Last updated: October 2026
Shilajit is a mineral-rich resin that seeps from mountain rocks and is used in Ayurveda. Its claimed benefits rest on a few small human trials (testosterone, sperm, exercise fatigue and bone), several funded by an extract maker, and it has no authorised health claims in Great Britain. The main risk is heavy metals, so only buy purified, batch-tested products.
Quick facts: human trials are few and small, mostly in men, and used purified extracts or resin at about 200 to 1,000mg a day for 4 to 48 weeks. Independent tests have found lead, arsenic, mercury and thallium in some shilajit and shilajit supplements. Shilajit has no authorised health claims in Great Britain.
What is shilajit?
Shilajit is a dark brown to black, sticky substance that oozes from rock layers in high mountain ranges, best known from the Himalayas. It’s thought to form very slowly from broken-down plant matter, although a 2025 review of its chemistry points out that its exact origin and full make-up still aren’t known for certain. You’ll also see it called mumijo, mumie or mineral pitch.
In Ayurveda, India’s traditional medicine system, it’s a rasayana, taken to restore vitality. Today it’s sold as resin, capsules, powders and gummies, often marketed to men for “testosterone” and stamina.
What’s in it: fulvic acid and minerals
Most of shilajit’s weight (more than 80%) is humic substances, the best known being fulvic acid. Around 20% is minerals, mainly calcium, potassium and magnesium. It also contains amino acids, plant compounds called dibenzo-alpha-pyrones, and trace metals. The mix varies a lot from one region and batch to the next.
What “purified” shilajit means
Raw shilajit comes out of the rock mixed with soil, stone and plant debris. Purified shilajit has been cleaned and extracted to remove them, and almost every human trial below used a purified, standardised extract (one small 2026 study used a branded resin). Purification alone doesn’t prove a product is free of heavy metals, though. Only a lab test shows that.
Our pick
Flow CBD Oil With Ashwagandha & Maca
Flow CBD Oil is broad spectrum CBD with ashwagandha and maca for a daytime routine. Not for anyone with a thyroid, liver or autoimmune condition.
Add Flow CBD Oil 500mg to bag or choose another strength
Broad spectrum with 0% THC, every batch third-party lab tested, made in the UK. For adults only. We don’t recommend our products during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Free UK delivery over £45.
Subscribe from £22.49One-off from £29.99
View productShilajit benefits: what the evidence shows
Reviews describe plenty of lab and animal research but relatively few well-controlled human studies. Here’s every human trial we could find on PubMed for the claims you’ll see online, with who paid for it. The certainty column is our own plain-English rating.
| Claim | Study | People | Length and daily dose | Funded by | Result | Certainty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Testosterone | Pandit 2016, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled | Healthy men aged 45 to 55 | 90 days, 500mg (250mg twice a day) | Natreon Inc, a shilajit extract maker | Total and free testosterone and DHEAS rose versus placebo; LH and FSH unchanged | Low: one trial, not repeated |
| Sperm count and fertility | Biswas 2010, no placebo group | 35 men with low sperm counts (28 finished) | 90 days, 200mg (100mg twice a day after meals) | Not stated in the abstract | Sperm count up 61%, testosterone up 23% from the start | Very low: no comparison group |
| Exercise fatigue and strength | Keller 2019, randomised, placebo-controlled | 63 active men, average age 21 | 8 weeks, 250mg or 500mg | Natreon Inc | At 500mg, the stronger half kept more strength after a tiring workout; 250mg was no better than placebo | Low, mixed |
| Energy and fatigue (resin) | Yadav 2026, open-label pilot, no placebo | 25 healthy men aged 21 to 55 | 28 days, 500mg resin (250mg twice a day) | Authors work for the resin’s maker | Fatigue scores fell 32% and leg strength rose 13% from the start | Very low: no comparison group |
| Bone density | Pingali 2022, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled | 60 postmenopausal women aged 45 to 65 with low bone density | 48 weeks, 250mg or 500mg | Not stated in the abstract | Bone density fell less than with placebo | Low: one small trial |
| Bone healing | Sadeghi 2020, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled | 160 adults aged 18 to 60 after a shin bone (tibia) fracture | 28 days, two 500mg capsules | Not stated in the abstract | Bone union at 129 days versus 153 days on placebo | Low: one trial |
| Collagen | Neltner 2024, randomised, placebo-controlled | 35 trained young men | 8 weeks, 500mg or 1,000mg | Natreon Inc | A blood marker of collagen production rose | Very low: a blood marker only |
| Skin | Das 2019, randomised, placebo-controlled | 45 healthy women aged 30 to 65 | 14 weeks, 250mg or 500mg (in two doses) | Natreon Inc and a US government (NIH) grant | Better skin blood flow at the higher dose, and changes in skin gene activity | Very low: lab measures, not visible skin results |
| Memory and brain | Carrasco-Gallardo 2012 review | No human trials | Not applicable | Not applicable | Lab work on fulvic acid and tau, a protein linked to Alzheimer’s | Lab only |
| Altitude | Meena 2010 review | No controlled human trials found | Not applicable | Not applicable | Proposed for high-altitude problems on traditional and theoretical grounds | Traditional use only |
| Weight loss | Martinez 2025 | Adults taking a chromium blend | 12 weeks, only 6 to 12mg of shilajit in the blend | Not checked: shilajit was a minor ingredient | Can’t tell shilajit’s part from the blend | No evidence for shilajit alone |
Two things stand out. Most trials are small and short, and five of the eight trials that tested shilajit on its own were paid for, or run by people working for, a company that sells shilajit. That doesn’t make the results wrong, but independent trials that repeat them are still missing.
How long does shilajit take to work?
Nobody knows for certain. The trials measured results after 4 weeks at the earliest and mostly after 8 to 12 weeks, with the bone study running for 48 weeks. Claims of instant energy aren’t backed by any study we could find.
Shilajit for men: testosterone, libido and fertility
This is why shilajit trends on TikTok. The honest picture: one 90-day trial found a rise in testosterone and one uncontrolled study found better sperm counts. Neither has been repeated at scale, and a review of testosterone boosters found most supplements fail to raise testosterone at all.
If you have low energy, low sex drive or erection problems, the NHS says these often have nothing to do with hormones; stress, sleep, alcohol and mood play a big part. See your GP, who can arrange a testosterone blood test. Our guide to stress in men covers the lifestyle side, ashwagandha for men looks at a herb with a similar testosterone story, and supplements for men over 40 sorts the useful from the hype, and CBD and libido looks at another popular claim. If you’ve been trying for a baby for a year without success, the NHS advises seeing a GP rather than self-treating.
Shilajit for women
There’s very little research in women: one small trial on bone density after the menopause and one on skin blood flow and skin gene activity, both described in the table above. Because shilajit may raise testosterone, Cleveland Clinic notes possible acne, irregular periods or hair loss. For energy or menopause, start with our guides to creatine for women and the best supplements for energy, which rank options by evidence. If you feel drained all the time, check the common causes in why am I always tired? and iron deficiency symptoms first.
Lab and animal only: brain, chronic fatigue, altitude, hair
Many of the benefits listed on shilajit labels and in social media videos come from test tubes or animals, not people.
- Brain and memory. Lab studies of fulvic acid on tau protein. Researchers say clinical trials are still needed.
- Chronic fatigue. A 2012 study in rats made to swim to exhaustion every day for 21 days. Results in rats often don’t carry over to people.
- Altitude. A 2010 review proposed it for high-altitude problems, but we found no controlled human trials.
- Hair. We found no human studies of shilajit for hair growth or hair loss on PubMed.
If low energy is why you’re looking at shilajit, start with the common, checkable causes in why am I always tired?, and see sea moss for another mineral-rich TikTok trend with its own safety catch.
Shilajit side effects and heavy metal risks
Contamination is the main reason to be careful. Shilajit forms in rock, so it naturally picks up metals, and some products are poorly cleaned or tested.
- Many metals, sometimes above safe limits. A 2024 review found shilajit can carry around 65 metals, including lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury. Most studies found levels within WHO and FDA limits, but some found them exceeded.
- Lab tests of real samples. A 2022 analysis of shilajit from India and Pakistan found lead, arsenic and mercury, among others, above permissible limits.
- Thallium in supplements. A 2025 study found the toxic metal thallium in both raw shilajit and shilajit supplements, with some supplements containing more than the raw material.
- Ayurvedic products bought online. A 2008 JAMA study of 193 Ayurvedic medicines bought online found about 1 in 5 contained lead, mercury or arsenic. Three quarters of those claimed good manufacturing practice.
The US FDA warns that heavy metals usually aren’t on the label, and that poisoning can cause high blood pressure, kidney damage, tiredness, stomach upset and tingling in the hands and feet. The NHS also links exposure to certain metals with reduced fertility in men, which matters if that’s why you’re taking it.
Other side effects
Cleveland Clinic lists sore throat, headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, and in women possible acne, irregular periods and hair loss because shilajit may raise testosterone. One published case describes a pregnant woman who developed high blood pressure and low potassium after 6 months of mumijo, which settled when she stopped. Stop and speak to your GP or pharmacist if you feel unwell.
Can shilajit harm your kidneys or liver?
In the small trials that checked, liver and kidney blood tests stayed normal: over 90 days in the 2010 sperm study, and over 28 days in the 2026 resin study. Those were short studies of purified or tested products. The bigger worry is contamination, since the FDA lists kidney damage among the effects of heavy metal poisoning. If you have kidney or liver disease, speak to your doctor before taking it.
UK buying checklist: how to choose shilajit safely
“Pure”, “Himalayan” or “gold grade” on a label tells you nothing about metal content. If you still want to try it, these checks matter more than the format.
- Batch heavy metal results. Ask for a certificate of analysis from an independent lab, ideally ISO 17025 accredited, showing lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury for the batch you’re buying, with units and limits. Our guide to reading lab reports explains how to check a certificate.
- A UK seller who publishes them. Choose a UK business with a full address that lists results openly, not an overseas marketplace seller.
- Purified extract, amount stated. The label should say how much shilajit extract is in each serving. Avoid raw or “unprocessed” resin.
- Batch number that matches. The batch or lot number on your pack should match the one on the certificate. A single “sample” report from years ago isn’t enough, because shilajit varies so much from batch to batch.
- Microbial testing. Cleveland Clinic notes raw shilajit may also carry microbes, so look for those results too.
- No disease claims. A product promising to cure, treat or “boost testosterone” is breaking UK advertising rules, which says something about the seller.
Is shilajit legal in the UK?
Yes. Shilajit is widely sold in the UK as a food supplement. It isn’t a licensed medicine, and there are no authorised health claims for shilajit on the Great Britain nutrition and health claims register, so products can’t legally claim it boosts testosterone, fertility or energy. Being on sale doesn’t mean a product has been checked for purity, which is why the testing above matters.
Novel food status. We found no GB novel food authorisation for shilajit. The EU’s novel food catalogue, which the FSA describes as an indicative guide only, is reported to list shilajit (as mumijo) as not novel only when used in food supplements. That means adding it to everyday foods or drinks would need novel food authorisation, and it is the seller’s job to check a product’s status.
How to take shilajit: doses, resin vs capsules vs gummies
These are amounts used in research, not a recommendation. There’s no official safe dose, partly because products vary so much. Follow the label.
| Study | Daily amount of purified extract | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Testosterone trial (2016) | 500mg (250mg twice a day) | 90 days |
| Sperm count study (2010) | 200mg (100mg twice a day, after meals) | 90 days |
| Exercise fatigue trial (2019) | 250mg or 500mg | 8 weeks |
| Collagen trial (2024) | 500mg or 1,000mg | 8 weeks |
| Bone density trial (2022) | 250mg or 500mg | 48 weeks |
| Skin trial (2019) | 250mg or 500mg, in two doses | 14 weeks |
| Fracture trial (2020) | Two 500mg capsules | 28 days |
| Resin pilot (2026) | 500mg resin (250mg twice a day) | 28 days |
- Best time to take it. No study compared morning with evening. Trials split the dose through the day, and one gave it after meals.
Resin vs capsules vs gummies
| Format | Good to know | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Resin | The traditional form, usually dissolved in a warm drink. Only one small, uncontrolled study used a resin. | Hard to measure a dose by eye; look for a batch heavy metal report |
| Capsules or tablets | Closest to what the controlled trials used: a measured, purified extract. | Extract amount per capsule, and the batch report |
| Gummies | Easy to take but often low in shilajit and high in sugar. | Extract amount per gummy, sugar, and the batch report |
| Powder or drops | Varies widely between brands. | What “per serving” really contains |
- Keep courses short. Most trials lasted 8 to 12 weeks, so long-term safety isn’t well known.
Who should avoid shilajit
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding or trying to conceive: safety hasn’t been established. Talk to your GP first. One published case links mumijo in pregnancy with high blood pressure and low potassium. We don’t recommend our products during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Children and teenagers: there’s no safety research in under-18s. Our products are for adults only.
- Haemochromatosis or high iron levels: shilajit contains iron among its minerals, and the NHS advises people with high iron levels to avoid iron supplements.
- Diabetes, blood pressure or heart problems, blood thinners, a clotting or bleeding disorder, or liver or kidney disease: Cleveland Clinic advises speaking to your doctor first. This matters most if you take medicines for blood sugar, blood pressure or blood clotting.
- Prostate cancer or other hormone-sensitive conditions: because a trial found it raised testosterone and DHEAS, don’t take it unless your specialist agrees.
iIf you take any regular medicine, ask your GP or pharmacist before starting shilajit or any herbal supplement.
Shilajit vs ashwagandha vs maca
These three often appear together in men’s “vitality” products.
| Shilajit | Ashwagandha | Maca | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Mineral resin from rocks | Root of a shrub | Root vegetable from the Andes |
| Main uses | Testosterone, stamina | Stress, sleep | Energy, libido |
| Testosterone evidence | One small trial; “possibly effective” | “Possibly effective” in healthy men | Reviewed studies didn’t show a rise |
| Main safety point | Heavy metal contamination | Under UK safety review; liver and thyroid cautions | Traditionally eaten as a food |
For more, see ashwagandha side effects, ashwagandha’s UK safety review and maca root benefits. The same testosterone review rated tongkat ali “possibly effective” too, but most boosters it looked at failed.
Other options with their own guides: rhodiola rosea, holy basil and cordyceps, all ranked in adaptogens for energy. For gym strength, creatine has far more research than shilajit; for focus, see nootropics in the UK.
Other adaptogens in our range
We don’t sell shilajit. These are the two products in our range that use adaptogens:
- Flow CBD Oil combines broad spectrum CBD with ashwagandha root and maca in MCT oil, made for daytime routines. It contains ashwagandha, so read our ashwagandha safety guide first, and avoid it if you have a liver or thyroid condition. The FSA’s 10mg a day figure is precautionary advice rather than a legal limit, set while longer-term safety research continues. At Evopure we think it is a very cautious figure, and many adults use more. If you go above it, increase slowly, and check with your GP or pharmacist first if you take any medication.
- Reishi Mushroom Adaptogenic Complex is a hot chocolate made with cocoa, reishi mushroom, maca, cinnamon and coconut sugar. Cacao contains a little natural caffeine, so bear that in mind if you’re sensitive to it.
Related guides
- Both are for adults only, made in the UK and third-party lab tested, with reports on our lab testing page.
- See also our guide to black seed oil (kalonji), another traditional remedy popular on TikTok.
- Ginseng: types, benefits and side effects.
- Zinc is often sold for the same reasons: see does zinc increase testosterone? for what the evidence shows.
- For another traditional ingredient with thin human evidence, see reishi side effects and benefits.
iWe don’t recommend our products during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and if you take any medication, check with your GP or pharmacist first.
Sources 25
- Kamgar E et al (2025). A comprehensive review on shilajit: what we know about its chemical composition. Critical Reviews in Analytical Chemistry.
- Stohs SJ (2014). Safety and efficacy of shilajit (mumie, moomiyo). Phytotherapy Research.
- Pandit S et al (2016). Clinical evaluation of purified Shilajit on testosterone levels in healthy volunteers. Andrologia.
- Biswas TK et al (2010). Clinical evaluation of spermatogenic activity of processed Shilajit in oligospermia. Andrologia.
- Keller JL et al (2019). The effects of Shilajit supplementation on fatigue-induced decreases in muscular strength and serum hydroxyproline levels. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
- Neltner TJ et al (2024). Effects of 8 weeks of Shilajit supplementation on serum pro-c1α1, a biomarker of type 1 collagen synthesis. Journal of Dietary Supplements.
- Pingali U, Nutalapati C (2022). Shilajit extract reduces oxidative stress, inflammation, and bone loss to dose-dependently preserve bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with osteopenia. Phytomedicine.
- Morgado A et al (2024). Do “testosterone boosters” really increase serum total testosterone? A systematic review. International Journal of Impotence Research.
- Carrasco-Gallardo C et al (2012). Shilajit: a natural phytocomplex with potential procognitive activity. International Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Meena H et al (2010). Shilajit: a panacea for high-altitude problems. International Journal of Ayurveda Research.
- Martinez V et al (2025). Effects of 12 weeks of chromium, Phyllanthus emblica fruit extract, and Shilajit supplementation on markers of cardiometabolic health, fitness, and weight loss. Nutrients.
- Yadav D et al (2026). Safety and efficacy of TruBlk Shilajit resin supplementation on physical performance and blood biomarkers in healthy adults: a 28-day open-label pilot study. Cureus.
- Das A et al (2019). Skin transcriptome of middle-aged women supplemented with natural herbo-mineral shilajit shows induction of microvascular and extracellular matrix mechanisms. Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
- Sadeghi SMH et al (2020). Efficacy of momiai in tibia fracture repair: a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
- Surapaneni DK et al (2012). Shilajit attenuates behavioral symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome by modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and mitochondrial bioenergetics in rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology.
- Hussain A, Saeed A (2024). Hazardous or advantageous: uncovering the roles of heavy metals and humic substances in Shilajit. Biological Trace Element Research.
- Aldakheel RK et al (2022). Rapid determination and quantification of nutritional and poisonous metals in vastly consumed Ayurvedic herbal medicine (rejuvenator Shilajit). Biological Trace Element Research.
- Kamgar E et al (2025). Quantifying of thallium in Shilajit and its supplements to unveil the potential risk of consumption of this popular traditional medicine. BMC Chemistry.
- Saper RB et al (2008). Lead, mercury, and arsenic in US- and Indian-manufactured Ayurvedic medicines sold via the Internet. JAMA.
- Stavropoulos K et al (2018). Pseudohyperaldosteronism due to mumijo consumption during pregnancy: a licorice-like syndrome. Gynecological Endocrinology.
- US Food and Drug Administration. FDA warns about heavy metal poisoning associated with certain unapproved ayurvedic drug products.
- Cleveland Clinic. Shilajit benefits.
- NHS. The “male menopause”, Infertility and Haemochromatosis treatment.
- Food Standards Agency. Novel foods authorisation guidance. GOV.UK.
- PTAheute (2025). Shilajit: ein Superfood aus dem Himalaya (in German; reports the EU novel food catalogue entry for mumijo).
- Department of Health and Social Care. Great Britain nutrition and health claims (NHC) register. GOV.UK.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Evopure makes the Flow CBD Oil and Reishi Mushroom Adaptogenic Complex mentioned above; we don’t sell shilajit.
