What Is Shilajit? What It's Good For, Does It Work, and Is It Safe?

Shilajit has gone from a little-known mountain resin to one of the most searched supplements online. With that popularity comes a lot of big promises and not much straight talk. This guide answers the questions people ask most often about shilajit: what it is, what it does, whether it works, whether it's safe, and how to take it. Where the research is strong we say so, and where it's thin or missing we say that too.

What is shilajit?

Shilajit is a dark brown to black, tar-like substance that slowly seeps out of rock crevices in high mountain ranges, especially the Himalayas, the Karakoram, the Altai and the Caucasus. It forms over hundreds of years as plant matter and microorganisms break down and become trapped and compressed in layers of rock. In the warmer months the resin softens and oozes out, which is when it can be collected.

The name comes from Sanskrit and is often translated as conqueror of mountains. You may also see it called mumijo, mumie or mineral pitch. When people talk about Himalayan shilajit, they simply mean shilajit collected in the Himalayan region. Ours, for example, is collected by hand above 17,000 feet in Gilgit-Baltistan in northern Pakistan.

Raw shilajit isn't eaten straight from the rock. It's soaked in water so the resin separates from stone and soil, filtered several times and then slowly dried until it becomes the thick resin sold in jars. It's also made into drops, capsules and gummies.

What is shilajit made of?

Shilajit is mostly organic material, mainly fulvic acid and humic acid, mixed with a range of naturally occurring minerals. Fulvic acid is the compound it's best known for, and the amount varies a lot from one source to another. Our latest SGS test measured 35% fulvic acid and 15% humic acid. Shilajit also contains smaller compounds called dibenzo-alpha-pyrones, which researchers use as markers of genuine shilajit.

What is shilajit good for?

This is the question everyone asks, and the honest answer is that the evidence is promising in a few areas but still early. Most of what you read online goes well beyond what has actually been shown in people. Here's a plain summary of the human research so far:

So if someone tells you shilajit is proven to do a long list of things, be sceptical. The fair way to put it is that shilajit is a traditional, mineral-rich supplement with some encouraging early research, especially for men, and plenty of questions still to answer.

What does shilajit do?

At the simplest level, shilajit adds fulvic acid, humic acid and a range of trace minerals to your diet. Fulvic acid is the part researchers are most interested in. It's a natural compound that can bind to minerals, and scientists are studying whether it helps the body take up and use them, and how it behaves inside cells.

Beyond that, it's important to be careful. Many claims you'll see about what shilajit does inside the body come from test tube or animal studies, which don't always translate to people. The studies that have been done in humans are listed in the table above. If you're considering shilajit, it's best to think of it as a traditional addition to a healthy routine rather than something that will dramatically change how you feel.

What is shilajit used for?

In traditional Ayurvedic practice, shilajit has been used for centuries as a rasayana, a kind of daily tonic taken for general strength and vitality. In Central Asia and the Himalayas it has long been part of everyday routines, often dissolved in warm milk or water.

Today, people mostly take shilajit as a daily supplement for general wellness and mineral intake, as part of an active lifestyle, and, for many men, out of interest in the testosterone research. Most people take it once a day, dissolved in a warm drink or in a more convenient form like drops, capsules or gummies.

What does shilajit do for men?

Most of the human research on shilajit has been done in men, which is why it's so popular with them. The most cited study gave healthy men aged 45 to 55 purified shilajit or a placebo for 90 days. The men taking shilajit had higher total testosterone at the end than the placebo group. A separate, smaller study in men with low sperm counts reported improvements in sperm count and movement after 90 days, although it had no placebo group and many participants didn't finish. Another trial in active young men found the higher dose helped them hold on to more strength after a tiring workout.

These are real studies, but each one is small, and none of them has been repeated at a large scale. Shilajit isn't a replacement for anything a doctor has prescribed. If you have concerns about your testosterone levels, fertility or energy, talk to your healthcare professional first.

Does shilajit increase testosterone?

There is some evidence that it may. The 90-day placebo-controlled trial in men aged 45 to 55 is the strongest study, and it found a meaningful rise in total testosterone compared with placebo. That's encouraging, but it's one study in one age group. We don't yet know whether the same thing happens in younger men, how much difference it makes day to day, or how long any effect lasts. Treat claims of dramatic testosterone boosts with caution, and if you're on testosterone therapy or any related prescription, check with your doctor before adding shilajit.

Does shilajit increase size?

No. There is no scientific evidence that shilajit changes the size of any part of the body. Products sold with that promise are making a claim that hasn't been shown in any study, and it's a good sign that a seller is more interested in a quick sale than in telling you the truth.

Does shilajit work? Does it actually work?

It depends what you expect it to do. If you expect a traditional, mineral-rich supplement that some small studies suggest may support testosterone and recovery in men, that's a fair expectation. If you expect overnight energy, weight loss or anything you've seen in a dramatic advert, you'll probably be disappointed.

Two things make the biggest difference to whether shilajit works for you. The first is quality. A lot of shilajit sold online is diluted or fake, and that kind of product isn't going to do anything useful. Our guide on how to tell if shilajit is real explains how to check. The second is consistency. The studies above ran for 8 to 12 weeks of daily use, so taking it for a few days and stopping isn't a fair test. Most people give it a couple of months before deciding whether it suits them.

Is shilajit good for you?

For most healthy adults, purified shilajit from a tested source appears to be well tolerated, and it adds fulvic acid and trace minerals to your diet. The studies that ran for up to 90 days didn't report serious problems. That said, the research is limited, and the US Food and Drug Administration hasn't reviewed shilajit for safety or effectiveness, so the quality of the product you buy matters a great deal.

Shilajit is good for you only if it's clean and genuine. Raw or poorly processed shilajit can contain heavy metals or other contaminants, which is the opposite of what you want from a supplement.

Is shilajit safe?

Purified, properly tested shilajit seems to be well tolerated by most healthy adults at the doses used in studies. The main safety concern is contamination. Because shilajit comes out of rock, untested products can carry heavy metals like lead and arsenic. Before you buy any brand, look for a lab report that tests for heavy metals and shows the results. Our SGS report found no arsenic, cadmium, lead or mercury at the lab's detection limits, and you can read it in full on our lab reports page.

Some people should be more careful or avoid it altogether:

Pregnant or breastfeeding women. There isn't enough research to know whether it's safe, so it's best avoided.

Children and teenagers. Shilajit is meant for adults over 18.

Anyone taking medication or with an existing health condition. This includes kidney, liver or prostate problems and anyone on testosterone therapy. Talk to your healthcare professional first, because interactions haven't been well studied.

Anyone with a mineral allergy. Stop taking it and get help straight away if you notice signs of an allergic reaction such as a rash, swelling or difficulty breathing.

Can women take shilajit?

Yes, adult women can take shilajit. Nothing about it is specific to men. It's the same fulvic acid and minerals whoever takes it. The difference is that almost all of the human research has been done in men, so there's very little evidence on what it does specifically for women. The one firm rule is that pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid it, because its safety in pregnancy hasn't been studied. Women who are taking medication or have a health condition should check with their healthcare professional first, the same as men.

How to take shilajit

How you take shilajit depends on the format you choose:

Resin. Take a pea-size amount, about 0.5 g, and stir it into a glass of warm (not boiling) water, tea or milk until it dissolves. It tastes earthy and bitter, so many people prefer it in tea or warm milk.

Drops. Add the serving on the label to water, coffee, tea or a smoothie.

Capsules. Swallow one with a glass of water.

Gummies. Chew one or two a day, ideally after a meal.

Many people take shilajit in the morning as part of their daily routine, but there's no evidence that one time of day is better than another. The most important thing is to take it consistently. If you're not sure which format suits you, our guide to shilajit resin, drops, capsules and gummies compares them side by side.

How much shilajit per day?

Most human studies used between 250 mg and 500 mg of purified shilajit a day, often split into two doses. For resin, a pea-size piece is roughly 300 to 500 mg. Our resin label suggests 0.5 g a day.

Start with the serving on your product's label rather than guessing, especially if you're switching between formats, because the amount of shilajit per serving varies between brands. If you take more than one format on the same day, keep your total to one label serving. More isn't better, and there's no research on high doses.

Where to buy shilajit

You can find shilajit online, in some health food stores and on large marketplaces, but quality varies enormously. Wherever you buy, look for these things before you pay:

A recent lab report from a named, independent lab, with a report number you can verify, measured fulvic acid content and heavy metal results.

A clear origin, so you know where the shilajit was collected and processed.

A fair price per serving. Very cheap shilajit is a warning sign, and our shilajit price guide explains why.

A money-back guarantee, so you're not stuck with a product that doesn't suit you.

Alpine Organic shilajit is collected above 17,000 feet in Gilgit-Baltistan, tested by SGS, and produced in an ISO 22000, ISO 9001, GMP and Halal certified facility. You can see every certificate on our certifications page. It ships free within the US and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

References

Pandit S. et al. (2016). Clinical evaluation of purified Shilajit on testosterone levels in healthy volunteers. Andrologia.
Biswas T.K. et al. (2010). Clinical evaluation of spermatogenic activity of processed Shilajit in oligospermia. Andrologia.
Keller J.L. et al. (2019). The effects of Shilajit supplementation on fatigue-induced decreases in muscular strength. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
WebMD. Shilajit: uses, side effects and precautions.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This article is for general information and is not a substitute for advice from a qualified healthcare professional. For adults 18 years of age and over. Not recommended for pregnant or nursing women. If you take any medication or have a health condition, speak to your healthcare professional before use.