All About Shilajit: A Complete Guide

The phrase Shilajit is composed of two words. “Shila” means rock and ”jit” means won. So it literally means ‘conqueror of the mountains’. It is a blackish-brown fabric of variable consistency that exudes from layers of rocks. It surfaces in the summer season rising through cracks or crevices in the rocks as if it has ‘conquered the rocks’ and has torn them apart.

Some Ayurvedic practitioners attribute this name to its believed property of disintegrating urinary stones if taken internally. It is now clear through research that it is not a mineral pitch but a humic substance formed due to the interaction of plants, algae, mosses, and microorganisms that may additionally contain minerals. It is observed to be a wealthy supply of humic acid and fulvic acid which are the foremost resources of pastime to researchers for its therapeutic effects. Shilajit is believed to sluggish the aging method and rejuvenate the body and mind.

Where Shilajit Is Found?
Shilajit mainly found in mountain ranges of the world, at altitudes between 1000–5000 meters, particularly in the Himalayas and Hindukush degrees of the Indian subcontinent, the Tibet mountains, Altai mountains, and Caucasus mountains.

What Shilajit Looks Like?
Shilajit’s consistency depends upon its maturity and interaction to alternating warmth and cold. Its color varies from a yellowish-brown to pitch-black, depending on the composition.

Depending upon its color and properties, Ayurveda classifies it into 4 types.

• ‘Swarna’ Shilajit of yellowish crimson color
• Rajat Shilajit of whitish silver color
• Tamra Shilajit of peacock blue color
• Lauha Shilajit of black color

Of all 4 types, black shilajit is most collective and is considered the best. It must be used only after necessary purification methods.

Pure Shilajit: How It’s Purified
Since it’s a humic fabric it is bound to be contaminated with soil, rock particles and plant particles at the time of collection. So it needs to be purified before consumption. Sometimes it is also purified by nature itself and the substance purified naturally is the purest of shilajit, acknowledged as Surya Tapi Shilajit. Surya Tapi term is subjected to solar rays. In this method, the rock particles, soil and different impurities are first eliminated through sedimentation by dissolving it in hot water and letting the solids settle at the bottom. The humic component is dissolved in the water, which is then decanted and sieved into an iron vessel and kept under the sun. This way a creamy layer of fabric gathers on the surface and is then separated out. Again the remaining solution is decanted into some other vessel and kept under the solar to accumulate the next batch of supernatant material. This procedure is repeated until it yields the creamy material that emerges on the surface.
This substance that is painstakingly accumulated is the purest form. The texts absolutely say that boiling the answer to getting the supernatant material quicker may destroy the ingredients of Shilajit and degrade its first-rate and is accordingly contraindicated.

Classical Methods to Check the Purity of Shilajit
Today there are labs that can check and standardize the special compositions from batch to batch. It is frequently discovered via research even though the chemical composition of shilajit obtained from mountains yields sure similar low molecular weight organic compounds. The specific composition relies upon on the flora discovered in and around the Shilajit bearing mountain ranges. The composition of the really useful humic material that Shilajit is will depend on that. However, the presence of humic acid and fulvic acid amongst other bio-molecules is a common finding and can be standardized.
Classically there are sure strategies described in Ayurvedic literature to take a look at the purity.
 A little pure Shilajit, if put on a charcoal ember, takes the structure of a linga or an elongated oval shape.
 Pure shilajit won’t smoke if put on a charcoal ember.
 A grain of shilajit if put in water, will disintegrate totally and settle down at the bottom.
 Pure Shilajit has an unusual scent comparable to cow’s urine. It is resin-like or can be firm however softens if a small portion is rubbed between the fingertips. It is lightweight and easy to touch.

Properties of Shilajit
According to the Ayurvedic Materia Medica, Shilajit has the following properties.
• Taste: Not very sour, bitter, astringent taste
• The effect after being metabolized: Bitter
• Property: Neither too hot nor too cold
• Dosha effect: It can pacify all three dosha
• Overall effect: If administered with a suitable procedure, it produces rejuvenating and aphrodisiac effects and helps in many disorders.
Its potency increases after the present process ‘Bhawan’, an Ayurvedic technique of preparing herbal remedy with unique liquids or specified substances.

Who should take Shilajit?
Shilajit Capsule can be taken by using both men and females at any age. For kids it is not typically required, however, there is no contraindication for the usage of it, the dose can be adjusted as per the age on the advice of an Ayurvedic practitioner or fitness care provider.

Shilajit Dosage + How to take Shilajit Capsules?
It is more beneficial to take Shilajit after Panchakarma or Ayurvedic detox. However, it may additionally be taken as is also. It is best taken after the breakfast of the day with milk or honey. Another way of taking it is to dissolve it in hot water and drink. It is useful to have milk and rice, or barley bread or any different barley dish a few hours after taking it.
Today shilajit dosage is about 500 mg. This is the measurement of a green moong bean up to the size of a pea, which is a good deal, lesser than that prescribed in classical texts. But this dose is realistic and effective. In problems like diabetes, the advocated shilajit dosage is about 1 gm taken in divided doses.

Things to keep away from taking shilajit.
• Heavy to digest food
• Too sour, spicy or Pitta traumatic meals in general
• Horse gram lentil

Things that can be taken along with shilajit as a “vehicle” or carrier.
• Milk
• Buttermilk
• Meat soup
• Vegetable or lentil soup
• Water
• Cow’s urine
• The decoction of some kind of herbs as per the need