Fulvic acid is often called “nature’s miracle molecule,” and it is gaining momentum as a nutritional supplement. But what is fulvic acid, why do you need it in your diet, and what is the best way to get it?
What is Fulvic Acid?
Fulvic acid is an important naturally-occurring organic acid found in nutrition-rich humus—the decomposed matter that forms a layer in the earth’s crust.
It can be difficult to obtain from a healthy diet, short of eating dirt itself, and is most commonly gathered from Shilajit, a mineral pitch that seeps out of the rocks in the high altitudes of the Himalayan Mountains.
Fulvic acid serves as an indispensable vehicle for carrying vitamins and other nutrients to the proper places in our bodies.
One single fulvic acid molecule is capable of transporting 60 or more minerals and trace elements directly into our cells.
Over the last few decades, we’ve learned a lot more about how humic materials found in the earth’s soil, including fulvic acid, can offer a host of benefits in the human body.
4 Fulvic Acid Benefits
1. Supports Endurance
Due to the trace minerals, electrolytes, and other essential nutrients it contains, many individuals report improved energy levels when taking fulvic acid.
Studies have found that humic acids activate and energize nearly every biological process in the body, helping cells remain active in the face of damage caused by stress, an unbalanced diet, prolonged loss of sleep, and oxidative damage.
In albino mice, fulvic acid supplementation significantly enhanced physiological energy status in a forced swimming test. Dibenzo-alpha-pyrones (DBP, metabolites derived from plants and animals), fulvic acid, and their derivatives were found to be the principal constituents contributing to these effects.
2. Muscle Adaptation
In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, Shilajit has been reported to exhibit adaptogenic and potent anabolic properties—it’s been used for centuries to treat many disorders, including muscle and tendon injuries. Fulvic acid consists of naturally occurring low and medium molecular-weight compounds, including oxygenated DBPs and acylated DBPs, which exhibit a number of positive biological inhibitory properties that are hard to obtain from any other source.
Furthermore, fulvic acid has been reported to aid physical performance and relieve fatigue by enhancing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, the mechanism by which your muscles are fueled.
3. Nutrient Absorption
Obtaining the proper amount of electrolytes and other trace minerals through a balanced diet are imperative for digestive health, healthy metabolic functions, and nutrient absorption. However, food alone often isn’t enough.
While the plants we eat offer a variety of vitamins and minerals we need, there are others from the soil that we can’t get by ingesting plants alone. Humic acids serve as nutrition for plants, and consuming fulvic acid is a way to get that nutrition directly from the source for ourselves. In addition, fulvic acid aids your body’s ability to make use of the other nutrients you do get from plants almost immediately.
4. Testosterone Production
You have good reason to be suspicious of any supplement that claims to improve testosterone levels. Most have little backing scientifically, but there is research supporting fulvic acid’s potential to help T levels.
In 2010, Indian researchers gave 35 infertile test subjects 200mg/day of shilajit extract for 90 consecutive days. When the hormone and sperm parameters were compared from day one to day 90, the research noted following improvements:
â Total sperm count rose by 61%.
â Sperm quality increased by 37%.
â Serum testosterone levels increased by 23%, and FSH rose by 9%.
Markers of oxidative damage also went down, whereas hemoglobin slightly increased.
One more recent study from 2015 showed that in healthy volunteers aged between 45-55 years, 250mg/day of shilajit extract for 90 days was able to:
â Increase total-testosterone levels by 20%
â Increase free-testosterone levels by 19%
â Boost DHEA levels by 31% while maintaining normal LH and FSH levels.
Recommended Usage & Natural Sources Of Fulvic Acid
Fulvic acid has a rather unpleasant taste, which leads most to mix powdered or liquid fulvic acid into their morning smoothie or juice to mask the flavor.
Always read dosage directions carefully when supplementing with fulvic acid, since using too much can lead to unbalanced mineral levels in the body. Most liquid products come in extract form and recommend a small dosage mixed with 16–20 ounces of filtered water.
There are many ways to add fulvic acid into your diet today, and Shilajit is one of the most popular forms. Along with fulvic acid, it contains 85 minerals in ionic form, as well as triterpenes, and humic acid.
Fulvic Acid Side Effects
Fulvic acid is safe for most people to take, although there hasn’t been much research done. It seems to pose few side effects, mainly when taken in high doses. Fulvic acid helps detoxify the body, and in so doing may cause diarrhea, cramps, fatigue, headaches, or nausea. An overdose isn’t possible, and it’s completely natural. Fulvic acid is easily flushed from the system once consumed. If you’re considering alternative medicines or supplements, always consult your doctor first.
It’s best to start slowly and increase your dosage in increments to make sure you experience no side effects. Diluting fulvic acid with water is safer than taking it alone in high amounts.
Fulvic Acid Conclusion
Again, fulvic acid is considered the ultimate nutrient booster with benefits for endurance, muscle adaptation, nutrient absorption, hormone balance and healthy testosterone production.
)
