Supplement Godfather

What Is Shilajit?
Shilajit has its roots in Ayurvedic medicine and is still prescribed today by Ayurvedic physicians as a remedy and rejuvenator for the treatment of many different chronic conditions and diseases. Unlike many other Ayurvedic medicines, shilajit doesn’t come from a plant but, rather, comes from the earth. Shilajit is a pale brown to black brown sediment that oozes out of sedimentary rock found in the Himalayas at high altitudes, particularly during peak summer months. Often described traditionally as “sweat of mountains,” “mountain blood,” or “rock juice” by indigenous peoples, shilajit’s rich combination of humus, minerals, microbial metabolites, and organic and non-organic substances constitutes a number of active compounds! Shilajit has been analyzed to contain upwards of 85 or more different active compounds such as antioxidants, peptides, aminos, lipids, and carrier molecules, just to name a few. But perhaps its most valuable active compounds are fulvic acid and dibenzo-a-pyrones (DBPs).

How Does Shilajit Work?
Shilajit’s two most active compounds—fulvic acids and DBPs—are responsible for its adaptogenic and energizing properties. Most supplements of shilajit are standardized to provide a high dose of fulvic acids and DBPs, but some variability will exist due to the natural elements of this compound.

Fulvic acids primarily work as strong antioxidants that provide internal protection in the body right down to the cellular level. Most notably, fulvic acids protect the mitochondria (energy generating cells) against oxidation. Fulvic acids can also increase the activity of other antioxidants in the body, including co-enzyme Q10.
Why is this important? By providing our mitochondria with protection, it allows them to generate more energy for longer. The mitochondria’s main role in the body is to generate ATP, our main source of energy, through the process of the electron transport chain at the mitochondrial matrix. Fulvic acids can shuttle nutrients and electrons to the mitochondrial matrix for use in the energy generation cycle. Increasing the availability of electrons to the electron transport chain allows for greater generation of ATP. DBPs augment one of the main complexes in the electron transport chain CoQ10, keeping it in its active state and allowing for faster and greater production of electrons, also increasing the production of ATP.

Fatigue Resister
By increasing the availability of energy in the body, it provides protection against fatigue during exercise. When you work out, the muscles use ATP to power through lifts and go the distance. But the body’s supply of ATP is actually expended quickly. In fact, we only have about 8 to 10 seconds worth of ATP, generated by the phosphagen system, before it switches to anaerobic or aerobic systems. Shilajit has been shown in a clinical trial to increase the availability of electrons to the mitochondria, to feed the electron transport chain, allowing for more production and availability of ATP. With more ATP available, that means you can go longer and harder! One study showed that healthy young male subjects taking a patented shilajit (PRIMAVIE®) experienced a decrease in fatigue as well as enhanced energy and endurance, compared to those taking a placebo.

Testosterone Booster
Traditionally, shilajit has been used as an aphrodisiac and for the management of male reproductive disorders, including infertility. In one study, infertile men who received a standardized shilajit of 100 milligrams for 90 days experienced significant improvement in spermia (38 percent), total sperm count (61 percent), sperm motility, sperm count (19 percent), along with a decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker for oxidative stress. What’s even more impressive is that free testosterone increased by 24 percent along with an increase in follicle-stimulating hormone levels of 9 percent.

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