My Experience Using Black Indian Shilajit

What  is Black Indian Shilajit?

An Ayurvedic medicine used to treat so many ailments that it blows my mind, aka a panacea. Shilajit is known for its ability to cure almost any disease. As the folks living in the Himalayan regions say, "there's hardly a disease that can't be cured by Shilajit."

It is said to be "the most important drug in Ayurvedic and folk-medicine systems," and has been touted as"the great destroyer of weakness." 

Someone's been takin' their Shilajit! (Image source: cache.desktopnexus.com)

Black Indian Shilajit has been used for thousands of years in 

places like  

Tibet, India, Russia, China, Mongolia, and ancient Greece

Black Indian Shilajit is the leftover vegetable matter from 

plants and minerals found in the Himalayan mountains (and other high altitude mountains,) which explains how it earned the title "The Blood of the Mountains."

I read that the word "Shilajeet" (another spelling for it) can be 
translated to "rock-invincible, destroyer of weakness, or 

conqueror of mountains. 





 This is what Shilajit looks like:

 (Image source: Cook13.com)

It forms in a black-ish or dark red resin-like substance that occurs naturally, and  takes millions of years for it to form. 

It's odd  that such a substance could have any health benefits, but it does make sense, considering the matter 

called Shilajit  absorbs minerals from 

the rocks that it's found in and actually contains a lot of healthy 

stuff like vitamins, minerals, nutrients, antioxidants, 

enzymes, electrolytes, 

and amino acids.




One site I found explained part of Shilajit's process like

 this: 

"Shilajit is a naturally occurring exudate of plant and 

mineral based origins. In these mountains, organic and plant 

material dies, mixes with microorganisms or microbial 

metabolites in the soil, is saturated in water during the spring 

freeze, works its way deep into rocky crevasses, leaches 

minerals from the stone, gets compressed by layers of rock, 

brews and “ferments” in this compressed state for thousands 

of years, and when ready, due to the intense heat of the sun 

on the stones, bubbles up from down below. " (Source: 

ShilajitShilajeet.com

 I'm intrigued by the many benefits and how Shilajit comes 

about. It's pretty amazing and really reminds you of just 

how our earth was made so perfectly to be able to do these 

things. 

(Image source: www.jamesdazouloute.net)

My experience taking Black Indian 

Shilajit (from The Root of The 

Matter)

One of the most useful bits of information you can read regarding supplements (or just any product, really) is a personal experience with the actual product, so as always, I'm going to include the effects and things I've noticed while taking this amazing herb.










I Treated IBS-Candidiasis  With Black 

Indian Shilajit!


(Here are my results with that:)

(Image source: playingwiththeuniverse.blogspot.com )

 
I'm so excited to tell you guys that I was able to get some much needed relief from stomach pain by taking this Black Indian Shilajit! Most of my long-term readers know the struggle I've had with IBS and endometriosis. Although I've been able to effectively come through the debilitating part of those conditions (the part where I spent years basically in a bed), I find that I'll still get the occasional IBS "flare-up, and also the occasionaly pain associated with the endometriosis.

 I believe the randomly re-curring flare ups are due to the IBS being candidiasis-related. And sometimes (perhaps when I've not been eating the healthiest or something), I'll end up with the pain and problems hitting me again. However, I'm always able to get myself back together and not let the problem worsen to the point of it being debilitating. Now that I know what herbs will kill off the candida albicans, I never suffer long. 

Looky there. We're always told there's no real cure or treatment, or way to get real relief from things. That is what I was told when my OB/GYN gave me surgery for Endometriosis, and prescribed me mind-numbing meds for the pain of it and IBS. Told me I'd just have to take them everyday! That was the biggest disappointment thinking I'd never actually feel better. Never did the meds provide any relief. I'm grateful to finally be able to live a real life again. And grateful I didn't listen to the lies/nonsense. (Image source: www.gutsense.org)

Anyways, I won't go into my entire conditions and journey (you can find all of that elsewhere on this site), but I wanted to note that the Black Indian Shilajit is very effective in treating a lot of stomach problems, including the super-tough-to-relieve problems like those that come with IBS or Chron's and other tough digestive conditions. I know a lot of my readers suffer from the same or similar digestive/stomach problems, so that's why I'm going into this much detail here.

I normally cut a big chunk of my aloe plant off, prepare it and eat it as soon as I'm down with another IBS flare-up, and it's the only thing I've ever used that relieves the intense pain, and keeps me from suffering in bed (ahem, and back & forth from the bathroom!) for the entire day. But my aloe plant is in bad shape due to the weather, so last week when I came down with serious stomach pains that wouldn't go away, I took a capsule of Black Indian Shilajit and laid down.

I had dealt with that pain for hours before I thought of taking the Shilajit! It wasn't 2 hours later that I was completely recovered and feeling so good that I was ready to eat a big meal! If you know about IBS/Candida, then you know what a shocker it is to get that kind of relief! I didn't expect it. 


It's very rare for me to outright recommend something to others online, but I absolutely recommend Black Indian Shilajit for people who suffer from digestive disorders! When people ask me how to get relief from IBS/Candida, I always recommend aloe vera (straight from the plant is best), and now I'll add Black Indian Shilajit. Both of them together are extremely powerful against IBS, especially if it's brought on by candidiasis. It's great for both conditions, even if your IBS is not candidiasis-related, although I tend to have the opinion that most all IBS is somehow related to candidiasis.

I went years without a single ounce of relief from the on-going pain with those conditions, and I kid you not, I was ready to die. You've read my journey before though (probably), so I'll just say this: nothing touched my problems except aloe vera and the shilajit.

I know that garlic and coconut oil and several other things have awesome abilities to kill off the candida and treat the entire problem, but I also tried those methods. I had relief eventually, but the improvements were so slow. It could be that my problems had persisted for so many years that they just didn't have the power to bring such quick relief like aloe vera and Shilajit does. Everyone's different, but that was the best for me.




That aside, I've noticed other improvements in my health, too. 


My Immune System Rocks!

 2 family members who live with me came down with a terrible cold-type illness. It resulted in weeks of intense coughing including vomiting, etc. I'd been taking the Shilajit for about 2 1/2 weeks before the cold came around us and I didn't experience a touch of it, even though I was all around my family's personal space throughout them being sick.

I can't help but think the Shilajit had to have been responsible for my immune system being so great! Even this week, I'm the only person in our small neighborhood who isn't sick from the large spreading of chicken shi* all over the pastures. We have one directly across the road from us (so close we could walk to the pasture within seconds!), and pastures almost line our entire road. Everyone is sick, my neighbor had his throat close up (he's asthmatic) from it. We go through this yearly and every spring, our neighborhood ends up sick. I normally experience an awful migraine for a week+ along with vomiting, sometimes when they spread. Last year, I was throwing my guts up & had a migraine for a week!

The only thing I've had this week after they began spreading was a migraine (yesterday) and an urge to wear a mask over my nose. That's all! No sickness! The rest of the neighborhood is having throat, sinus + problems. I chalk it up to me taking the Shilajit for over a month now. I think it's actually building my immune system so well that I've got some serious protection against this crud!

The other benefits I've been receiving from the Shilajit aren't as hugely noticeable physically as the stomach/digestive problems have been. However, I believe my deficiencies in so many nutrients, minerals and some vitamins have improved so much that I feel like my entire health is finally on the right track. I suppose the large amounts of minerals and such in the herb is what brought me to this point. 

I've noticed minor changes such as healthier nails as well as feeling less fatigued. I sleep better and deeper.

Image source: www.criticalcactus.com

What To Look For In A Shilajit


 Supplement:

Shilajiit, in its raw form is said to contain toxins and heavy metals due to being in the rocks of mountains, so it's important to look for a supplement that's been refined in order to avoid those things.  

The refining process of Shilajiit. From what I've read, it's highly important that Shilajit is processed to remove harmful impurities, including heavy metals. Black Indian Shilajit from The Root of The Matter is processed using heat distillation, which removes these impurities, and makes it safe to use. It's extremely important to make 100% sure that your Black Indian Shilajit has gone through processing that removes such impurities (according to my research.)

• It's been said that the most effective Shilajit comes from the Himalayan mountains. The Black Indian Shilajit from The Root of The Matter is "obtained from rocks in the Himalayan region."

Studies on Shilajit: 

NCBI even acknowledges some of Shilajit's benefits, although not all of course:

In an article on NCBI, it concludes that "Shilajit is a potent and very safe dietary supplement, potentially able to prevent several diseases, but its main medical application now appears to come from its actions in benefit of cognition and potentially as a dietary supplement to prevent Alzheimer's disease. "

Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3296184/

What Shilajit Does for Our Bodies:


Black Indian Shilajit is nature's

original organic Colloidal multi-mineral supplement

• Provides an impressive amount of 

minerals and vitamins because it's high 

in naturally occurring minerals and 

elements. 

• Boosts immune system.

• Is an adaptogenic, meaning it helps the body to better handle stress.

• Revitalizes the body's cells and muscles.

• Works as a powerful tonic for the body.  

• Increases energy (reduces general weakness), increases strength and sexual energy. 

• It is widely used for the following:

  

 Diabetes, 

Genito-urinary diseases

Gallstone

 Jaundice

Enlarged spleen

 Dyspepsia

 Worms

Digestive troubles

 Hysteria

Insanity

 Nerve diseases

 Amenorrhea

 Dysmenorrhea

 Menorrhagia

Tuberculosis

 Leprosy

Eczema

Elephantiasis

  Bronchitis

 Asthma -- Shilajit is an anti-asthmatic

Fracture of bones

 Helps reduce recovery time in bone injuries (and injuries of the muscles and nerves as well.)  

• Improves heart function

• Improves memory

• Removes toxins from the body. 

The Root of The Matter explains how Shilajit does this: 

"Chemistry: The porous fulvic acid and humic acids in Shilajit 

carry herbal compounds deeply into the tissues of the body. 

These porous carrying cavities also hook toxins and escort 

them out of the body."

Black Indian Shilajit helps transport nutrients deep into 

tissues, and removes toxins found deep within.

Impressive, huh?

Here's more icing on the cake -- Shilajit helps the body assimilate other herbs, too! This means, when taking Black Indian Shilajit, other herbs you've taken are better absorbed and utilized by the body.

Check out this incredible, huge list of 

problems that 

Shilajit is effective in treating, some of

 them I'd never even heard of before.

 (I found this 

list on Herbalmandi.com)

  Anemia

    Anorexia Nervosa
  
    Blood Impurities

    Bronchitis

    Burning Sensation in the Chest

    Constipation

    Diabetes Mellitus
   
 Epilepsy
    
Excessive Thirst
 
    Fatigue
    
General Debility
 
   Hepatomegaly
  
  Hyperlipedemia
 
    Indigestion      
    
Kidney Stone
    
Nervous Debility

    
Obesity
    
Persistent Infection due to Low Immunity
 
    Piles
 
    Polyuria
 
    Sexual Debility
 
    Sexual Neurasthenia
 
    Sexual Weakness in the Elderly
 
    Splenomegaly
 
    Tuberculosis

The actual capsules. As you can see, they Shilajit is black with white-ish specks.

Dosing

Disclaimer (I know, I hate them, too, but these days you kind of can't afford to note post them.):

I am not a specialist or any other kind of doctor or expert. Content on this blog is not intended to be taken as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or advice of any sort. I'm simply sharing information about my own experiences and results from use of a product or activity in hopes of providing useful information/suggestions to readers, not to be taken as a patient/medical adviser relationship. I am not responsible for what readers choose to do after viewing the content here. Furthermore, I do not hold an "exceptional" or other special relationship with the company mentioned. I'm simply a consumer who worked with the company on a review that is in compliance with FTTC's guidelines. That means, everything you read here is my own words, not anything of the company's. I was not provided with monetary compensation for my review. All information posted has been done so with complete honesty. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication ( I'm not responsible.) Readers who rely on the information in this blog to replace the advise of an appropriate health care provider assume all risks of such behavior.

Organic Kanna from The Root of the Matter (Review)

Like most herbs, Kanna has a lot of health benefits, including positive effects on mental health, mood and energy, which makes Kanna a staple in my herb collection.

Kanna's health benefits are impressive, so let's start this off with a list of those:

• Kanna is a mood-uplifter, can help with irritability, and has a therapeutic-like effect.

Kanna can also produce  narcotic and sedative-like effects.

Provides energy 

•  Kanna is also a relaxant (and muscle relaxant) and it decreases anxiety, tension and stress and improves mental health, in general.

•  It's helpful for conditions such as PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and social phobia. It's even said to be helpful for social phobias. It can increase sociability (big plus for me!)

• Something I find interesting enough to note is that some people report having empathic feelings/emotions/whatever from using Kanna.

Improves cognitive health, promotes mental clarity.

Kanna has been called "the greatest clearer of spirits, and the noblest restorative in the world.”

It can be helpful in the treatment of drug addiction (and I can see this as being truly useful.) 

Has been used as an appetite-suppressant

Kanna is an analgesic 

A natural anti-depressant -- used to rebalance the brain and nervous system and thereby relieve symptoms of depression.

Improves libido

Has been used to treat colic

Decreases high blood pressure

Note: Kanna is said to be "far more effective and rapidly acting than the European plant Hypericum (St Johns Wort)." 10 times more effective, as per The Root of The Matter's Kanna label! Now that's impressive.

Did you read that? It's real important, especially to anyone who, like me, has used St. Johns (and almost every other mood-enhancing herb on earth without a major change).

In case you missed it, let me say that again: Kanna is said to be far more effective than St. John's Wort!!!

St. John's is like the mother of all herbs when it comes to mood problems. That is why it was one of my first go-to's for my severe mood problems. And while it did seem that it was perking things up for me, after the first month, there was little reason for me to bother taking it anymore, and it was quality herb. I figured it must've been that my problems were stemming from somewhere else, and therefore needed a different approach.

So, when I read that Kanna was a mood-enhancer, I was excited, but knowing that I didn't exactly get a lot better after using St. John's, or SAM-e or any of the other widely known herbs for depression and mood disorders, I didn't expect much help from Kanna there, either.

Learning that it was "far more effective" than St. John's restored an entirely new hope in me that there was something that could help my ugly moods.

And this is why I felt so compelled to go into so much detail here with my own story -- because I'm sure someone else is out there like me. Who's tried all the promising meds and herbs for their crappy moods, and didn't get fully better. Then, you begin believing that it's something so deeply inside you that it can never change. 

Believe me, this is how I've felt on and off for the last 4 months. I'd try something, I'd see the tiniest improvement and keep taking it, only to realize a month later that that tiny improvement was as good as it would get for me and my downing moods.

Here's How Kanna Enhances Your Mood:

 Alkaloids are to thank for the mood-enhancing action of Kanna. Some of these alkaloids are named
"mesembrine," "mesembrenol" and "tortuosamin."

They work by interacting with serotonin and dopamine receptors. Serotonin and dopamine are basically the major good-mood chemicals, so that's why we respond to herbs/drugs that cause a release of these two chemicals.

In hopes of being as informative and helpful to my readers as possible, I always try to explain some of the reasons I take any supplement/herb. I like to make it known what issues I might be trying to improve on so that it gives readers a better understanding of the results, although results and issues vary in everyone. 

With that in mind, I'll brief you on what my reasons for using Kanna were:

The mental and mood health, mostly. 

More info on that:

I have struggled with severe mood issues, not depression really, but a strong up/down of moods on a daily basis, including intense frustration at times. For instance, frustration that feels impossible to get relief from and at times, almost like I'm going to break, if that makes sense. Another major problem was irritability (part of my irritability comes from having Misophonia or "Sound Sensitivity," and other times from PMS).

These things  became unbearable, and so I've been on a journey to try and improve that area. 

Aside from that, I used to have severe anxiety after I developed some health problems (they came combined with each other, and anxiety was a tag-a-long of those.) Over the last 2 years, after being prescribed anxiety meds and completely quitting them after taking them for 6-9 months, and starting using herbs, I made amazing progress and the anxiety was gone, for the most part. What I was left with, however, after years of these debilitating conditions, was nervousness, especially with people.

 So, discovering Kanna and its abilities to help in all these areas (including social phobia, which I figured would be helpful for my nervousness with people) has been a blessing to me.

Now that you know this, it may be helpful to know that my results after using Kanna has included a  major decrease in all the symptoms/issues I described. In fact, it's been over a month of using Kanna on a virtually regular basis, and I feel what I would call "balanced," if that makes sense. I actually feel like I'm not battling so hard with myself and my negative or less than happy thoughts. I've experienced an even bigger decrease in stress, and I feel so much more at ease these days. I've not been taking it on a strict basis for the last 2 weeks since I think I've actually reached some kind of balance, and am doing really well, even when I skip days of taking the Kanna.

My Results:

Kanna has been extremely helpful for me in nerve-racking situations, or stressful times, or times when I was dealing with overwhelming changes that brought on anxiety.

To sum it up briefly, Kanna has made the tough rides in life much smoother.

Basically, Kanna gives you what's described as an overall sense of well-being in general, and this is why it's so handy during bad, stressful or otherwise just crappy times. It calms, and kind of gives me the sense of everything being restored and gives me the feeling that there's nothing to worry about. I find it easy to let those worries in the back of my mind just pass through. 

I can usually expect a mild energy for an hour or so, and nice relief from stress, anxieties, worries and nervousness for up to a few hours. This is taking one capsule the entire day. Usually, the rest of the day remains stress and worry-free for me, even when the energy seems to have left me. 

Some people say the effects stay with them for days!  

As a side note, I can see Kanna being used for what people might call spiritual practices, if that's the right way of putting it. I say this because my first time trying it, I noticed that I was in the most perfect mix of relax, but focused and awake, which struck me as a great time to meditate. My mind was quiet-ish, but I felt kind of just more "in-tuned," if that makes sense?

So, now, when I happen to have used Kanna and the mood strikes, I set aside a few minutes for meditation, and actually find it to go far better than usual. I tend to meditate near the beginning of my day and at the end, and I feel like I get a better "session" in when I've taken some Kanna. Strange and I could very well be mistaken about this, but it does feel right for me, so I thought it'd be worth noting. 

I feel a little more inspired and creative, too when Kanna kicks in.

I have also found that if I'm tired from a long day, but not fully exhausted, I can take a capsule of the Kanna and be right back up to speed for several hours throughout the evening and night! This is one thing I really love about Kanna. It'll just remove the mental and physical fatigue and make me feel new and refreshed again, which is something no supplement or energy product has ever done for me when I'm real tired.

I also want to note that I've been doing some soul-searching, I guess you'd call it. I've spent a lot of my time as of the last 3 months using meditation (sometimes multiple times a day, even) and doing some studying on techniques for positive thinking and positive living. I've even read a dozen books on the topic (some of which have been truly life-changing for me!) and I've taken up what folks call "positive affirmations," which I use on a daily basis. I go through a series of positive affirmations as soon as I wake up, as I'm falling asleep and as much throughout my day as possible. I also downloaded some positive recordings (2 of them are positive affirmations to repeat) that I listen to almost daily. I also try and listen to a couple of short guided meditation recordings every couple of days.

These things combined with Kanna have helped me immensely! I feel like Kanna has really helped me further my journey with this since it relieved so much of my struggling and just negative stresses I couldn't seem to shake. I am probably more impressed with Kanna than any "happy-herb" I've used. St. John's truly has nothing on this stuff, for me anyways. Everyone's different!

Here is a close-up of the Kanna supplement. Apologies for the quality of these photos. Tough lighting!

Side Effects of Kanna

Like similar herbs, and despite being able to give us energy, Kanna can also have a sedative effect. For most people, it seems that when taken in small doses, it's energizing, while higher doses cause the sedative effects. Everyone's different, though!

What to Know Before Buying/Taking Kanna

As with all supplements, you have to be certain about quality. You know the whole spiel -- herbs aren't really regulated and it's common for manufacturers to slap a label on grass and tell you it's an herb that'll change your life. So, obviously, I done research first, and I'll share what I learned with you:

Firstly, the Kanna I take (the only kind I use), from The Root of The Matter is premium, 100% organic, and traditionally fermented  Kanna.

You know why the word "organic" is in italics, but what about "traditionally fermented?" Why does that matter in a Kanna supplement?

From what I've gathered,  traditionally fermented Kanna is said to have maximized effects, particularly its psychoactive effects. A lot of folks do believe it's important that Kanna is "traditionally fermented," though, as this was Southern Africa folks prepared it (fermented inside sheep skins). One study suggests that it might not be fully accurate, but most do believe it to be true. (

Source: Patnala, S., Kanfer, I. (2009) Investigations of the phytochemical content of Sceletium tortuosum following the preparation of “Kougoed” by fermentation of plant material. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 121, 86–91)

The Root of The Matter Kanna is  "certified organic (the genuine thing), grown in South Africa, and has high mesembrine content. It is traditionally and naturally fermented according to South African tradition."

Dosing/Directions:

The Root of The Matter's Organic Kanna comes with 100 capsules, which are 50 milligrams each. 50 mg is usually the recommended starting dose.

The bottle suggests taking one capsule once or twice daily with water on empty stomach.  

P.S. Kanna is not to be mixed with other things such as prescription drugs, anything for anxiety, any kind of psychiatric drug, heart medications, other sedatives, hypnotics, anti-depressants!

Obviously, if you take Kanna, an anti-anxiety herb, with other anti-anxiety meds/herbs, they can potentiate each other.  You must be careful! You can risk something called "serotonin syndrome," which has been discussed in my other posts.

Re-cap. Last Thoughts About Kanna and Who I Think it Could Benefit

If you couldn't already tell, yes, I absolutely recommend Kanna to my friends and family members! I actually find this herb to be more helpful than most I've ever taken, in several areas including worry, stress, anxiety, frustration, mood issues. Also sleep problems, feeling drained and lack of motivation. I've seen amazing improvements in these areas. I don't have severe sleep problems, but my sleep is even better if I've taken Kanna that day. During phases when I can't sleep at all, I take an herbal sleep aid that kicks my butt, but as for needing some good quality sleep, Kanna does the trick and I wake up feeling good. 

I have a lot of love for Kanna due to its ability to calm my crazy mood issues, but I also love that it gave me relief when I was beyond desperation. I didn't have to wait a month to get relief, like you do with other things. So, this is one reason I tend to recommend Kanna -- it works quick! 

I got relief the very first time I took it, and I'd only taken less than half of a 50 mg capsule! It only got better after that, and I feel like my thoughts and mood stuff  is really "fixing," not just being masked by good feelings when I take Kanna. It seems almost like things are re-balancing, even when I don't take it on a daily basis! I never thought Kanna would have such an effect on me, and I regret how much suffering I've done in the meantime while using other herbs that simply weren't cutting it for me. 

So, for folks in similar situations as me, who've tried the other popular herbal (or prescription) methods and feel hopeless, Kanna might be the one. I hope that other people get relief from these troubles because I totally know how ugly it can get.

Disclaimer (I know, I hate them, too, but these days you kind of can't afford to note post them.):

I am not a specialist or any other kind of doctor or expert. Content on this blog is not intended to be taken as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or advice of any sort. I'm simply sharing information about my own experiences and results from use of a product or activity in hopes of providing useful information/suggestions to readers, not to be taken as a patient/medical adviser relationship. I am not responsible for what readers choose to do after viewing the content here. Furthermore, I do not hold an "exceptional" or other special relationship with the company mentioned. I'm simply a consumer who worked with the company on a review that is in compliance with FTTC's guidelines. That means, everything you read here is my own words, not anything of the company's. I was not provided with monetary compensation for my review. All information posted has been done so with complete honesty. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication ( I'm not responsible.) Readers who rely on the information in this blog to replace the advise of an appropriate health care provider assume all risks of such behavior.