Shungite's extraordinary therapeutic and anti-bacterial properties have been used in healing and beauty rituals for centuries.
Extensive scientific research, for the most part conducted in Russia, shows that Shungite’s unusual powers come from its complex chemical composition as well as the presence of carbon-based fullerenes.
The discovery of Fullerenes was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1998. A Fullerene is a molecule consisting of carbon atoms. Sometimes called a Buckyball, it resembles a soccer ball and is named after the famous architect Buckminster Fuller because its form reminds of the pattern of the geodesic dome he created.
These carbon-based molecules have strong anti-microbial and antibacterial properties as well as a proven unique ability to act as long-lasting antioxidants. Fullerenes are effective even in very small doses and the benefits can last for months.
When placed in water the Fullerenes in Shungite attract and neutralize contaminants. They are able to normalize cellular metabolism, increase enzyme activity and the stability of a cell. Fullerenes identify and neutralize the excess of free radicals, preventing cell damage.
Shungite has adsorption, catalytic and anti-bacterial properties:
- As a sorbent, it possesses unparalleled antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. It purifies air and water from many organic and inorganic compounds (sorbent noun: from Latin sorbēre to suck up, draw in, engulf)
- As a catalyst, Shungite ensures decomposition and restoration of sorbed organic substances
- As a carrier of multiple microelements and biologically active substances, Shungite intensifies biological processes in humans, animals and plants
- As a natural antioxidant, it can prevent cell damage by neutralizing free radicals, increase immunity and help with inflammation
- A unique material, Shungite actively interacts with various electromagnetic fields (anthropogenic high-frequency, solar, geo-pathogenic, bio-fields) and neutralizes their negative impact
Because of these properties, the Shungite is able:
- to kill a wide variety of bacteria and other pathogens
- to remove pesticides and pharmaceuticals
- to absorb various organic and inorganic toxins, chemicals, chlorine, nitrates as well as heavy metals
We've compiled a comprehensive list of formal science articles about this rare material. As it is only mined in Russia, many of the papers are in Russian. We've linked to most relevant articles in both English and Russian, so that you can read the studies for yourself.
REFERENCES
1. Science Direct (link)
“Shungite is an effective sorbent for removal of organic and inorganic substances, pathogenic bacteria and heavy metals from contaminated water.”
2. International Journal of Advanced Scientific and Technical Research (link)
“…It is shown that the water passed through Shungite has a general revitalizing effect on the body, reduces skin irritation, itching, rash, effective in vegetative-vascular dystonia, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidney stones and other diseases [19]. Shungite-based water filters have been developed and utilized in Russia since 1995. Now there is a certain number of large companies in the field of water purification that manufacture household and industrial filters based on natural Shungite mineral.
….Shungite has a broad spectrum of bactericidal properties; this mineral is adsorptive active against some bacterial cells, phages, and pathogenic saprophytes…
Absorptional, catalytic, and reduction-oxydation properties of Shungite favors its use in water treatment and water purification technologies, i.e. in treatment of sewage waters from many organic and inorganic substances (heavy metals, ammonia, organochlorine compounds, petroleum products, pesticides, phenols, surfactants, etc.). In addition, Shungite has a strongly marked biological activity and bactericidal properties.”
3. Journal of Health, Medicine and Nursing (link)
“ In addition, owing to adsorption activity of shungite against pathogenic microflora, shungite has strong bactericidal properties that allow utilizing this mineral in efficient disinfection of drinking water in water treatment and water purification technologies. Bactericidal activity of shungite has been observed against pathogenic saprophytes and Protozoa. There is evidence that after the passage of water containing bacterium E. coli, through shungite filter there results in almost complete removal of this bacterium.
… valuable properties of shungite – adsorptional, bactericidal, catalytic, reduction-oxidation properties, as well as the ability of shungite minerals to screen off electromagnetic and radio radiations. These properties have made the use of shungite in various scientific fields, industry and technology, for creating on its basis a variety of new nano-technological materials with nano-molecular structure.”
4. Rice University, January 2017 (link)
Treated carbon pulls radioactive elements from water: Researchers at Rice, Kazan universities develop unique sorbents, target Fukushima accident site.
5. Carbon, Volume 115, May 2017 (link)
Oxidatively modified carbon as an efficient material for removing radionuclides from water
6. NC Newchemistry, 2006 (link)
“The ecological potential of shungite is very wide. It is realized in processes of purification of water and air, protection of a person against electromagnetic radiation of different nature, increase of immune characteristics of a person and animals, in medicinal properties in relation to a wide range of diseases."
7. Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biology, Karelian Research Centre (link)
Mедицинские Нанотехнологии (Medicinal Nano-Technologies)
Перспективы использования фуллеренов в терапии болезней органов дыхания p.70
“..Fullerenes are unusual, interesting and very promising compounds in terms of their potential for medical use as medicines. You have to admit that we know very little about fullerenes, even though a lot of work has been done in the last 10 years to understand their place in nanotechnology.
Today, the proof of the absence of toxic effects of C60 allows us to proceed to study their biological effects on humans.”
Until recently, filters were used where activated carbon was used as an adsorbent. The use of such filters has been identified as a hazard because when water passes through activated carbon the latter is washed out in small amounts and interacts with chlorine during boiling, which in turn leads to the formation of dioxin, a toxic agent for cell genetic material.
It is biologically dangerous because coal is a breeding ground for a number of pathogenic micro-organisms.
These circumstances have led to a preference for shungite, which are good adsorbents and are devoid of the above-mentioned side effects. In addition, during the passage of water through shungite, the latter is structured and saturated with fullerenes, nanoparticles with a wide range of biological activity.
The flushing of fullerenes from shungite rock, as was shown in the studies, depends directly on the area (shungite fraction) and the time of contact of the rock with water.
Analysis of tap water through the shungite filter showed that it cleans it of heavy metals (Cd, Pb and Co) with the removal, including Mn, Cu and Zn, which play an important role in the pathogenesis of BFR, and saturates the water Si, K, S, Ca and Mg.
The use over a period of 3-4 months of water passed through the shungite filter and enriched with said bioelements was positively correlated with the reduction of the bronchial asthma and allergoedermatoses in these patient populations [4].
8. Biosensors 2019, 9(2), 81 (link)
Academy of Biology and Biotechnologies, Russia
Biological Effects of C60 Fullerene Revealed with Bacterial Biosensor—Toxic or Rather Antioxidant?
“The ability of C60 to penetrate through biological membranes, conduct protons, and interact with free radicals is likely responsible for its protective effect detected for E. coli. Thus, fullerene can be considered as a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant, worth further researching as a prospective component of novel medications.”
9. ACS Publications (link)
[60]Fullerene is a Powerful Antioxidant in Vivo with No Acute or Subacute Toxicity
“Our results show that aqueous C60 suspensions prepared without using any polar organic solvent not only have no acute or sub-acute toxicity in rodents but they also protect their livers in a dose-dependent manner against free-radical damage.”
