Shilajit: Benefits, Dosage, Safety And What The Research Shows

Shilajit is a sticky, tar-like substance that seeps from rocks in the Himalayas and other mountain ranges, used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine as a “rejuvenator.” Modern supplements use purified extracts standardized to fulvic acids. A handful of small human trials, mostly of one branded extract (PrimaVie) at 250 to 500 mg a day, link shilajit to higher testosterone in middle-aged men, less strength loss after fatiguing exercise and better sperm counts. The research is thin and mostly industry-linked, and raw shilajit can carry lead, arsenic and mercury, so purification and batch testing matter more than with most supplements.

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What Is Shilajit?

Shilajit (also spelled salajeet and known as mumie or moomiyo) is a brown-black, resin-like material that oozes from rock layers in high mountain regions, most famously the Himalayas. Scientists still debate where it comes from. Some think it forms from plant matter decomposed by microbes over long periods; others consider it largely mineral. A 2025 review concluded that no comprehensive chemical analysis of shilajit has ever been done, so its exact composition is not known with certainty.^[14]

What is known: shilajit contains humic substances (mainly fulvic acids), small organic compounds called dibenzo-alpha-pyrones (DBPs), proteins and a long list of minerals.^[2][7] It also naturally contains toxic metals, which is the main safety issue discussed below.^[10]

What Is Fulvic Acid?

Fulvic acids are a family of small, water-soluble humic compounds formed as organic matter breaks down. They are the main marker that shilajit extracts are standardized to. Reviews credit fulvic acid and DBPs with most of shilajit’s proposed effects, including antioxidant activity and support for cellular energy (ATP) production, but most of that mechanistic evidence comes from animal and lab studies.^[7] Lab work has also found that fulvic acid can block the clumping of tau protein, a process linked to Alzheimer’s disease, though this has not been tested as a treatment in people.^[8]

How Does Shilajit Work?

Nobody has pinned down how shilajit acts in the human body. The leading ideas are:

• Mitochondrial energy support. In a rat model of chronic fatigue, processed shilajit (standardized to about 57% fulvic acids) reduced fatigue-like behavior and improved markers of mitochondrial function in the brain.^[9] This is animal data only.
• Hormonal effects. Human trials have measured higher testosterone and DHEA-S levels in men, with stable LH and FSH, which suggests the effect is not simply a stronger signal from the pituitary gland.^[1]
• Connective tissue and collagen. Muscle and skin biopsy studies found that shilajit switched on genes tied to collagen and the extracellular matrix, though gene changes are not proof of health benefits.^[4][5]

Shilajit Benefits: What The Research Shows

The human evidence for shilajit comes from fewer than a dozen small trials, and several were run or funded by companies that sell the extract. Here is what they found, with an honest rating for each use.

Testosterone In Middle-Aged Men (Evidence: Limited)

The most cited study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in healthy men aged 45 to 55. Those who took 250 mg of purified shilajit twice a day for 90 days had significantly higher total testosterone, free testosterone and DHEA-S than the placebo group, while LH and FSH stayed steady.^[1]

A 2024 systematic review of “testosterone boosters” covering 52 studies rated purified shilajit extract (PrimaVie) as only “possibly effective” for men with late-onset hypogonadism (age-related low testosterone).^[13] That is about as strong as the verdict gets: one positive trial, not yet independently replicated, in a narrow group. Men with normal testosterone should not expect noticeable changes, and anyone with symptoms of low testosterone should get tested by a doctor rather than self-treat.

Muscle Fatigue And Recovery (Evidence: Limited)

In an 8-week trial, 63 recreationally active young men took 250 mg a day of PrimaVie, 500 mg a day or a placebo. Researchers then had them do 50 maximal leg extensions to induce fatigue. In the stronger half of the group, the 500 mg arm lost about 9% of its strength compared with 16 to 17% for the low-dose and placebo groups, and had lower levels of hydroxyproline, a marker of collagen breakdown. The 250 mg dose did no better than placebo.^[2]

The positive result came from a subgroup analysis, which makes it weaker evidence than a whole-group effect.

Sperm Count And Male Fertility (Evidence: Preliminary)

In a study of men with low sperm counts (below 20 million per milliliter), 100 mg of processed shilajit twice daily for 90 days was followed by a 61% rise in total sperm count, better motility and a 23.5% rise in serum testosterone among the 28 men who finished. Liver and kidney tests did not change.^[3]

There was no placebo group, and 7 of the 35 men enrolled did not complete the study, so these results cannot show that shilajit caused the improvement. Couples dealing with infertility should work with a fertility specialist.

Bone Density After Menopause (Evidence: Limited)

A 48-week randomized trial gave 60 postmenopausal women with osteopenia a placebo, 250 mg or 500 mg a day of a standardized aqueous shilajit extract. Bone mineral density at the spine and hip declined in the placebo group but was preserved in a dose-dependent way with shilajit, alongside lower markers of bone breakdown, oxidative stress and inflammation.^[6] It is a single trial and needs replication before it should change anyone’s bone-health plan.

Memory And Brain Health (Evidence: Preliminary, Mostly Lab-Based)

Shilajit is sometimes sold as a nootropic, and researchers have proposed it for age-related cognitive decline based on fulvic acid’s effect on tau proteins in the lab.^[8] We could not find a well-designed human trial showing that shilajit improves memory, focus or other measures of cognition. If brain performance is your main goal, ingredients with human cognitive data, such as creatine, bacopa or citicoline, are a better bet.

Studied Shilajit Doses

Purpose	Dose	Duration	Study
Testosterone in men 45 to 55	250 mg twice daily (500 mg/day)	90 days	Pandit 2016[1]
Strength retention after fatigue	500 mg/day (250 mg/day ineffective)	8 weeks	Keller 2019[2]
Sperm count (uncontrolled)	100 mg twice daily	90 days	Biswas 2010[3]
Bone density after menopause	250 or 500 mg/day	48 weeks	Pingali 2022[6]
Skin gene expression	125 or 250 mg twice daily	14 weeks	Das 2019[5]
Muscle gene expression	250 mg twice daily	8 weeks plus 4 with exercise	Das 2016[4]

The pattern is clear: most positive results came at 500 mg a day of a purified extract, usually split into two 250 mg doses. These doses apply to standardized extracts, not raw resin.

Forms And What To Look For

PrimaVie: The Most-Studied Purified Extract

PrimaVie is a branded, purified shilajit extract originally developed by Natreon. Its supplier describes it as a solvent-free aqueous extract standardized to more than 50% fulvic acids and more than 10.3% dibenzo-alpha-pyrones. The PrimaVie name appears in the abstracts of the muscle-fatigue trial and in the 2024 testosterone-booster review, which is why most people who follow the research look for it.^[2][13] Because the trials used a specific purified material, results do not automatically transfer to other shilajit products.

Resin Vs Capsules Vs Powder

Form	Pros	Cons
Purified extract capsules	Exact dose, matches the form used in trials, no taste	Costs more per gram
Purified extract powder	Cheaper per dose, flexible dosing	Needs a milligram scale; strong earthy, bitter taste
Raw resin (“live” or “gold-grade”)	Marketed as traditional and less processed	Dose is guesswork; not the form studied; highest contamination risk

Resin is often marketed as more “authentic,” but purification is how manufacturers remove the heavy metals found in raw material. If you prefer resin, insist on a recent third-party certificate of analysis (COA) for that batch.

What To Check On The Label And COA

• A named, standardized extract (for example, PrimaVie) with a stated fulvic acid percentage
• A dose per capsule that makes it easy to reach 250 to 500 mg a day
• A batch COA showing lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury results against stated limits
• Microbial testing, since shilajit is a natural, unsterilized raw material

Heavy Metals: The Biggest Shilajit Safety Issue

Shilajit is literally a mineral-rich substance that comes out of rock, so contamination is not a theoretical risk. A 2024 review found reports of around 65 metals in shilajit samples, including lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury. Most published samples fell under WHO and FDA limits, but some exceeded them, and the authors warned that taking shilajit without knowing its metal content is not safe.^[10]

Independent testing backs that up. When researchers analyzed commonly sold Indian and Pakistani shilajit, both contained aluminum, lead, arsenic, mercury and other metals at levels above standard permissible limits.^[11] More broadly, a JAMA study of Ayurvedic medicines bought online found that about one in five contained detectable lead, mercury or arsenic, including products made in the United States, and three in four of the metal-containing products claimed to follow Good Manufacturing Practices.^[12] A GMP claim alone is not proof of purity.

This is why we only point readers to purified extracts with batch-level heavy-metal results they can read themselves. See our Nootropics Depot shilajit review for what one brand’s COA actually shows.

Side Effects And Safety

In the published trials, purified shilajit was well tolerated:

• No reported adverse effects over 14 weeks in middle-aged women.^[5]
• No changes in blood glucose or blood lipids after 12 weeks in overweight adults.^[4]
• Unchanged liver and kidney tests after 90 days in men with low sperm counts.^[3]

A 2014 safety review described shilajit as safe based on animal and human data but noted that well-controlled human studies are few and that standardized products need more study.^[7] Those reassurances apply to purified, tested extracts, not to raw or unverified products. Long-term safety beyond about a year has not been studied.

Drug Interactions And Who Should Avoid Shilajit

No formal drug-interaction studies on shilajit have been published that we could find, which means interactions are unknown, not absent. Use caution and talk with a doctor or pharmacist if any of these apply:

• Hormone-sensitive conditions. Because shilajit raised testosterone and DHEA-S in a clinical trial, people with prostate cancer, other hormone-sensitive cancers or those on hormone therapy should avoid it unless a doctor approves.^[1]
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. There are no safety data, and contamination risk adds to the concern. Avoid it.
• Children. Not studied; avoid.
• Kidney disease or heavy-metal exposure. Even small amounts of contaminants may matter more if your body clears metals less effectively.
• Prescription medications. Check with your pharmacist, especially for diabetes, blood pressure or hormone medications, since shilajit’s effects on these systems have not been tested alongside drugs.

Shilajit Vs Tongkat Ali

“Shilajit vs tongkat ali” is a common question because both are sold for male vitality. They are very different substances:

	Shilajit	Tongkat Ali
What it is	Purified mineral pitch from rock	Root extract of the Eurycoma longifolia shrub
Key marker	Fulvic acids, dibenzo-alpha-pyrones	Eurycomanone
Typical studied dose	500 mg/day (250 mg twice daily)	200 to 400 mg/day of water extract
Testosterone evidence	One RCT in men 45 to 55[1]	Meta-analysis of five RCTs, clearest in men with low testosterone[16]
Other evidence	Strength retention after fatigue, sperm, bone density	Stress hormones and mood in stressed adults[15]
Main quality risk	Heavy metals in raw material	Lead in some products, unclear extract strength

Tongkat ali has the larger body of hormone and mood research. No study has tested the two together. For the full tongkat evidence, read our tongkat ali guide and our Nootropics Depot tongkat ali review.

How Shilajit Pairs With Other Supplements

People often stack shilajit with tongkat ali for male vitality, ashwagandha for stress or creatine for training, which has far stronger performance evidence than shilajit. No study has tested any of these combinations, so add one ingredient at a time. Our guide to nootropic stacks and adaptogens guide cover how to combine supplements sensibly.

Where To Buy Shilajit

Choose a purified, standardized extract with a published, batch-specific COA that includes heavy metals. PrimaVie is the extract with the most human research behind it. We recommend Nootropics Depot’s PrimaVie products because the company posts batch COAs with lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury results on each product page. On Amazon, buy only from listings marked “Sold by Nootropics Depot,” and read our Nootropics Depot review for more on the company’s testing.

Shilajit FAQs

What Is Shilajit Good For?

The best human evidence, all from small trials, suggests purified shilajit may support testosterone levels in middle-aged men and help retain strength after fatiguing exercise at 500 mg a day.^[1][2] Claims about memory, longevity and general “energy” are mostly based on animal or lab research.

How Much Shilajit Should I Take?

Most positive trials used 500 mg a day of purified PrimaVie extract, often as 250 mg twice daily.^[1][2] A dose of 250 mg a day did not beat placebo in the muscle-fatigue study.^[2] Follow the label of a standardized product and do not apply these doses to raw resin.

Is Shilajit Safe To Take Every Day?

Daily purified shilajit was well tolerated for up to 48 weeks in trials.^[6] The bigger risk is contamination: raw and unbranded products have tested above limits for lead, arsenic and mercury.^[11] Use only products with batch heavy-metal testing.

Is Shilajit A Nootropic?

Not in the evidence-based sense. Lab research on fulvic acid and tau proteins has led to interest in brain aging, but human trials on cognition are lacking.^[8] See our best nootropics guide for ingredients with human cognitive data.

Can Women Take Shilajit?

Women took part in the skin and bone-density trials without reported problems.^[5][6] Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or have hormone-sensitive conditions should avoid it.

References

1. Pandit S, Biswas S, Jana U, et al. Clinical evaluation of purified Shilajit on testosterone levels in healthy volunteers. Andrologia. 2016;48(5):570-575. PubMed
2. Keller JL, Housh TJ, Hill EC, et al. The effects of Shilajit supplementation on fatigue-induced decreases in muscular strength and serum hydroxyproline levels. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2019;16(1):3. PubMed
3. Biswas TK, Pandit S, Mondal S, et al. Clinical evaluation of spermatogenic activity of processed Shilajit in oligospermia. Andrologia. 2010;42(1):48-56. PubMed
4. Das A, Datta S, Rhea B, et al. The human skeletal muscle transcriptome in response to oral Shilajit supplementation. Journal of Medicinal Food. 2016;19(7):701-709. PubMed
5. Das A, El Masry MS, Gnyawali SC, et al. 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. 2019;38(6):526-536. PubMed
6. Pingali U, Nutalapati C. Shilajit extract reduces oxidative stress, inflammation, and bone loss to dose-dependently preserve bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with osteopenia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Phytomedicine. 2022;105:154334. PubMed
7. Stohs SJ. Safety and efficacy of shilajit (mumie, moomiyo). Phytotherapy Research. 2014;28(4):475-479. PubMed
8. Carrasco-Gallardo C, Guzmán L, Maccioni RB. Shilajit: a natural phytocomplex with potential procognitive activity. International Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. 2012;2012:674142. PubMed
9. Surapaneni DK, Adapa SR, Preeti K, et al. Shilajit attenuates behavioral symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome by modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and mitochondrial bioenergetics in rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2012;143(1):91-99. PubMed
10. Hussain A, Saeed A, et al. Hazardous or advantageous: uncovering the roles of heavy metals and humic substances in Shilajit (phyto-mineral) with emphasis on heavy metals toxicity and their detoxification mechanisms. Biological Trace Element Research. 2024;202(12):5794-5814. PubMed
11. Aldakheel RK, Gondal MA, Alsayed HN, et al. Rapid determination and quantification of nutritional and poisonous metals in vastly consumed Ayurvedic herbal medicine (rejuvenator Shilajit) by humans using three advanced analytical techniques. Biological Trace Element Research. 2022;200(9):4199-4216. PubMed
12. Saper RB, Phillips RS, Sehgal A, et al. Lead, mercury, and arsenic in US- and Indian-manufactured Ayurvedic medicines sold via the Internet. JAMA. 2008;300(8):915-923. PubMed
13. Morgado A, Tsampoukas G, Sokolakis I, et al. Do “testosterone boosters” really increase serum total testosterone? A systematic review. International Journal of Impotence Research. 2024;36(4):348-364. PubMed
14. Kamgar E, Kaykhaii M, Zembrzuska J. A comprehensive review on Shilajit: what we know about its chemical composition. Critical Reviews in Analytical Chemistry. 2025;55(3):461-473. PubMed
15. Talbott SM, Talbott JA, George A, Pugh M. Effect of Tongkat Ali on stress hormones and psychological mood state in moderately stressed subjects. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2013;10(1):28. PubMed
16. Leisegang K, Finelli R, Sikka SC, Panner Selvam MK. Eurycoma longifolia (Jack) improves serum total testosterone in men: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Medicina (Kaunas). 2022;58(8):1047. PubMed