to its broad effects on health. Additionally, as most people have some level of mineral imbalance, shilajit presents a simple way to supplement with minerals we might be deficient in.  

Many shilajit supplements on the market are contaminated with high levels of heavy metals, mycotoxins, and other impurities, so it's important to choose one that is third-party tested and certified clean—like our Pure Shilajit!