Ayurveda, an ancient Indian medicinal system, spans thousands of years, and shilajit is one of the many herbal and mineral blends mentioned in its texts. Traditionally, shilajit has been used to address a variety of health issues. According to the Sushrut Samhita, during the intense heat of May and June, the sap or latex from plants oozes out as a sticky secretion from mountain rocks. It appears that the West is now focusing on what has been known in India for centuries.
An Australian company’s offering of Himalayan shilajit for Rs 3,700 per 15 grams has caught the attention of Indian Instagram users. Himalayan Power Shilajit, an Australian firm, has gained popularity for bottling and selling this resin. The company sources premium resin from Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, which is then filtered and purified to remove dust and heavy metals.
According to an Instagram reel by Himalayan Power Shilajit, the product contains 87 of the 102 essential nutrients for human health. The company claims that consuming it for a week can notably enhance metabolism, reduce stress and anxiety, and lower cortisol levels.
View this post on Instagram
In the comments, users reacted with:
– “Omg the west found Shilajit.”
– “Indians have been having this since centuries.”
– “Western people act like they discovered something new which Indians have known for so long.”
Shilajit is a blackish-brown powder or exudate derived from high mountain rocks. It is primarily found in the Himalayas between India and Nepal but is also present in Afghanistan, Tibet, Russia, and recently, northern Chile.
Three main theories explain the formation of shilajit:
1. The biological theory suggests it results from the conversion of dead plant and animal matter under specific conditions.
2. The geological theory views it as a byproduct of geological processes.
3. The bio-mineralogical theory posits that shilajit is a tertiary product formed from mineral components that migrate from various sources, such as mechanical contamination of a liquid shilajit precursor.