A boost of energy is exactly what most people are looking for when they take a supplement. Modern lifestyles often leave us feeling drained; juggling work, gym, social life, and family. And then you see those flashy ads showing people running faster, lifting heavier, or just feeling unstoppable after taking a supplement. You hear guys at the gym talking about how certain products improve their stamina, and even health consultants or women take them for bone health and overall vitality.
So it’s no surprise that people pick up supplements like Shilajit. And yes, when taken in a good, pure form, many do experience the energy boost and vitality that ads promise.
But here’s the catch: Shilajit is not an ordinary supplement. It’s a powerful Ayurvedic medicine i.e a Rasayana and taking it casually, without understanding how it works, can be risky. Modern marketing often ignores important factors: purity, dosage, proper vehicle (Anupana), and individual health conditions.
What Shilajit Really Is
Shilajit is a sticky resin that seeps out of mountain rocks, especially in the Himalayas, during hot weather. Ayurveda says it contains the essence of minerals like gold, silver, copper, and iron.
Its classical properties are:
- Taste (Rasa): Bitter and pungent
- Potency (Virya): Not too hot neither too cold
- Dosha effect: Reduces Kapha and Vata, improves digestion of toxins
- Actions: Rejuvenator, strengthening, fat-reducing, scraping action (clears blockages), and a Yogavahi (catalyst which carries other medicines deeper)
That means it not only builds strength, but also helps remove blockages and toxins when used correctly.
In What Conditions Does Ayurveda Use It?
- The body needs rejuvenation in ageing or weakness, mostly should be taken after Shodhana for Rasayana purposes.
- Classics mention its use in: Diabetes and urinary disorders, Kidney stones and painful urination, wasting diseases, Respiratory issues like asthma, anemia and weakness, Skin disorders, swelling, and edema, Memory and mental disorders, mostly in combination with other drugs.
- In fact, Charaka even says there is no incurable disease that Shilajit cannot help with, provided it is purified and taken in the right way.
- For healthy people, when taken properly, it can improve strength, memory, and longevity.
- It should be taken only after purification and under the guidance of a physician.
The Big Problem Today: Impure and Adulterated Shilajit
Here’s the uncomfortable truth, what you often get in the market is impure Shilajit.
Many a times one goes on a trip to the Himalayas and you find people that sell Shilajit and claim to have collected the Shilajit themselves.
Raw Shilajit naturally contains soil, stones, plant debris, and even harmful heavy metals. Without purification (Shodhana), it can harm the liver, kidneys, and digestion.
Signs of Pure Shilajit:
- It does not release smoke on fire
- It dissolves in water leaving thread-like strands
- It is purified through repeated washing, boiling, and filtering
Most products sold online or in stores skip this purification. Worse, some are adulterated with tar or asphalt to mimic its appearance. This is why many people who buy Shilajit casually may end up taking more harm than benefit.
How Should Shilajit Be Taken?
Ayurveda never recommends just “swallowing” Shilajit. It is always combined with suitable Anupana (vehicle) according to the person’s condition:
Milk: For rejuvenation, strength, and vitality
Buttermilk: For digestion and Kapha disorders
Moong soup: For Kapha-Pitta balance
Meat soup: In wasting disorders
Herbal decoctions or Gomutra: For specific conditions
It is taken in small amounts, usually for 7 days, 21 days, or 49 days depending on need and not as a daily “forever supplement” like ads suggest.
Precautions and Diet Rules (Apathya)
- Strictly avoid horse gram (Kulthi): it cancels Shilajit’s effect. (In fact, stonemasons even use horse gram water to break rocks, imagine what it would do to a medicine that itself is a rock exudate!)
- Avoid shellfish meat and very heavy, oily, or spicy food (something everyone does, which can aggravate Pitta dosha)
- Do not take it in conditions of weakness from undernourishment unless combined with milk and sugar.
- Overuse can lead to Vata increase, weight loss, and leanness.
The Truth vs. The Ads
Ads tell you Shilajit is only about “male performance” or “instant power.” But Ayurveda paints a bigger picture:
It is a Rasayana i.e helps in ageing, memory, immunity, and strength
It is a medicine for chronic, stubborn diseases
It requires purification, dosage, and diet rules , not casual self-use
So yes, Shilajit can give energy, strength, and health. But only if you use it in its pure form, under guidance, and with respect for the classical rules.
The Takeaway
Shilajit can give you the energy, vitality, and strength modern ads promise, but only if used correctly, safely, and with guidance. You may feel good after taking it for some time, but it is not a casual supplement; it is a powerful Ayurvedic medicine with specific rules for purification, dosage, and administration. If you don’t follow these rules there could be more harm than good as it could affect with your digestion, increase vata related problems.
So before you grab it because of flashy ads or gym talk, remember: knowledge and caution make the difference between benefit and harm.