Shilajit for Digestion

by Vorst Canada January 16, 2023

Disclaimer: This content has been produced purely for informational and educational purposes only and is never intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical guidelines including diagnosis, advice, and treatment.

Healthy digestion is important for human health because it impacts all bodily functions. Shilajit has a long history of traditional use to prevent and treat a wide range of health problems. But is there any benefit of taking shilajit for digestion? Let’s try to explore it together.

In this article, we’ll explore whether there are any beneficial effects of shilajit for digestion according to both traditional uses and research findings. But before we get into how shilajit can help in digestion, first, we’ll need to learn why healthy digestion is essential for human health. So, let’s get started.

Why healthy digestion is a must for human health
What is shilajit?
Potential benefits of taking shilajit for digestion
How to use shilajit
Precautions and side effects
Final words

Why healthy digestion is a must for human health

Before we get into an in-depth discussion about the benefits of shilajit for digestion and its associated conditions, it’s important to know why it’s essential to have a healthy digestive and gastrointestinal tract in order to promote health and overall well-being.

The digestive system consists of various organs including the stomach, liver, gall bladder, and pancreas as well as others. The healthy bacteria that reside in the gastrointestinal tract are called gut microbiomes or flora. The function of digestion is carried out by these gut flora with the assistance of digestive organs, nerves, and hormones.

Digestion has a direct impact on nearly every bodily system including the immune system that protects the body from infections and diseases, the metabolism that produces energy, and also the hair and skin health. Poor digestion could lead to poor absorption of essential nutrients from the foods which may result in malnutrition and an increased risk of serious health problems.

What is shilajit?

Shilajit is a naturally occurring resin rarely found in high-altitude rocks of mountainous regions. Although shilajit is found in several mountainous regions in the world, including the Altai mountains, Tibet mountains, Gilgit Baltistan (Pakistan), and Caucasus mountains, it’s most prevalent in the mountainous ranges of the Himalayas.

Shilajit is historically known to increase energy levels and sexual stamina for thousands of years. It contains significant amounts of organic plant compounds, humus, fulvic acid, and more than 80 essential minerals including iron, zinc, copper, silver, lead, and many more.

The use of shilajit for digestion along with numerous other health conditions in several systems of traditional medicine such as Indian traditional medicine, also known as Ayurveda, is as old as human civilization. In recent days, shilajit is widely available in various forms of dietary supplements including powders, pills, capsules, and liquids.

Potential benefits of taking shilajit for digestion

Shilajit aids digestion in many different ways ranging from improving the function of digestion to protecting from digestive disorders. Let’s take a look at some of the common ways how shilajit can help with digestion:

Mucus barrier - in the stomach, shilajit has been found to be effective to augment the mucus barrier, which in turn, eases the digestion process, making it quicker and smoother.

Nutrient absorption - in the process of digestion, foods are broken down into smaller usable forms and nutrients get absorbed in the body. Improper absorption of nutrients may lead to toxins accumulation that may cause various health problems such as acidity, diarrhea, constipation, and more. Shilajit enables the digestive tract to better absorb nutrients and helps prevent these problems.

Detoxification - shilajit has been shown to have noticeable antioxidant effects on the body that can help detoxify the digestive system by neutralizing and cleaning free radicals and toxins out from the body.

Digestive disorders - shilajit has been found to produce positive effects in the prevention and management of various digestive disorders including indigestion, hyperacidity, and constipation, as well as others. It has significant anti-ulcerogenic properties that can help reduce the chances of stomach ulcers. Shilajit helps reduce the production of pepsin and acid secretion that in turn, can lower the chances of peptic ulcers.

These are only a few of the diverse benefits of shilajit for digestion and there are more. However, researchers are still working in order to understand its full potential, these are some of the proven benefits of shilajit what we know so far.

How to use shilajit

The exact recommended dose of shilajit for digestion widely varies depending on the individual physical condition and age. However, a dose range of 300 mg to 500 mg per day has most often been used in general. Moreover, shilajit is mostly recommended to take with lukewarm milk. The duration of administration is also important in the use of shilajit as well.

Therefore, it’s always better to consult with a qualified ayurvedic doctor or naturopath to determine the exact dose and duration of administration prior to taking shilajit.

Precautions and side effects

Shilajit is generally considered safe and well-tolerable for most people in recommended doses. It’s a natural substance formed in the rocks and may be contaminated with heavy metals, toxins, and fungi as well as other contaminations. So, shilajit is consumable only in its processed form.

Shilajit is rich in iron ions which is why people with thalassemia and sickle cell anemia should not consume it. Higher doses may increase the risk of iron overload in the body called hemochromatosis. Therefore, it’s always essential to consult with a qualified ayurvedic doctor or naturopath so that he or she can check whether shilajit is right for you.

Final words

Shilajit is an ancient panacea that is best known for increasing energy levels and sexual stamina for thousands of years. There are several benefits of taking shilajit for digestion that can range from improving the digestion process to preventing various digestive disorders including stomach ulcers, constipation, and acidity. However, it’s essential to consult with a qualified ayurvedic doctor to determine the exact safe dose of shilajit for digestion.

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