Shilajit Resin Dosage

Shilajit, otherwise known as mumijo, mineral pitch, or mumio, is gaining popularity, especially in the US, with many physicians recommending it for the maintenance of optimum health. Various studies indicate that it is safe in moderate doses when taken daily. You can purchase this tar like goo of a substance in online stores like Amazon, health clinics, and Ayurveda specialty shops all over the world.

Due to its ever-growing popularity, mumijo is in danger of becoming a modern-day snake-oil, cast aside for its over the top, all-encompassing properties. Momio is a wonderful product used for thousands of years, but recent research has yet to fully understand many of its effects on conditions brought about by our ever-changing lifestyles, which it claims to be effective against. It doesn’t help that most studies are purely scientific and no large scale human trials even for safety has been done.

Since mumijo is a dietary supplement, the relaxed regulatory scene makes it easy for anyone to make absurd claims about the substance. This situation also makes it difficult for shilajit to gain legitimacy in the West, even with its hundreds or probably thousands of years of use, as part of the Ayurvedic healing system.

Various sellers have their own recommended dosing, too, which makes things confusing. The form also matters with the dose to achieve the desired effects. With that said, there are a few things common to most shilajit dosages regardless of the for it comes in, This article aims to provide an answer to some of the common questions.

Disclaimer: We highly recommend the resin and nothing else. Brands like Purblack are highly recommend as it is authentic and 100% pure resin. The natural form of mineral pitch is of the resin, not only in its commercial form but in nature as well. Only those sold in the market in this form claims the highest authenticity. Everything else is either an imitation or a fake.

Best Time To Take Shilajit

The manufacturer should be able to provide you with the information for proper dosing and for shilajit dosage times and intake. Purblack, for example, recommends taking a pea-sized amount (250mg – 500mg ) of resin using their patented scale, consumed before breakfast and preferably with an empty stomach.

Most vendors come with a scale to measure a small portion easily. But in case you do not have a scale, scoop a small pea-sized amount with the tip of a butter knife or a teaspoon, to get an approximation of about 200mg to 500mg in dose. The problem with vendors not including a scale with their products (for resin and powder at least) is the potential for not getting the dosage right and worse, wasting much of the product, especially the resin. For Purblack, their scale acts as a resin dissolver, too, so you can be sure that none is lost, just forming that pea-sized ball of resin.  Some companies may recommend a different shilajit dosage time.

If we review shilajit’s historical use, it was usually administered with milk, contrary to current recommendations, that it should be taken sans food. However, early users may have used more per serving back then to offset the effects of food in nutrient absorption. It is also easy to believe that dosing was not a priority back then, and any amount deemed sufficient was used for consumption. Modern tests show therapeutic effects even at dosages as low as 100mg per day, although these tests tend to exclude activity level as a parameter. Most of the studies are purely scientific utilizing animal models too. Thus, it can be gleaned that the physiological parameters are different from human participants.

As a guideline, 250mg to 500mg a day is optimal. For those who are more active and have more body mass, for instance, a higher dose up to 1000mg per day may be recommended. For exercise, shilajit can help utilize and release energy, that is why many feel the surge of energy after using it. Thus, if more active, a higher dose seems logical for better effective utilization of energy.

How To Use Shilajit Capsules

Manufacturers of the capsulized mineral pitch should be able to provide you with the necessary details when it comes to dosage. Each capsule usually contains 250mg to 500mg of “shilajit extract,” while others may offer up to 1000mg per capsule.

The term shilajit extract was used above to describe what is contained in these capsules because it is difficult to place the authentic resin into pills. As such, other forms are used for these forms of shilajit available. It is actually misleading to say “extract” since shilajit is the entire product, in its purified form.

It is challenging to recommend shilajit capsules. These products contain standardized shilajit extracts and bioactives likely sourced from soil sources. Fulvic acid and humic substances, for example, can be sourced from humus, a component of soil you can find just about anywhere. It is highly influenced by the decomposed materials where it is located. As such, you cannot just find these bioactives anywhere and expect it to offer the same potency or efficacy shilajit offers.

It doesn’t help that these capsulized varieties have incredible claims. Boosted 20% and higher standardized fulvic acid content, naming their products as “extra strength formulations”, or “shilajit gold”, and praising the source of the substance whether it is in the Himalayas or in Siberia among other things. None of these mean anything if the the mumijo inside is real or in a quantity enough to produce the health benefits shilajit is known for.

Most of the capsulized shilajit being sold contains little to no shilajit. Capsules are appealing, but it is difficult to believe that all 500mg or content of a pill is all of the substance. That is the problem with these products. If none of these things raise red flags, then the low price should. Real shilajit is very expensive to source and process, which is why legitimate vendors priced their at least $50 or more for a small 20gram – 30-gram jar.

Shilajit resin is the only recommended form that anyone should be consuming. Any other kind can contain additives that may be harmless or potentially dangerous to the body, causing, at the very least allergic reactions.

Quick-release capsules using shilajit liquid forms are not yet typical in this market, but those capsules will have different dosage requirements and potentially offer better efficacy than the powdered variety.

One avid user of the shilajit capsules did a test to see if the ten popular brands selling mineral pitch in capsule actually contain the substance. The test was relatively simple. He took out the content of the pills to see if the content burned up and produced some smoke when a flame was introduced. Real shilajit tends to bubble up and give rise to ash.If it did burn and produce whatever smoke color, then it is not authentic, or contain very little shilajit.

In his testing, 9 out of 10 manufacturers’ products, including presumably shilajit gold, failed the test. In a sense, they all have contents that burned or produced smoke, indicative of inauthenticity, although in varying intensity. It does not necessarily mean then that the nine products supposedly failing the test contained no shilajit at all. It merely means that it contained a minimal amount. Whatever burned or produced smoke are likely fillers.

How Long Should I Take Shilajit?

Mineral pitch can be taken every day and in various dosages safely. Multiple clinical studies on safety reports that it is safe for use daily even at dosage levels well beyond what is usually recommended today. It is not recommended taking a higher dose, especially if you’re using authentic and genuine shilajit resin. Those products are expensive and the reality is, they are rare and scarce in the wild. When taking shilajit, economy should be considered.

Increasing shilajit dosages does not necessarily amplify the effects of momio, even if you use shilajit gold varieties (which does not really mean anything). With imitations (using standardized shilajit extracts and bioactives from soil-humus), proper dosages should be considered to get the desired effects.

You can take shilajit for recreational use or therapeutic use. When used for recreational purposes, cycling might make sense.

Cycling Shilajit Dosage

Cycling is taking breaks from your routine intake. It should be mentioned that there are no clear rule regardings breaks. No scientific study supports that it is more beneficial than taking supplements every day. The point they say about cycling supplements is to make sure that our bodies do not develop a dependency on the substance or for our bodies not to develop the similar effects of that supplement. In a sense,  it helps keep the supplement’s effectiveness. From the perspective of being healthy, it makes sense.

Cycling is predicated on the fact that we do not necessarily need the bioactive compounds to stay healthy. The bioactives can help us maintain good health, but they are not essential to our day to day bodily function.

Cycling and its significance are best explained by Dr. Andrew Weil, who said that herbal supplements are natural drugs and should be considered as such. They are not vitamins or minerals which are not necessary for optimum homeostasis.

With that said, it is a different story when you are using it to provide your body with the necessary nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. Shilajit contains many nutrients and trace elements needed by the body; that is why it can be considered as a vitamin or mineral supplement. If you are using shilajit for this purpose, then it is best not to cycle.

Another thing to bear in mind when it comes to shilajit is the fact that it contains high levels of bioactives considered helpful in healing. For instance, momio from Siberia has been found to be effective in helping the body heal from fractures. If you are using resin to aid your body in healing, then cycling should not be considered.

For boosting a constantly depressed immunity, shilajit from the Himalayas contain high levels of fulvic acid found helpful in boosting immunity. Cycling is also not recommended if used for this purpose.

Shilajit Dosage With Food

According to the Caraka Samhita, a recognized medical record from India dating back thousands of years ago, shilajit was frequently used with other food items. The records provide the appropriate times, and what was best used with it as well.

Sushruta samhita, another Indian medical record dating back thousands of years as well,recommends the gradual intake of the substance to help improve one’s strength and provide one’s skin with a wonderful natural glow. When gradually consumed by an otherwise healthy person, the resin can help give a person with  enormous energy.

Most of these records recommend consuming mineral pitch with food, contrary to what many manufacturers say today. Milk for example is fairly common and is said to help quiet many of the distempers of the body. Tea, Coffee and Honey were all common combinations.  How to take shilajit with milk is fairly simple however, and follows the same rules with honey, tea, and coffee today, which is to add a small pea-sized amount after brewing.

Both medical records claim that mumijo can greatly enhance the effects of certain herbs and drugs. Thus, it was fairly common back then to mix the substance in herbal decoctions before they are administered by a user.

Our recommendation when taking shilajit dosages with food is to make sure that you increase your serving up to the maximum recommended dose per intake so you can  offset any potential food interactions.

How To Store Shilajit

Raw shilajit is wholly exposed in nature for decades, even centuries. As such, it is relatively easy to store. Most sellers of the authentic resin use biophotonic jars like what the company Purblack is using for their Live Resin line. The purpose of using this unique type of glass, also called Miron glass is to keep the resin fresh. The resin will not expire, but legally, manufacturers need to add an expiry date.

You can store the resin in a cool, dark place. You can place it inside the refrigerator. Placing your mineral pitch jar in the fridge, however, will cause the resin to harden and become brittle. It will soften quickly and become pliable once more when you take it out from the cold storage place as authentic resin slowly softens when temperatures change. This is a unique characteristic of the pure resin and should be considered when watching out for fakes. Fakes will not display the same nature.

When left unused, the resin will tend to harden and become brittle. This reaction is natural, especially if stored in a cool, dry place. To soften the resin, add a few drops of distilled water and let it sit for a while. It should soften and be easier to scoop out of the jar.

Powders and tinctures, tablets, or capsules may have different requirements for storage since they all contain additives and fillers, which will also expire in due time.

Following the recommendations above should help you know how much mineral pitch to take to receive much of its health benefits. Your activity level, age and weight can all play a role on the dose, as well as the other factors like diseases and conditions you might have. The kind of mumio you have also has a bearing on how much you need to take. For your own safety and peace of mind, we highly suggest procuring  shilajit that is certified for authenticity like Purblack. Avoid going for products with outrageous standardized extracts and special mentions of metals like gold, silver in the labels. Avoid shilajit that makes too many mentions about where it comes, or if the price is low or heavily discounted.