It is found in specific mountain regions of the world at altitudes between 0.6 and 5 km on the walls of caves, embedded in rocks or as rock exudates and can exceed 500 kg in weight; in Kashmir, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Tibet.

Anti-inflammatory activity – exhibits strong anti-inflammatory effect in all parts of the body; reduces inflammations in arthritis and rheumatism.
Immunomodulatory activity
Anti-bacterial activity – against wide range of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.
Antiviral activity – against Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2, human cytomegalovirus.
Anti-fungal activity – against Candida albicans, Trichophyton spp.
Analgesic activity – shows to decrease pain intensity.
Anti-allergic activity – reduces degranulation of mast cells in the presence of stimuli; participates in modulation of immune responses.
Diuretic activity – removes excess fluid from the body and thus reduces edema (peripheral, pulmonary, cerebral).

Hypolipidemic activity – reduces serum levels of triglycerides and cholesterol; increases HDL.
Anti-diabetic effect – due to its various positive metabolic and immunomodulatory activities.
Anti-anaemic activity – it contains iron and other minerals; studies have shown that long term use does not have any iron toxicity impact on the body; it helps in absorption of iron, making it bioavailable to bone marrow stem cells for blood formation.
Anti-ulcer activity – shows to decrease gastric ulcer index and increases mucus barrier; promotes gastrointestinal mucosa regeneration; reduces pain associated with ulcers; reduces associated fatigue, nausea and lack of appetite.
Cardiovascular protective activity – shows to protect heart from various damaging effects and reduces severity of cardiac lesions; has anti-coagulant activity; shows to be effective in treatment of thrombophlebitis of deep veins in the lower extremities; exhibits protective effect on those with coronary heart diseases and atherosclerosis; stimulates post-infarction myocardium regeneration.
Gastroprotective activity
Osteoprotective activity – nourishes joints and reduces inflammation and pain; shows to inhibit osteoclastogenesis and stimulate osteoblastic differentiation.

Wound healing properties – shows to promote and speed up the healing of fractured bones; clears wounds from pathogenic microorganisms and pus, facilitates the process of wound cleaning from necrotic tissues, and promotes tissue regeneration.
Antioxidant activity – increases activity of endogenic antioxidants; inhibits lipid peroxidation; scavenges free radicals; prevents oxidative stress.
Anti-neoplastic activity – being rich in humic acid, it shows pro-oxidant and cytotoxic effects; it exhibits anti-proliferative action and pro-apoptotic properties against various cancer cell lines.
Adaptogenic activity – gives protection against diverse stressors; enhances physical performance and relieves fatigue; enhances the production of energy (ATP); increases efficiency of the process of oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria; enhances physiological energy status; it actively takes part in the transportation of nutrients into deep tissues and helps to overcome tiredness, lethargy, and chronic fatigue; reduces the recovery period of injured muscles, bones and nervous system; helps to cope with hypoxia-like conditions in the body; enhances oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, improves circulation and its diffusion into the tissue; shows to be highly effective in protecting against high-altitude sickness and its complications.
Effect on skeletal muscles – shows to enhance extracellular matrix related gene expression and thus promotes development, maintenance, regeneration, elasticity and adaptation of skeletal muscles; maintains physiological body glucose metabolism, homeostasis and muscle integrity in skeletal muscle.
Anti-addictive properties – shows to reduce alcohol withdrawal anxiety; promotes reduced ethanol and increased water intake; increases cortico-hippocampal dopamine levels; shows to inhibit tolerance to analgesic effect of morphine.
Anti-aging properties
Aphrodisiac and fertility properties – shows to enhance spermatogenesis, improves sperm quality and increases sperm count; in females shows to have stimulating properties on oocytes and ovulation frequency.
Memory enhancing properties – shows to improve memory and cognitive ability; has nootropic effect.
Neuroprotective activity – as it is rich in fulvic acid it shows to protect against cognitive impairment; inhibits aggregation process of tau protein and is capable of disassembling preformed paired helical filaments, and thus can protect from the development of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease; shows to maintain the required oxygen level in body during hypoxia through increasing blood’s oxygen transfer capacity and improving circulation in tissues; shows neuroprotective effect in post-traumatic brain injuries through decreasing brain edema, blood-brain barrier permeability and intracranial pressure.
Anti-epileptic activity – due to enhancing GABA neurotransmitter system.
Anxiolytic activity

Rejuvenation action:
Supports liver
Balances Wind disorders
Balances combined and mixed elements disorders (Wind, Bile and Phlegm)
Restores physical and mental strength
Enhances longevity
Improves libido and potency
Protects heart and brain
Balances blood sugar levels and gives general support for diabetics
Clears and strengthens the sense organs (particularly the eyes)
Particularly rejuvenative for stomach, liver and kidney

Gastrointestinal system:
Enhances food absorption and regulates the elimination
Relieves abdominal distention and meteorism
Relieves gastritis, enterocolitis and enteritis
Relieves pancreatitis
Heals mouth, throat and gastrointestinal ulcers
Heals anal fissures and haemorrhoids
Supportive treatment for jaundice

Genitourinary system:
Relieves nephritis
Relieves urinary tract infections
Helps to reduce pain and inflammation with passage of stones
Relieves prostatitis

Immune system and detoxification:
Purifies liver and blood
Rejuvenates liver after alcohol injury
Promotes production of “healthy” blood (treats anaemia)
Treats all kinds of fever and infections
Relieves hepatitis
Balances the activity of immune system
Promote healing of wounds, burns, decubitus and fractured bones
Purifies lymph and thus is beneficial for skin and joint disorders
Relieves pain and inflammation of joints
Expels cough and excessive mucus from respiratory tract
Treats asthma and allergies
Improves blood circulation
Helps to neutralize and expel poisons and toxins
Treats migraine headaches
Relieves dizziness and fatigue
Destroys neoplasms

• Evaluation of safety profile of black shilajit after 91 days repeated administration in rats
• Adaptogenic activity of Siotone, a polyherbal formulation of Ayurvedic rasayanas.
• Safety and efficacy of shilajit (mumie, moomiyo).
• The Human Skeletal Muscle Transcriptome in Response to Oral Shilajit Supplementation
• Effect of Withinia Somnifera and Shilajit on Alcohol Addiction in Mice
• Humic acid induces apoptosis in human premyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells.
• In vitro evaluation of the antiviral properties of Shilajit and investigation of its mechanisms of action.
• Mineral pitch induces apoptosis and inhibits proliferation via modulating reactive oxygen species in hepatic cancer cells
• Antiepileptic and antipsychotic activities of standardized Śilājatu (Shilajit) in experimental animals
• The Effects of Shilajit on Brain Edema, Intracranial Pressure and Neurologic Outcomes following the Traumatic Brain Injury in Rat
• Shilajit: A panacea for high-altitude problems
• Antiepileptic and antipsychotic activities of standardized Śilājatu (Shilajit) in experimental animals
• Glycine- and GABA-mimetic Actions of Shilajit on the Substantia Gelatinosa Neurons of the Trigeminal Subnucleus Caudalis in Mice.
• Traditional Chinese and Indian medicine in the treatment of opioid-dependence: a review
• SHILAJIT: EVALUTION OF ITS EFFECTS ON BLOOD CHEMISTRY OF NORMAL HUMAN SUBJECTS
• Mumijo attenuates chemically induced inflammatory pain in mice.
• Antiulcerogenic and antiinflammatory studies with shilajit.
• Shilajit Shilajit is a mixture of minerals used traditionally in Ayurveda, with the main bioactive of Fulvic Acid. It appears to be heralded, but is currently in the preliminary stages of research in the West.
• This page features 17 unique references to scientific papers
• Mineral pitch (Shilajit) used in the Bhutanese form of Sowarigpa Medicine
• Energy and health benefits of Shilajit
• РЕЗУЛЬТАТЫ КЛИНИЧЕСКИХ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ
• Anti-Microbial, Anti-Oxidant and Anti-Ulcerogenic Effects of Shilajit on Gastric Ulcer in Rats