There is no evidence that shilajit cures cancer

By: Christian Haag
May 5 2023

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Context

Claims have been made on TikTok that "raw plant oil" from shilajit "fruit" grown in the Himalayas can eliminate cancer cells within 42 hours and that "they" are trying to ban it because "they" are losing trillions on it. It is unclear who the "they" referred to is. One such TikTok video has accumulated 4.4 million views since March 2023. However, the claim is false.

In Fact

There is no evidence that shilajit can cure cancer. A small number of studies have concluded that it has potential uses in cancer treatment when combined with other chemotherapeutic drugs. However, research has only been conducted on rats or cultured cells, not humans. Fact-checking outlet Lead Stories has also covered this claim, concluding that it has no basis. 

Additionally, shilajit is not a fruit. The video shows an image of a custard apple, a member of the Annonaceae family of flowering plants. Shilajit is a black to brown colored mineral resin found between layers of rock in the Himalayas, Tibetan, and Altai mountains and has historically been an important part of Ayurvedic healing. 

Ayurveda is an ancient medical system in India using a natural and holistic approach to both physical and mental health, focusing on diet, exercise, and lifestyle. It is based on ancient writings and is still a prominent part of India's healthcare system. However, few studies have shown that Ayurvedic medical practices are effective. According to both Johns Hopkins University and the NIH, it can have positive effects as a supplement to Western medicine practices, but these are limited and have little scientific support. 

"They" is most likely a reference to the pharmaceutical industry, commonly called "Big Pharma" within conspiratorial circles. Big Pharma gained renewed attention during the COVID-19 pandemic and is seen by some conspiracists as an evil actor that made money from vaccines and other medications and purposefully poisons the world's population to sell more medicine rather than working for the public good. One such common claim is that cancer treatment has been found but that Big Pharma keeps it a secret because cancer treatments are profitable. 

While criticism aimed at large pharmaceutical companies is expected, claims of purposeful poisoning and inhibiting the promotion of "natural remedies" is conspiratorial and lack evidence. 

The Verdict

As shilajit has not been proven to cure cancer and there is no such thing as a shilajit fruit, we have marked this claim as false.