Shilajit is the hottest supplement on the market right now, so we'll be covering some of the most commonly asked questions over the next few weeks and there's a lot of debate about how long it takes to work.
Part of the issue is that most studies tend to record their results from 4 weeks and onwards, which does leave the issue of what about earlier effects?
Then there's also the issue of dosage, quality and what you're actually using it for. Not to mention how you're taking your shilajit. Meaning there's a fair bit to cover here.
Also if you're looking for good shilajit brands we have a breakdown here. But, like most reviewers we typically recommend Nootrum.
Maybe a Myth: Shilajit Works Immediately.
Now, you will often hear people talking about shilajit working immediately, and technically if you're talking about it's detoxing properties that's technically true. Shilajit binds very easily with heavy metals, well that is to say the fulvic acid in shilajit does, it's what's known as a "chelator" and is quite effective at binding to various toxins and cleaning them out. It's one of the reasons shilajit has to be thoroughly tested to make sure it hasn't picked any up from it's environment.
However, if we're talking about the other benefits of shilajit, for example, energy or immunity, there isn't actually any good scientific evidence to suggest it will work immediately.
This is also why it makes a difference whether or not you take shilajit on an empty stomach, and whether or not you take it under the tongue and let it get into your blood stream or let it pass into the gut.
What Shilajit Does Within A Week
When it comes to the real energy related effects most people report noticing it working within 3-7 days. And due to the way it works by enhancing the cells ability to produce ATP, this actually makes sense and lines up with the science. Although most of the proper studies record the results at the 2 week mark, there's enough evidence to suggest a week is possible to result in a boost in daily vitality may experience mild improvements relatively quickly, especially when using high-quality purified shilajit.
Medium-Term Benefits: Strength and Endurance
The studies show that it does help with endurance and muscle recovery within 2-4 weeks. Studies have shown that shilajit supports better nutrient absorption and oxygen delivery, which aids in endurance and post-exercise recovery.
And as it's been shown to aid in balancing testosterone levels this contributes to enhanced muscle strength, although these effects typically develop over a few weeks of consistent use.
It's worth noting that all of the studies on this have been with shilajit standardized for both dibenzo-α-pyrones and fulvic acid.
Long-Term Effects: Hormonal Balance and Overall Health
Now, we're not saying that benefits to immunity and brain health can't happen faster, just that the only studies we've got to work from have recorded results at 4 and 8 weeks. It also makes sense that if things like improved immunity come as a result of the toxin reduction then it would take a little longer for this to kick in as first you need to clean the body, then it can improve itself.
And there's more evidence that hormonal health will be improved after the 4 week point meaning issues like low testosterone, chronic stress, or immunity concerns are likely going to be after a decent amount of timing using shilajit.