AshuSood

Mumijo and Shilajit appear to be the same thing, with only small differences in composition, depending on the location where it is found. Some Shilajit has a large quantity of calcium, whereas other types are rich in iron. The mumijo derived from the Altay region, appears to be very reliable. It is mostly found in caves, where it has formed large stalactites over the years, hanging from the ceiling. Unsoiled by birds and vegetation.

I want to share this video showing the sourcing of Shilajit in the Himalayan mountains. I hope I am using the correct way ? [Editor's note: To put videos just place the ordinary link in the message and it will automatically be embedded.]

I am AshuSood. I do not know if I am allowed to share the source of my Shilajit on this forum; if I am correct the moderators are very strict to protect us from spam. Which is good, of course. I have used this Shilajit for 2 years now, with occasional breaks, as recommended by the seller (Oriveda). The Oriveda Shilajit I use is a purified paste, which has to be diluted with some boiled water in a ratio of 30/70 (70 being the water). If these preparation guidelines are observed properly, the Shilajit will have an unlimited shelf life. And it does! 50 grams is enough for a year of use, including the breaks I mentioned. I once purchased from an American source named "purblack" which seemed to be similar. However, it soon developed mould even when kept in the refrigerator. My conclusion was that this product was impure and contaminated with fungal spores. Best avoided. What I liked about the Oriveda Shilajit is not only the quality of the product but on top of that the remarkable repository of scientific articles they are offering to their customers, which enables them to make a well-balanced purchase decision. I hope this was useful.

It cannot be used for weight loss an sich. It might increase your metabolic rate so you 'burn' your food more efficient (which can indeed result in some weight loss). The only thing that works for weight loss is to eat healthy (little sugar and fat) and exercise. There are no short cuts. Shilajit is an adaptogen, it will help your body to adapt to non-specific external 'stressors', thus keeping you healthy and in good shape. If I can make a suggestion, it would be to stay away from the commercialized pharmaceutical products that are marketed as Shilajit and put a lot of emphasis on its potential aphrodisiac qualities. If that is your main goal, you might be better off with a Cordyceps sinensis extract. Google 'oriveda cordyceps_details' for a great overview of its powers and limitations.

Yes and I can only advise against it. It is promoting itself with '60% of fulvic acid'. IMO, this shows that: a]-> it is a pharmaceutical product, standardized. Shilajit is a natural organic product and the chemical composition will vary from one batch to another. b]-> all this talk about 'fulvic acid' is a current internet hype fueled by some health gurus with commercial motives. Fulvic acid is not a chemical component, but basically a fertilizer that can be bought in gardening centers for virtually nothing. You do not need Shilajit for that. Shilajit will provide a balanced composition of trace minerals and organic acids that can help you cope with everyday challenges - it is an adaptogen (from 'to adapt') not some body building tool.

I am sorry to be the one to tell you, but you have been misled, most likely by some vague internet source. Chaga has never been mentioned in the 'Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing', this is a story made up up by MLM sellers that try to make money. If you are interested in all the facts (not the hype) about Chaga I can recommend an excellent and informative blog post to you. I cannot post links here for some reason, but googling 'wordpress chaga-the-facts' will probably give you what you are after. As for the TCM properties of Shilajit, I think Googling will find you several sources. Wikipedia also has an informative page, with several links to resource articles.

I have used with great success purified Shilajit that originates from Altai mountains (it is called Mumijo locally, Russian name for Shilajit) and is sold in small bricks of 25 - 50 grams. It is pure black, and has the specific smell of bitumen mixed with very dark chocolate. The taste is very bitter. It gets soft in the hand and hardens when temperature drops below 20ºC. When softened one can draw a very long thread from it, it will not break. The seller recommends not to warm it more than 38ºC as it will lose a lot of its qualities. It should not be processed with metal tools or in metal plates/bowls and the like. It is sold together with a 5 page recipe folder listing many remedies to be fought with Shilajit / Mumijo. The proof of the pudding is in the eating has been said, and having tried this Shilajit I can confirm it does what is told about it. I first experienced a detoxing process, which made me doubt the quality as I felt not too good, but once I realized what was going on I relaxed and after a few days I could feel vitality as I never felt before! I have the habit of working out in the gym and I had stopped doing so for two months. When I started my exercises again, I was surprised: no muscle ache which one expects to feel after two idle months, and more endurance than ever before ! I can only contribute this to the Shilajit! I took half a gram daily with water (the seller gives the traditional water solution method of 30% shilajit and 70% distilled water, the shelf life is unlimited and it is easy to consume, but I like to experiment). The seller is active at this website for those interested. I can recommend this source full heartedly ! I had tried tablets and capsules before but they were disappointing. My assumption is that the processing involved in tablet-making or producing powders destroys many powerful components in the Shilajit (assuming it really is Shilajit they are using). I do not like Dabur, i.p. since they started broadcasting the commercials emphasizing the aphrodisiac powers of Shilajit with half naked ladies and such - I find this to be in very poor taste. The addition of lead to Shilajit tablets had them banned in Canada, recently.