Description: <b>Fulvic acid</b> is a naturally occurring compound found in soil, compost, and marine sediments. It is a complex mixture of many organic acids and has been studied for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-modulating properties.<br>
Shilajit is a complex mineral–organic exudate found in mountainous regions (e.g., Himalayas). It contains fulvic acids, humic substances, dibenzo-α-pyrones (DBPs), trace minerals, and other low-molecular-weight compounds. Most standardized extracts are characterized by fulvic acid content (often 15–60%).<br>
<br>
AD:<br>
-Fulvic acid may help inhibit tau fibril formatio<br>
-Antioxidant activity<br>
-Anti-inflammatory effects<br>
<br>
Cancer:<br>
-Fulvic acid’s role in reducing drug resistance and improving drug absorption has been suggested<br>
-Synergistic effects with chemotherapy<br>
<br>
<a href="https://nestronics.ca/dbx/tbResList.php?qv=358">Fulvic Acid</a> database results: Note how it is antioxidant for normal cells, but may produce ROS in cancer cells. (explains synergistic effect with chemo)
<br>
<a href="https://buyleafsource.ca/">LeafSource Fulvic Acid</a> note how they use Fulvic Acid to improve bioavailability of berberine.<br>
<br>
<!-- Shilajit / Fulvic Acid — Time-Scale Flagged Pathway Table -->
<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0">
<tr>
<th>Rank</th>
<th>Pathway / Axis</th>
<th>Cancer / Tumor Context</th>
<th>Normal Tissue Context</th>
<th>TSF</th>
<th>Primary Effect</th>
<th>Notes / Interpretation</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Mitochondrial function / electron transport support</td>
<td>Bioenergetic modulation (context-dependent)</td>
<td>ATP production support ↑ (reported)</td>
<td>P, R</td>
<td>Mitochondrial optimization</td>
<td>Dibenzo-α-pyrones and fulvic acids are reported to support mitochondrial respiration in non-cancer models.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>Nrf2 / antioxidant response</td>
<td>Redox tone modulation (model-dependent)</td>
<td>Nrf2 ↑; antioxidant enzymes ↑</td>
<td>R, G</td>
<td>Redox buffering</td>
<td>Commonly described as antioxidant; tumor-direction effects are not well established.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>NF-κB inflammatory signaling</td>
<td>NF-κB ↓ (reported; limited cancer data)</td>
<td>Inflammation tone ↓</td>
<td>R, G</td>
<td>Anti-inflammatory modulation</td>
<td>Anti-inflammatory effects are better documented than direct tumor cytotoxicity.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>ROS modulation</td>
<td>ROS ↓ or stabilized (context-dependent)</td>
<td>Oxidative stress ↓</td>
<td>P, R, G</td>
<td>Antioxidant effect</td>
<td>Acts primarily as redox stabilizer rather than ROS generator.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>AMPK / metabolic stress pathways</td>
<td>Metabolic modulation (limited direct tumor evidence)</td>
<td>Energy homeostasis support ↑</td>
<td>R, G</td>
<td>Metabolic adaptation</td>
<td>Some reports suggest improved metabolic efficiency; not a primary oncologic mechanism.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6</td>
<td>Cell-cycle / apoptosis</td>
<td>Apoptosis ↑ (reported in limited preclinical studies)</td>
<td>↔</td>
<td>G</td>
<td>Conditional cytotoxicity</td>
<td>Data are sparse and largely cell-line based; not a strong, consistent cytotoxic signature.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7</td>
<td>Immune modulation</td>
<td>Immune tone modulation (context-dependent)</td>
<td>Immune support ↑</td>
<td>R, G</td>
<td>Adaptogenic effect</td>
<td>Traditional use emphasizes immune and vitality support rather than direct anticancer activity.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8</td>
<td>Metal chelation / mineral transport</td>
<td>Trace mineral transport effects (uncertain tumor relevance)</td>
<td>Mineral absorption modulation</td>
<td>P</td>
<td>Biochemical modulation</td>
<td>Fulvic acid has chelation properties; relevance to oncology unclear.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9</td>
<td>Quality / contamination risk</td>
<td>Variable depending on preparation</td>
<td>Heavy metal exposure risk if unrefined</td>
<td>—</td>
<td>Safety constraint</td>
<td>Crude shilajit may contain heavy metals; purified standardized extracts preferred.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10</td>
<td>Bioavailability variability</td>
<td>Systemic exposure varies by extraction/purification</td>
<td>—</td>
<td>—</td>
<td>Translation constraint</td>
<td>Composition varies widely; standardization typically based on fulvic acid content.</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p><b>Time-Scale Flag (TSF):</b> P / R / G</p>
<ul>
<li><b>P</b>: 0–30 min (rapid mitochondrial/redox interactions)</li>
<li><b>R</b>: 30 min–3 hr (acute signaling and metabolic shifts)</li>
<li><b>G</b>: >3 hr (gene-regulatory adaptation and phenotype outcomes)</li>
</ul>