Shilajit

Shilajit, also known as shilajit, silajit, mumijo, and momia,^[1] is a thick, sticky tar-like substance with a colour ranging from white to dark brown (the latter is more common), sometimes found in Caucasus mountains, Altai mountains and Tibet mountains.^[2]

It is used in Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system of medicine. The composition of Shilajit has been investigated numerous times in both India and the former USSR, and depends on the location where it is found. It has been reported to contain at least 85 minerals in Ionic form, including triterpenes and aromatic carboxylic acid, as well as humic acid and fulvic acid.^[3][4][5] A similar substance from the Caucasus Mountains, and Altai mountains is called Mumijo (Russian).^[6]

The name

Shilajit is a Sanskrit word meaning "rock-invincible." It is also spelt "Shilajeet," and "Salajeet(سلاجیت)" in Urdu and is known by various other names, such as Shilajita Mumiyo, mineral pitch or mineral wax in English, black asphaltum, Asphaltum punjabianum in Latin, Barahshin, Dorobi, Baraga Shun, Chao-tong, Wu Ling Zhi en Brag-Shun. Shilajit is commonly called Shilajitu in Ayurveda.

Mumijo is a word of Greek origin. The substance is mentioned in the works of Aristotle and Avicenna as a remedy with antiseptic and general stimulant properties used in Caucasus mountains. Most scientists agree that people observed wounded animals frequenting caves with mumijo and so discovered the substance. Similar substances are used for medicinal purposes throughout Tibet.^[1]

History

Shilajit is a substance mainly found in the Altai, Himalaya and Caucasus mountains of Central Asia. The color range varies from a yellowish brown to pitch-black, depending on composition. For use in Ayurvedic medicine the black variant is considered the most potent. Shilajit can and has been described as 'mineral oil', 'stone oil' or 'rock sweat', as it seeps from cracks in mountains due to the warmth of the sun, mostly. There are many local legends and stories about its origin, use and properties, often wildly exaggerating. It should not be confused with Ozokerite, also a humic matter, similar in appearance, but without medical qualities. Quite a few supplement sellers pretend to sell Mumijo, while in fact they are offering the cheap raw Ozokerite, a substance used e.g. in cosmetics.^[7] Genuine Mumijo/Shilajit should melt in the hand and has a disturbing smell of bitumen, whereas Ozokerite melts at 164-169 ºF/73.3-76.1 ºC.

Once cleaned from impurities and extracted, Shilajit is a homogeneous brown-black paste-like substance, with a glossy surface, a peculiar smell and bitter taste. Dry Shilajit density ranges from 1.1 to 1.8 g/cm3. It has a plastic-like behavior, at a temperature lower than 20ºC / 68ºF it will solidify and will get soft when warmed up. It easily dissolves in water without leaving any residue, and it will soften when worked between the fingers. Purified Shilajit has an unlimited shelf life.

It is still unclear whether it has geological or biological origin as it has numerous traces of vitamins and aminoacids. A mumijo-like substance from Antarctica was found to contain glycerol derivatives and was also believed^{[by whom?]} to have medicinal properties.^[8]

Export restriction

The export of this and other Ayurvedic supplements to the West has been restricted recently, due to a reported contamination with heavy metals. ^[9]

Research

In Russia and India Mumijo / Shilajit has been the subject of scientific research since the early '50s. Claims attributed to Shilajit / Mumijo were investigated with scientific methods. So far the following claims were confirmed in laboratory conditions, in general by using mouse models:

• Anti-inflammatory (e.g. arthritis, rheumatism) ^[10]

• Dispels pain ^[10]

• Anti-ulcer ^[11][12]

• Anti-anxiety, anti-stress ^[12][13]

• Smart drug (nootropic effect) ^[14][13]

• Anti-aging (both mental and physical) ^[15][14]

On the territory of the former USSR medical preparations based on Mumijo (Shilajit) are still being sold^[16][17] further developed and investigated.^[18] In India supplements based on Shilajit are also very popular, mainly due to its assumed effect on male impotence en premature ejaculation.

See also

• Mellified Man

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Winston, David; Steven Maimes (2007). Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief. Inner Traditions / Bear & Company. pp. 202–204. http://books.google.com/books?id=7ipNZw0RBdgC&pg=PA202&dq=%22Mumijo%22&hl=en&ei=Yjf0TNBuhrSVB9mOve8M&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CFYQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=%22Mumijo%22&f=false. Retrieved November 29, 2010. 
2. ^ A. Hill, Carol; Paolo Forti (1997). Cave minerals of the world, Volume 2. National Speleological Society. pp. 217–223. http://books.google.com/books?id=UCfwAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Mumijo%22&dq=%22Mumijo%22&hl=en&ei=tjb0TJybO4T6lwf7nNnfDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAg. Retrieved November 29, 2010. 
3. ^ Safe Use of Salajeet During The Pregnancy Of Female Mice
4. ^ Shibnath Ghosal -Chemistry of Shilajit, an immunomodulatory Ayurvedic rasayan [1]
5. ^ Chopra, R N, Chopra I C, Handa K L & Kapur L D. - Chopra’’s Indigenous Drugs of India. [2]
6. ^ David Winston & Steven Maimes. Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief, Healing Arts Press, 2007. ISBN 9781594771583
7. ^ Ozokerite Datasheet
8. ^ PMID 18996940 Mumijo Traditional Medicine: Fossil Deposits from Antarctica (PubMed)
9. ^ Health Canada to Ban Indian Ayurvedic drugs based on controversial JAMA report.[3]
10. ^ ^{a b} Acharya SB, Frotan MH, Goel RK, Tripathi SK, Das PK Pharmacological actions of Shilajit. [4]
11. ^ Goel RK, Banerjee RS, Acharya SB. Anti ulcerogenic and antiinflammatory studies with shilajit. [5]
12. ^ ^{a b} Ghosal S, Singh SK, Kumar Y, Srivatsava R. Antiulcerogenic activity of fulvic acids and 4-metoxy-6- carbomethyl biphenyl isolated from shilajit. [6]
13. ^ ^{a b} Jaiswal AK, Bhattacharya SK. Effects of Shilajit on memory, anxiety and brain monoamines in rats. Indian Journal of Pharmacology [7]
14. ^ ^{a b} Mukherjee, Biswapati. Traditional Medicine, Proceedings of an International Seminar. Nov. 7-9 1992, pg 308-319. Hotel Taj Bengal, Calcutta India. Oxford & IBH Publishing, New Delhi, 1992. ISBN 8120408179
15. ^ Schliebs R, Liebmann A, Bhattacharya SK, Kumar A, Ghosal S, Bigl V. Systemic administration of defined extracts from Withania somnifera (Indian Ginseng) and Shilajit differentially affects cholinergic but not glutamatergic and GABAergic markers in rat brain.[8]
16. ^ Igor Schepetkin, Andrei Khlebnikov,Byoung Se Kwon, Medical drugs from humus matter: Focus on mumijo [9]
17. ^ The antioxidant - genoprotective mechanism of the preparation Mumijo-Vitas [10]
18. ^ Yarovaya, Sofiya Alekseevna - Medical preparations based on Mumijo [11]>

Further reading

  -

• Robert Talbert - SHILAJIT - a materia medica monograph - California College of Ayurveda[12], 2004
• Luke R Bucci -Selected herbals and human exercise performance - The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition [13], 2000
• Hill, Carol A.; Forti, Paolo (1997). Cave minerals of the world. 2 (2nd ed.). National Speleological Society. pp. 223. ISBN 9781879961074. 
• Igor Schepetkin, Andrei Khlebnikov,Byoung Se Kwon, Medical drugs from humus matter: Focus on mumijo [14]
• The antioxidant - genoprotective mechanism of the preparation Mumijo-Vitas [15]
• Frolova, L. N.; Kiseleva, T. L. (1996). "Chemical composition of mumijo and methods for determining its authenticity and quality (a review)". Pharmaceutical Chemistry Journal 30 (8): 543–547. doi:10.1007/BF02334644. 
• Kiseleva, T. L.; Frolova, L. N.; Baratova, L. A.; Yus'kovich, A. K. (1996). "HPLC study of fatty-acid components of dry mumijo extract". Pharmaceutical Chemistry Journal 30 (6): 421–423. doi:10.1007/BF02219332. 
• Frolova, L. N.; Kiseleva, T. L.; Kolkhir, V. K.; Baginskaya, A. I.; Trumpe, T. E. (1998). "Antitoxic properties of standard dry mumijo extract". Pharmaceutical Chemistry Journal 32 (4): 197–199. doi:10.1007/BF02464208. 
• Kiseleva, T. L.; Frolova, L. N.; Baratova, L. A.; Baibakova, G. V.; Ksenofontov, A. L. (1998). "Study of the amino acid fraction of dry mumijo extract". Pharmaceutical Chemistry Journal 32 (2): 103–108. doi:10.1007/BF02464176. 
• Kiseleva, T. L.; Frolova, L. N.; Baratova, L. A.; Ivanova, O. Yu.; Domnina, L. V.; Fetisova, E. K.; Pletyushkina, O. Yu. (1996). "Effect of mumijo on the morphology and directional migration of fibroblastoid and epithelial cellsin vitro". Pharmaceutical Chemistry Journal 30 (5): 337–338. doi:10.1007/BF02333977. 
• Joshi, G. C., K. C. Tiwari, N. K. Pande and G. Pande. 1994. Bryophytes, the source of the origin of Shilajit – a new hypothesis. B.M.E.B.R. 15(1-4): 106-111.
• Ghosal, S., B. Mukherjee and S. K. Bhattacharya. 1995. Ind. Journal of Indg. Med. 17(1): 1-11.
• Ghosal, S., J. P. Reddy and V. K. Lal. 1976. Shilajit I.: chemical constituents. Journ. Pharm. Sci. (USA) 65(5): 772-73.
• Phillips, Paul. On Shilajit on the Internet.
• Faruqi, S.H. 1997, Nature and Origin of Salajit, Hamdard Medicus, Vol XL, April–June, pages 21–30
• Zahler, P and KArin, A, 1998, Origin of the floristic components of Salajit, Hamdard Medicus, Vol XLI, No 2, pages 6–8
• Shafiq M. I. , Nagra S.A., Batool N. "Biochemical and Trace Mineral Analysis of Silajit Samples From Pakistan" Nutritional Sciences Vol. 9, No. 3, (2006)