Shilajeet (pronounced as Shee-lah-jeet also known as silajit, shilajit, shilajeet, silajatu, mumiyo and asphaltum) outside of the Himalayas in Indian Sub-continent, there are some variations of shilajeet which are sourced from Mongolia as well as the Caucasus and Altai Mountains of Russia where it is called mumiyo, from the Greek meaning “saving the body.” Native Americans used similar humic substances called medicine rock sourced from the Grand Tetons in Wyoming. Shilajeet, a panacea in the traditional systems of medicine, is shown to be a repository of primeval organic chemistry and of chemical evolution of life on earth. The vital significance of Shilajeet to all living matter and substance is ingrained in its origin. Shilajeet in Sanskrit means "conqueror of mountains and destroyer of weakness". The pressure from the weight of the mountains and the extreme temperature change causing the plants to be transformed into a rich mineral mass that flows out of the rocks. That is Shilajeet. These minerals in Shilajeet help to maintain the body’s optimum energy metabolism rate which naturally slows down with age. This is achieved partly through balancing electrolyte levels and by burning off excess fat. Shilajeet improves the blood’s ability to carry oxygen and iron. These properties of Shilajeet give people a healthy appearance and youthful glow. Studies and analysis has shown it to consist of a complex mixture of au-natural organic constituents, humic substances, plant and microbial metabolites occurring in the rock rhizospheres of its natural habitat. The biological effects of Shilajeet have been ascribed to two distinct classes of compounds. The low molecular weight bioactive organic compounds, such as oxygenated dibenzo-α-pyrones, act as the active substances, and medium molecular weight fulvic and humic acids act as carrier molecules for in vivo transportation of these bioactive molecules. (Shilajit - A Review: Agarwal, Aqil & Anwer, 2007; Agarwal SP, Khanna R, Karmarkar R, Anwer MK, Khar RK).
Fulvic acid and humic acid have a microporous structure thus are capable of forming complexes with non-polar solutes and drug molecules with low bioavailability. These drug molecules can be entrapped in the void so as to increase their solubility and dissolution rate, thereby enhancing their bioavailability (Ghosal, 2003; Khanna, 2006). Its resinous texture is from the breakdown of latex-bearing plants and herbs including the succulent Euphorbia royleana. Shilajeet (Asphaltum) is a natural mineral described in ancient Ayurvedic texts traditionally being used as a perfect fitness formula and to meet the deficiencies of routine diet. Shilajeet is believed to be a truly remarkable substance with a history of human usage for healing for the various ailments. It is one of the greatest gifts of nature from the Himalayas signifying the same attributes what Himalayas stands for “beauty, power and divine”. The researches by different organizations found that Shilajeet was essentially constituted of fresh and modified remnants of humus, admixed with plants, herbs & microbial metabolites occurring in the rock rhizosphere of its natural habitat. Humus provided clue to the origin & complex nature of Shilajeet. It contains complexes of phenols, lignoids, sugars, lipids, amino acids, mineral oxides and salts that affected by biochemical, microbial and enzymatic processes under conditions of geothermal pressure. The trace elements in Shilajeet are Ferrous, Calcium, Aluminium, Magnesium, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Molybdenum and Phosphates. The father of Indian Medicine, Charaka says there is hardly any disease which cannot be controlled or cured with the aid of Shilajeet (in combination with suitable drugs and by adopting the prescribed method) and it also states that user of Shilajeet will be able to witness a hundred summers on Earth free from disease and decay. It is noted in another scared ancient ayurvedic text, Sushruta Samhita, that there is no bodily distemper, which does not yield to Shilajeet’s highly curative virtues and when gradually taken (in right dosage) it tends to improve the strength and complexion of the body (Bhishagratna, 1998). Basically as per scientific studies, the fulvic acid and the minerals in Shilajeet are in ionic form, which means the body can more easily absorb and move them to areas where the minerals are needed for growth and maintenance of human body cells. It is believed that Shilajeet has the unique ability to bring the right essence on to the respective tissue system for e.g., the essence of muscle is to give shape, the essence of blood is to bring life and the essence of the nervous system is to bestow knowledge. Ayurveda practitioners also tout its ability to balance hormone levels that change and cause stress as we age. (Source: Complexation of Furosemide with Fulvic Acid Extracted from Shilajit; Complexation of Furosemide with Fulvic acid of Shilajit Suraj Prakash Agarwal, Mohammad Khalid Anwer, and Mohammad Aqil. Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard, Hamdard University, New Delhi, India)