Shilajit

[Guest guest]

Dear Vaidyas,

Some advice on Kidney problems. I have had a few patients who I have

wanted to prescribe Shilajit, but because their childhood history

showing that they have had kidney problems such as glomerular problems

etc I have prescribed Punarnava instead, as the kidneys would not have

the problems of dealing with the mineral pitch.

Am I correct in this approach?

Also as there is often Shilajit in Chavanaprash - is it okay to still

prescribe it for patients who have kidney problems.

Many thanks

Ray

[Guest guest]

ayurveda, "raynoronha" <raynoronha

wrote:

I have had a few patients who I have

> wanted to prescribe Shilajit, but because their childhood history

> showing that they have had kidney problems such as glomerular

problems

> etc I have prescribed Punarnava instead, as the kidneys would not

have

> the problems of dealing with the mineral pitch.

> Am I correct in this approach?

> Also as there is often Shilajit in Chavanaprash - is it okay to

still

> prescribe it for patients who have kidney problems.

 

 

Instead of Shilajit alone, Shilajit Rasayana or Shilajitwadi Vati or

Chandraprabha Vati (all three contain Shilajit) have been used by

this author for patients with nephritis, renal failure, but along

with Panch Gavya medicine Punarnavadi Arka. and sometimes with

Punarnavadi Guggulu. Goxuradi guggulu also useful.

 

When shilajit is taken with other herbs, as described in

 

http://health.ayurveda/1038

 

no problems whatsoever were encountered. The approach, along with

PanchGavya meds, corrects renal failure to the extent that per day

urine out put increases from 250 ml to nearly 1200 ml in a matter of

about 9 months. Shilajit Rasayana, along with Prostate enlargement or

BPH, also useful in Kidney stones, but in that case it should be

given with herbs especially useful for stones.

 

Since so many varieties of Chyvan Prash are available these days with

so many additions, difficult to comment on Chyvanprash.

 

Dr Bhate

[Guest guest]

the term "mineral pitch" is a misnomer - shilajit (in hindi, or

"shilajatu" in sanskrit) has nothing to do with oil or coal - recent

research suggests that it is a complex of organic compound derived

from the humification of latex containing plants - this means its a

renewable resource that is constantly being produced, although we

don't know how long it takes for this process to happen - certainly

its not over night, but its not 200 million years old that's for sure

 

i think shilajatu is perfectly indicated in kidney/urinary issues,

including glomerular nephropathies, but of course such pathologies

usually owe their origin to some kind of immunological cross

tolerance, e.g. glomerular IgA deposits concurrent with a gliadin

(gluten) allergy - with no disrespect intended to dr. bhate, the

evidence for this kind of pathology is overwhelming, with certain

racial/genetic groups having a greater susceptibility (e.g. northern

europeans, first nations/aboriginals)

 

the thing to note about shilajit is that it may toxic prior to

processing, containing all kinds of impurities like carcinogenic

mycotoxins and thus needs to be properly processed, usually involving

maceration in herbal decoctions such as triphala, and then separated

out and dried in the sun - research has also validated the tradition

in ayurveda of classifying the kind of shilajatu based on color (e.g.

lauha, tamra, rajata) or where it was harvested from (e.g. himalayas,

caucus, urals, pamir etc), to distinguish the properties and

qualities of shilajatu

 

i am not sure about the quality of shilajit in india, but i have

contacted the most high profile ayurvedic company in the US and asked

them several times about where they get their shilajit, what kind it

is, and how they purify it - so far i haven't been able to talk to

anyone in the company that appears to understand what i'm asking for,

which is kind of worrisome considering the level of expertise that

this company is supposed to represent in the US

 

as a result, i am very cautious about recommending shilajit

i encourage folks to write in with their responses on this issue, and

if they know, list the companies that observe these important criteria

 

best... todd caldecott

 

 

> I have had a few patients who I have wanted to prescribe Shilajit,

> but because their childhood history showing that they have had

> kidney problems such as glomerular problems etc I have prescribed

> Punarnava instead, as the kidneys would not have the problems of

> dealing with the mineral pitch. Am I correct in this approach?

[Guest guest]

In india, most all of the Shilajit comes from the Himalayas. Places like

Haridwar/etc have small local tribals and cottage industries that have known

these arts for centuries and still pursue the cleansing process of raw shilajit

in its true form. Even now, some may consider these products expensive, though

allopathy medicine tends to be a lot more pricey. So you may find some

qualities not as great as others, but for the right price you will get what you

want easily even today. My mother usually brings several small-bottles of

shilajit for use in maintenance and preventive health maint, destressing etc..

and uses them in very minor quantities that some of her small 6-8 gram bottles

will last a few years.

Caldecott <todd wrote: the term "mineral pitch" is a

misnomer - shilajit (in hindi, or

"shilajatu" in sanskrit) has nothing to do with oil or coal - recent

research suggests that it is a complex of organic compound derived

from the humification of latex containing plants - this means its a

renewable resource that is constantly being produced, although we

don't know how long it takes for this process to happen - certainly

its not over night, but its not 200 million years old that's for sure

[Guest guest]

hi ray

 

as i mentioned in my previous post, an elimination diet to remove

antigenic foods is an important strategy in the immune-mediated

glomerular nephropathies, apart from a thorough review of the drug

history (e.g. NSAIDs, heroin)

 

here are some studies to review:

 

1: Am J Nephrol. 1999;19(4):453-8.

 

IgA-antigliadin antibodies in patients with IgA nephropathy: the

secondary phenomenon?

 

Ots M, Uibo O, Metskula K, Uibo R, Salupere V.

 

Department of Internal Medicine, Renal Division, University of Tartu,

Estonia. maio

 

Circulating IgA-antigliadin antibodies (IgA-AGA) are often found in

patients with IgA nephropathy (NP). IgA-AGA are sensitive markers of

an abnormal immune system reaction to gluten, seen particularly in

patients with celiac disease. However, a lack of IgA-antireticulin

and IgA-antiendomysium antibodies and often jejunal mucosal atrophy

of patients with IgA NP suggest that most patients do not have latent

celiac disease. To examine the relationship between IgA-AGA and

clinical data, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for IgA-AGA were

performed in 28 patients with IgA NP and in 50 healthy persons. The

results were calculated in arbitrary units (AU). The cutoff level for

a negative or a positive test was found to be 60 AU, calculated

according to the AGA test result (mean + 3 SD) in 50 healthy persons.

The following clinical data were assessed: age, gender, disease

duration, daily proteinuria, blood pressure, serum creatinine, and

creatinine clearance. Control sera were negative for IgA-AGA.

Positive IgA-AGA tests were observed in 14 of the 28 patients (p <

0.0001 vs. controls) and high levels of IgA-AGA (AU >90) in 6 of the

28 patients (p < 0.001 vs. controls). The mean duration of the

disease of the patients with positive IgA-AGA was significantly

longer as compared with the patients who had a negative antibody

test. IgA-AGA correlated with age (p < 0.05, r = 0. 56), disease

duration (p < 0.05, r = 0.40), and blood pressure (p < 0.05, r =

0.48). Antireticulin and antiendomysium antibody tests were negative

in all patient and control sera. We conclude that IgA-AGA are

associated with the progression of IgA NP. Our findings support the

current concept about the pathogenesis of IgA NP, where the defective

IgA production itself may be the primary and intestinal lesions as

well as the production of IgA-AGA the secondary phenomenon.

 

2: World J Gastroenterol. 2003 Jun;9(6):1377-80.

 

Multiple immune disorders in unrecognized celiac disease: a case report.

 

La Villa G, Pantaleo P, Tarquini R, Cirami L, Perfetto F, Mancuso F,

Laffi G.

 

Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Universita degli Studi di Firenze,

Firenze, Italy.

 

We reported a female patient with unrecognized celiac disease and

multiple extra intestinal manifestations, mainly related to a

deranged immune function, including macroamilasemia, macrolipasemia,

IgA nephropathy, thyroiditis, and anti-b2-glicoprotein-1 antibodies,

that disappeared or improved after the implementation of a gluten-

free diet.

 

3: Nephrol Dial Transplant. 1993;8(12):1382-3.

 

A case of IgA nephropathy with coeliac disease responding to a gluten-

free diet.

 

Woodrow G, Innes A, Boyd SM, Burden RP.

 

Department of Renal Medicine, City Hospital, Nottingham, UK.

 

4: Am J Gastroenterol. 2002 Oct;97(10):2572-6.

 

Comment in: Am J Gastroenterol. 2002 Oct;97(10):2486-8.

 

Celiac disease and HLA DQ in patients with IgA nephropathy.

 

Collin P, Syrjanen J, Partanen J, Pasternack A, Kaukinen K, Mustonen J.

 

OBJECTIVES: Despite some reports on an association between celiac

disease and IgA nephropathy, the evidence is still sparse. Celiac

disease is strongly associated with the HLA DQ2 and DQ8 haplotypes,

which might explain the potential risk of patients to contract

various autoimmune conditions. In this study, we sought to establish

how common celiac disease is in patients with IgA nephropathy, and

whether the possible association can be explained by similar HLA DQ

status. METHODS: A total of 223 consecutive adult patients with IgA

nephropathy were studied; 95 cadaver organ transplant donors served

as controls for HLA DQ analysis. The diagnosis of celiac disease was

based on small bowel mucosal biopsy. All known celiac cases were

recorded, and eligible patients (n 168) underwent serological

screening for celiac disease as well as HLA DQ2 and DQ8 analysis.

Screening methods were serum endomysium and tissue transglutaminase

antibodies; patients who tested positive underwent mucosal biopsy.

RESULTS: Eight patients (3.6%, 95% CI = 1.6-7.0%) with IgA

nephropathy were found to have celiac disease; three of them were

identified by serological screening. All celiac cases had the HLA DQ2

or DQ8 haplotype, but these were not more common in patients with IgA

nephropathy than in controls. As many as 14% of HLA DQ2 positive

patients with IgA nephropathy had celiac disease. Gluten-free diet

had no apparent influence on the course of nephropathy. CONCLUSIONS:

Although there is no increase in celiac-type HLA DQ, patients with

IgA nephropathy carry a risk of contracting celiac disease. It can be

hypothesized that the increased intestinal permeability in IgA

nephropathy may predispose genetically susceptible patients to celiac

disease.

 

5: Am J Kidney Dis. 1992 Sep;20(3):255-60.

 

The occurrence of IgA-nephropathy in patients with diabetes mellitus

may not be coincidental: a report of five cases.

 

Gans RO, Ueda Y, Ito S, Kohli R, Min I, Shafi M, Brentjens JR.

 

Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, State University of New

York, Buffalo 14214.

 

We describe five patients with IgA-nephropathy complicating diabetes

mellitus. In four cases, diabetic glomerulosclerosis was present at

the same time. One patient suffered from dermatitis herpetiformis.

The observation of the present five cases together with the notion of

an increased prevalence in diabetes mellitus of celiac disease and

dermatitis herpetiformis suggests that the occurrence of IgA-

nephropathy in diabetic patients is not mere coincidence.

 

 

 

On 6-Feb-06, at 7:53 AM, ayurveda wrote:

 

> Message: 8

> Mon, 06 Feb 2006 06:19:39 -0000

> "raynoronha" <raynoronha

> Shilajit

>

> Dear Vaidyas,

> Some advice on Kidney problems. I have had a few patients who I have

> wanted to prescribe Shilajit, but because their childhood history

> showing that they have had kidney problems such as glomerular problems

 

Caldecott

todd

www.toddcaldecott.com

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

 

 

I have never seen shilajit but as I understand it is a substance that

ooozes out of rocks in the mountains in and around India. If this is

so then how can the substance be renewable and plant based?

 

Thanks,

GB Khalsa

[Guest guest]

Four blind men wanted to experience the elephant by

touch, one touched the leg and told it is pillar

like. one touched the tail and told snake like , third

touched the ear and told big leaf like finally

touched the body told big barrel like ,It is

impossible to teach the Blind.

R.vidhyasagar

 

--- greatyoga <greatyoga wrote:

 

>

>

> I have never seen shilajit but as I understand it is

> a substance that

> ooozes out of rocks in the mountains in and around

> India. If this is

> so then how can the substance be renewable and plant

> based?

[Guest guest]

Hi GB

 

here are some passages from my upcoming book ("Ayurveda: the Divine

Science of Life"), on the origin of Shilajatu:

(please that i had to modify the below by removing the diacritical

marks that indicates proper Sanskrit pronunciation - I don't think

's interface is unicode compatible...)

 

"Shilajatu is a curious resin that can be found exuding from certain

steep rock faces in the Himalayan mountain range at altitudes between

1000 and 5000 meters. Similar exudates have also been found in other

mountain ranges in what is called the Tethyan mountain system,

including the Caucasus, Urals, Pamir, Hindu Kush, Karakoram, Tian

Shan and Kunlun Shan ranges, and has also been identified as far away

as Norway. Shilajatu is typically found in the summer when the hot

sun beats down upon the rocks causing the resin to liquefy and exude,

and then harden again upon cooling. As its older common name of

bitumen suggests, Shilajatu was once thought to be the ancient

fossilized organic material from what was once the coastline of the

tropical Tethys Sea region that existed between the subcontinent of

India and Eurasia some 200 million years ago. More recent research

however has indicated that Shilajatu is composed primarily of humus

with other organic constituents, and is thus likely to be of

relatively recent origin. Researchers have found the degraded

components of several different medicinal plants in samples of

Shilajatu including Euphorbia royleana and Trifolium repens, leading

to the idea that Shilajatu is in large part derived from the

humification of a variety of resin or latex containing plants. The

BhÄvaprakÄÅ›a states that there are four types of Shilajatu ,

classified according to their respective colors, each with a

different medicinal activity: sauvarna is reddish; rajata is

yellowish; tamra is bluish; and lauha is blackish. The Caraka

samhita also classifies Shilajatu based on the morphological features

of the rock from which it exudes. Modern research supports these

time-honored perspectives, as it appears that the composition of

Shilajatu is influenced by a variety of factors, including the

particular humified plant species involved, the geological nature of

the rock, local temperature, humidity and altitude."

 

"The complex chemistry of Shilajatu is highly variable depending upon

the where it was collected and processing methods. The early

chemical research on crude Shilajatu indicated a variety of

constituents, including a mixture of organic constituents (e.g.

benzoic acid, hippuric acid, fatty acids, resins, waxes, gums,

albuminoids and vegetable matter) and inorganic constituents (e.g.

calcium, potassium, nitrogen, silica, aluminum, magnesium and

sodium). Further work concluded that crude Shilajatu is composed

upwards of 80% humus, decaying plant material acted upon by bacteria

and fungi, and most notably, fulvic and humic acids. Recent analysis

has yielded the presence of biphenyl metabolites including a

benzocoumarin and low molecular weight oxygenated dibenzo-a-pyrones

in Shilajatu , as well as triterpenes, phenolic lipids, and

additional trace minerals including antimony, cobalt, copper, iron,

lithium, manganese , molybdenum, phosphorous, strontium and zinc."

 

"Tradition states that humans first became aware of the benefits of

Shilajatu by watching wild animals such as monkeys utilize it as a

food source. Shilajatu is generally regarded as being quite safe,

but crude unprocessed Shilajatu may contain mycotoxins from

contaminating fungi such as Aspergillus niger, A. ochraceous and

Trichothecium roseum. Unprocessed Shilajatu may also contain free

radicals in the humic constituents that increase in concentration

with an increasing pH, and thus certain sources of Shilajatu that

tends to have a higher pH, such as that obtained from Russia, may be

a less desirable source."

 

best... todd caldecott

 

PS: provided for the erudition of ayurveda members, but please

observe copyright laws - the above may not be reproduced under any

circumstance)

 

thanking you... todd

 

 

On 8-Feb-06, at 7:46 AM, ayurveda wrote:

> Re: Shilajit

> I have never seen shilajit but as I understand it is a substance that

> ooozes out of rocks in the mountains in and around India. If this is

> so then how can the substance be renewable and plant based?

>

> Thanks,

> GB Khalsa

[Guest guest]

Thanks Todd. I'll look forward to seeing the book when it's finished.

 

Re: Shilajit

 

> here are some passages from my upcoming book ("Ayurveda: the Divine

Science of Life"), on the origin of Shilajatu:

[Guest guest]

Hi

These were fascinating research articles and confirms your view on

immune-mediated nephropathies.

So is removing antigenic foods only a gluetin free diet or more than

this. With treating folk in the west there seems to be an abundance

of autoimmune disorders - is this a diet thing or genetic. I have my

doubts about the genetic pre-dispostion in the majority of cases.

Also would you carry out the same approach of removing antigenic

foods and also which vitamin/minerals would you use to battle

autoimmunity or does that depend specifically on the disease.

 

Regarding autoimmune disease - in Nadi Vigyan we never treat the

Thymus - just wondered if Dr Bhate or other vaidyas had a comment on

this aspect.

Thanks again

Ray

>

> as i mentioned in my previous post, an elimination diet to remove

> antigenic foods is an important strategy in the immune-mediated

> glomerular nephropathies, apart from a thorough review of the drug

> history (e.g. NSAIDs, heroin)

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi

 

I was re-reading this thread and was wondering if you can recommend

any brands of Shilajit which you know are from an authentic high

quality source and processed correctly and tested to be free of

inorganic heavy metal contamination? The Dabur brand was recently

targetted as being contaminated. I am wondering how Dabur purify

theirs, it seems to be some modern extraction not in line with

Charaka, isnt the classic purification done with cows milk and

triphala juice and the finished shijalit should have strong smell of

cow's urine? I read that nowadays cheating is even going on with

simulating the urine smell! What is the advised purification

according to Charaka? A related link:

http://www.botanical.com/site/column_poudhia/211_shilajit.html

 

Thanks,

 

Ole

 

 

 

ayurveda, Todd Caldecott <todd

wrote:

 

> Hi GB

>

> here are some passages from my upcoming book ("Ayurveda: the

Divine

> Science of Life"), on the origin of Shilajatu:

Full message at:

http://health.ayurveda/message/5705

[Guest guest]

shilajat that contains natural ammonia is called komoothra silajat one

particular variety. It is a natural product and may contain minerals found in

it's region.

 

for me those who search very pure form are ignorant persons.

one should not measure this system with an allopathic scale.

 

R.vidhyasagar.

 

alstrup <alstrup wrote:

Hi

 

I was re-reading this thread and was wondering if you can recommend

any brands of Shilajit which you know are from an authentic high

quality source and processed correctly and tested to be free of

inorganic heavy metal contamination?

[Guest guest]

How do you define very pure form shilajit? I am not measuring ths

system with allopathic eyes, my point was actually that modern forms

of shilajit sold by commercal companies like Dabur is not authentic

shilajit, as it was not processed according to the proper

purification stages given in the ayurvedic texts. It is made through

some modern extraction process. Who knows even the source of this?

Proper purification is essential to guarantee a consistent high

level of active ingredients, remove inactive substances, remove

harmful free radicals and mycotoxin producing fungi and fungal

toxins.

 

If any members here have knowledge of authentic shilajit ie. from

Nepal, please let me know.

 

Thanks,

 

Ole

 

> for me those who search very pure form are ignorant persons.

> one should not measure this system with an allopathic scale.

[patka 0]

Hello, Ole above was asking about a good source of Shilajit, which comes from the right area and right elevation, properly purified through traditional methods and free from heavy metals. I know the post is from last year, but I was wondering if anyone has found a good source yet. Please let us know if you know of a good quality / heavy metal free shilajit source. Thanks, Patka

[AshuSood 0]

I have used with great success purified Shilajit that originates from Altai mountains (it is called Mumijo locally, Russian name for Shilajit) and is sold in small bricks of 25 - 50 grams.

It is pure black, and has the specific smell of bitumen mixed with very dark chocolate. The taste is very bitter. It gets soft in the hand and hardens when temperature drops below 20ºC. When softened one can draw a very long thread from it, it will not break. The seller recommends not to warm it more than 38ºC as it will lose a lot of its qualities. It should not be processed with metal tools or in metal plates/bowls and the like. It is sold together with a 5 page recipe folder listing many remedies to be fought with Shilajit / Mumijo. The proof of the pudding is in the eating has been said, and having tried this Shilajit I can confirm it does what is told about it. I first experienced a detoxing process, which made me doubt the quality as I felt not too good, but once I realized what was going on I relaxed and after a few days I could feel vitality as I never felt before! I have the habit of working out in the gym and I had stopped doing so for two months. When I started my exercises again, I was surprised: no muscle ache which one expects to feel after two idle months, and more endurance than ever before ! I can only contribute this to the Shilajit! I took half a gram daily with water (the seller gives the traditional water solution method of 30% shilajit and 70% distilled water, the shelf life is unlimited and it is easy to consume, but I like to experiment). The seller is active at this website for those interested. I can recommend this source full heartedly !

 

I had tried tablets and capsules before but they were disappointing. My assumption is that the processing involved in tablet-making or producing powders destroys many powerful components in the Shilajit (assuming it really is Shilajit they are using). I do not like Dabur, i.p. since they started broadcasting the commercials emphasizing the aphrodisiac powers of Shilajit with half naked ladies and such - I find this to be in very poor taste. The addition of lead to Shilajit tablets had them banned in Canada, recently.

[andy24061990 0]

Shilajit | shilajeet | shilajitu | pure and effective shilajit

 

Shilajit is useful for the proper kidney functions. It is effective burning sensation during micturation, incontinence of urine resulted from enlarged prostate or stone in the bladder or kidney. Shilajit is an excellent natural remedy for Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy.

[pranelin 0]

I just signed up tonight at Indiadivine and notice your post from a year ago. I am very interested in finding out how to order some of the shilajit that you describe it sounds like the real deal! I too have been disappointed in ordering "watered down versions" and I would really like to experience the real thing for a change . Thanks, Phil

[Guest Guest]

Hi Ashu,

is it possible to post the website link for shilajit you have tried??

 

 

 

I have used with great success purified Shilajit that originates from Altai mountains (it is called Mumijo locally, Russian name for Shilajit) and is sold in small bricks of 25 - 50 grams.

It is pure black, and has the specific smell of bitumen mixed with very dark chocolate. The taste is very bitter. It gets soft in the hand and hardens when temperature drops below 20ºC. When softened one can draw a very long thread from it, it will not break. The seller recommends not to warm it more than 38ºC as it will lose a lot of its qualities. It should not be processed with metal tools or in metal plates/bowls and the like. It is sold together with a 5 page recipe folder listing many remedies to be fought with Shilajit / Mumijo. The proof of the pudding is in the eating has been said, and having tried this Shilajit I can confirm it does what is told about it. I first experienced a detoxing process, which made me doubt the quality as I felt not too good, but once I realized what was going on I relaxed and after a few days I could feel vitality as I never felt before! I have the habit of working out in the gym and I had stopped doing so for two months. When I started my exercises again, I was surprised: no muscle ache which one expects to feel after two idle months, and more endurance than ever before ! I can only contribute this to the Shilajit! I took half a gram daily with water (the seller gives the traditional water solution method of 30% shilajit and 70% distilled water, the shelf life is unlimited and it is easy to consume, but I like to experiment). The seller is active at this website for those interested. I can recommend this source full heartedly !

 

I had tried tablets and capsules before but they were disappointing. My assumption is that the processing involved in tablet-making or producing powders destroys many powerful components in the Shilajit (assuming it really is Shilajit they are using). I do not like Dabur, i.p. since they started broadcasting the commercials emphasizing the aphrodisiac powers of Shilajit with half naked ladies and such - I find this to be in very poor taste. The addition of lead to Shilajit tablets had them banned in Canada, recently.