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How Shilajit Protects Against Oxidative Damage

Shilajit is one of the newer supplements on the market in 2025 but is one that is making waves and gaining a fair amount of notoriety due to the extensive range of health benefits that it is claimed to be capable of providing. While some of these benefits are said to be produced to a higher degree than others, and their popularity can vary from one benefit to the next, one claimed health benefit of shilajit supplementation that is scoring high marks in both areas is how shilajit protects against oxidative damage and stress.

However, while it is generally accepted by most people that shilajit is indeed capable of producing this effect, there are still some who doubt that it can, and even those who want to believe it but are struggling to because they don’t understand exactly how it works.

That is why we decided to create the following article and explain exactly how shilajit protects against oxidative damage and stress, and in the process hopefully give everyone all of the information and confidence they need to try it for themselves.

Table of Contents

What Is Shilajit?

Shilajit is a naturally occurring, resin-like substance that is full of minerals. Extracted from certain rocks that are located in particularly high altitude regions of the Himalayas and other mountain ranges in the surrounding area, shilajit extract has long been used in Ayurvedic medicine and other forms of traditional medicine in Asia, due to it being claimed to provide an extensive range of effects that are beneficial to human health.

While the range of health benefits that shilajit can produce is extensive, we covered most of them in great detail in a previous article that you can read here.

The benefits of shilajit are not produced exclusively due to the very high mineral content of this extract though, as it also contains very high levels of two other particularly beneficial compounds, which are fulvic acid and humic acid. While both of these compounds offer a great range of health benefits for the human body, the fulvic acid content of shilajit extract is particularly important, as it is the primary reason that this resin is able to offer most of the beneficial effects that it does [1].

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What Is Oxidative Damage?

Oxidative damage refers to the harm caused to cells, tissues, and organs by an imbalance of antioxidants free radicals and other reactive oxygen species (ROS) in your system. These free radicals and ROS are molecules that are highly reactive because they have unpaired electrons, which makes them unstable. In order to stabilize themselves, free radicals “steal” electrons from nearby molecules, leading to a chain reaction that damages various components of cells and their structure, such as DNA, proteins, lipids, and the mitochondria.

Oxidative damage and stress occur as a natural byproduct of cellular metabolism, but they can become very harmful when the antioxidant defense systems of a person’s body are overwhelmed by them. Environmental factors such as pollution, UV radiation, smoking, anxiety, and stress can greatly increase oxidative stress and speed up the damage that it causes, leading to inflammation and accelerating the effects of aging and the development of various diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease [2].

How Shilajit Protects Against Oxidative Damage

It Is Rich In Antioxidants

Shilajit is full of compounds like fulvic acid, humic acid, and various trace minerals that are very well-known to boast potent antioxidant properties. Fulvic acid, in particular, is known as a powerful antioxidant that has the ability to help neutralize any and all free radicals present in the human body.

Free radicals are unstable molecules that are the primary cause of oxidative stress and can lead to significant cell and tissue damage. By neutralizing them, shilajit will prevent any new damage from occurring, while the lack of free radicals in your body creates the perfect conditions for any existing oxidative damage to be repaired [3].

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Promotes Better Mitochondrial Health

Shilajit is said to be very useful for supporting mitochondrial function. Mitochondria are membrane-bound cells known as organelles which are responsible for producing energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). This is the fuel utilized when the body is using the ATP-PC energy system, which is the system responsible for keeping you going during periods of short, explosive physical exertion, such as those you experience during activities like weight lifting or sexual intercourse, the latter of which shilajit also offers many other specific benefits for.

Healthy mitochondria are far less likely to generate excessive free radicals as a byproduct during this process. By keeping the mitochondria healthy and enhancing mitochondrial function through the use of shilajit supplementation, you have the ability to reduce the overall oxidative load on the body, preventing oxidative stress and damage from occurring to begin with or repairing any which has already been done [4].

Supports the Body’s Natural Antioxidant Defences

Some studies suggest that taking shilajit supplements can help to increase the activity of certain endogenous antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase. As these enzymes are crucial for combating oxidative stress, as they break down any harmful free radicals in the body, increasing their activity with shilajit supplementation is a great way to prevent or repair oxidative damage [5].

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Reduces Inflammation

Inflammation and oxidative stress are often mistaken as being the same thing, but the two are actually slightly different. However, they are intrinsically linked to one another, as oxidative stress causes inflammation and chronic inflammation can accelerate oxidative stress, creating a vicious cycle that is extremely detrimental to your health.

Shilajit has been shown to have potent anti-inflammatory properties, meaning that supplementing with it can help reduce oxidative damage and stress by preventing the inflammatory pathways that promote the generation of free radicals. Essentially, it breaks the cycle and gives your body the time and ability to heal effectively [6].

P.S. What’s the recommended rest time between sets? Find out in our Ask a PT article.