Mumijo

Shilajit (; , 'conqueror of the rocks'), salajeet (), mumijo or mumlayi or mumie is an organic-mineral product of predominantly biological origin, formed at high altitudes of stony mountains, in sheltered crevices and caves.

A blackish-brown powder or an exudate emerging between high mountain rocks, often found in the Himalayas, the Pamir Mountains, Afghanistan, (primarily in Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan), Karakoram, India, Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, the Caucasus Mountains within southern Russia, Altai, Central Asia, Iran and Mongolia. The peoples of the East used shilajit in folk and non-traditional (alternative) medicine (Ayurveda, Chinese, Tibetan). Shilajit is sold both in dry extract form and in dietary supplements, but there is limited evidence that shilajit has any beneficial effects on human health. It has been found in studies to contain hazardous heavy metals, including lead.

History

Since ancient times, shilajit has been a folk medicine in Afghanistan, India, Iran, China, Pakistan, Nepal, Central Asia and Tibet. Shilajit has been used as a folk medicine and in alternative medicine for more than four thousand years. The healing effects of shilajit for different diseases are mentioned in the works of Aristotle, Razi, Biruni, Ibn Sina and others.

D'Herbelot, in his 1821 publication, stated that the Persians used the substance called ''mumiay'', or ''mummy'', as a potent cure-all to address broken bones and disease.

Distribution

Deposits of shilajit are found in many mountainous regions of the world. Research by the Central State Geographical Exploration Center "Tsentrquartz Gems" has shown that deposits of shilajit, despite the wide geography of their location, are very rare, and the reserves of raw materials in them are limited. It is found in calcareous, metamorphic rock, and sedimentary rocks (from Proterozoic to Quaternary) in Central Asia, Tuva, at the Lake Baikal, in the Caucasus and other regions. It is more often found in the Himalayas, Tibetan Plateau, mountains of the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Mongolia, Myanmar.

The substance is known by different names, including ''Salajeet'' (Urdu: سلاجیت) in Pakistan, ''μούμια'' (in Greek), ''mumiyo'' or ''mumie'' (Russian: Мумиё), ''brag-shun'' or ''barakhshin'' ("oil of the mountains" in Mongolia and southern Russian Siberian regions near the Sayan Mountains such as Khakassia and Buryatia), ''rock sap'' or ''rock juice'' (in Tibet, Central Asia, Himalaya, Pamir and Altai), ''asphalt'', ''mineral pitch'', '' Jew's pitch'', ''slag'' or ''mineral wax'' (in English), ''silajita'' or ''silajatu'' (in Bengali), hajarul-Musa or ''araq-al-jibal'' (in Arabic), ''myemu'', ''moomiaii'' or ''mumnaei'' (in Persian), ''Mumie'' (in German), ''kao-tun'' ("blood of the mountain" in Myanmar) and "blessing of nature" (Nepal).

Formation

It has also been believed that it is formed as a result of the decomposition of oil rocks by microorganisms. Outdated analysis from the 1970s claimed the chemical composition of organic part of the extract (about 50% carbon and 10% hydrogen) proved the oil origin hypothesis, but according to more recent analysis, shilajit is of plant origin: It is most likely produced by very slow decomposition of plant matter. Some researchers hypothesize that shilajit is produced by the decomposition or humification of latex and resin-bearing plant material from species such as '' Euphorbia royleana'' and '' Trifolium repens'' over a period of centuries.

Composition

Although shilajit is sometimes referred to as a mineral tar or resin, it is neither. It is a highly viscous substance like a tar or resin, that is very dark brown or black in color, but unlike these is readily soluble in water but insoluble in ethanol. It contains more than 20 elements, including calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron, chromium, and lead. It also contains solid paraffin hydrocarbons, proteins, carbohydrates, amino acids, fatty acids, and alcohols. The mineral content is 15–20%, along with trace elements, including selenium.

Shilajit is composed of 60–80% humic substances, such as humic and fulvic acids.

Studied by analytical methods, shilajit samples from the Himalayas (5.1 kDa), Altai (8 kDa), Tian Shan (7.5 kDa), Dzungarian (9.0 kDa), demonstrated that it consists of two principal components: the high-molecular part is fulvic nature of sample as typical peat fulvic acids (sample from Sakhtysh Lake, Russia), and the low-molecular part represents a range of vegetative and animal metabolites such as methyldiaminocyclohexane, shikimic acid, hippuric acid, quinic acid, hydroxyhippuric acid, and methyldiaminocyclohexane dimer.

Purification process

Shilajit, in its raw form, is a viscous, tar-like substance that requires processing to remove impurities and ensure safety for consumption. The traditional purification process involves four key steps: extraction, filtration, purification, and dehydration.

*Extraction: Shilajit is harvested from high-altitude rock crevices and caves in regions like the Himalayas and Altai Mountains. Collectors scrape the exudate from rocks, typically during warmer months when it is softer.
*Filtration: Raw shilajit is dissolved in water to separate insoluble impurities, such as rock fragments and plant debris. The solution is filtered through fine cloth or sieves to yield a cleaner liquid.
*Purification: The filtered liquid is further processed to remove contaminants, including potential heavy metals. Traditional methods may involve boiling or mixing with herbal extracts, while modern approaches use laboratory techniques to ensure safety. Authenticity checks, such as verifying solubility and consistency, are crucial to ensure the shilajit is genuine and free from adulterants.
*Dehydration: The purified solution is spread thinly and dried under sunlight or controlled heat to remove moisture, resulting in a solid, blackish-brown resin or powder suitable for use in traditional medicine or supplements.

Purification is critical to address safety concerns, as raw shilajit may contain hazardous heavy metals like lead.

Research

There is a lack of evidence that shilajit is bioactive; its claimed antioxidant and immuno-modulatory effects lack scientific validation.

A 2024 systematic review found that purified Shilajit extract (PrimaVie) may have efficacy in increasing testosterone levels in men with late-onset hypogonadism.

Varieties

The composition varies by location and appearance:

* Coprolitic (mumiyo-saladji, Pamir and Altai mumiyo, mumiyo-asil, etc.) are semi-fossilized phyto- and zooorganic remains of animal feces mixed with fragments and grus of rocks and soil formations. The content of extractive substances in coprolite shilajit ranges from 10 to 30% or more.

* Shilajit-bearing breccias are large-clastic rocks (more often, fissured limestones) cemented by shilajit-bearing clay mass. The content of extractive substances is 0.5–5.0%.

* Evaporite shilajit occurs in formations of streaks, icicles and shiny black or gray dull, thin films that stain the roofs and walls of caves, niches, grottoes and other large cavities. Its extraction is difficult.

Shilajit is sold in different colors and grades according to the type of metal powders that are supposedly added: red (''sauvarna shilajit'') with gold, white (''rajat shilajit'') with silver, blue (''tamra, with copper shilajit'') and iron-containing black ''(lauha shilajit shilajit).'' Of these, black shilajit containing gold is the rarest and is considered to have the best curative effect. In nature, shilajit containing iron is used most in traditional medicine.

Mumioids are a group of natural formations resembling shilajit in appearance. The group includes ozokerite, saltpeter, fossilized vegetable resins and gums, mountain wax, white, stone and mountain oils, Antarctic shilajit, lofor, or aqua bitum.

See also

* balsam
* bitumen of Judea
* creosote
* elaterite
* mummia
* ozokerite
* propolis
* resin
* wax

References

{{Wiktionary, shilajit, position=left
Ayurvedic medicaments
Sowa Rigpa medicaments