Shilajit: Evidence, Trial Doses & Interactions

About Shilajit

A blackish-brown exudate that seeps from rock in the Himalayas and other mountain ranges, composed of humic substances, fulvic acid and mineral matter from centuries of plant decomposition. It is a geological material rather than a plant extract.

Shilajit is sold as an ancient rejuvenator with a modern trial literature that is small, largely Indian and Russian, and frequently linked to the companies producing purified extracts. The larger issue is what it is: an unrefined mineral exudate that has been documented to contain heavy metals, mycotoxins and free radicals when not properly purified — and purification standards are not enforceable at retail.

Sold as

Purified resin, Powder, Capsule, Liquid drops

Standardised to

Some products state fulvic acid percentage or dibenzo-alpha-pyrone content — a product without this marker may not resemble what was studied.

Also known as

Mumijo, Mumie, Salajeet, Asphaltum punjabianum

Regulation: Sold as a dietary supplement in the US with no pre-market review. Ayurvedic and mountain-mineral products have been the subject of repeated advisories over heavy-metal content, and unpurified shilajit is specifically warned against in traditional texts as well as modern testing.

What the research used

The amounts, forms and durations published trials of Shilajit actually administered.

These are the amounts published trials administered — not a recommendation, and not a dose to copy. Trial participants were screened, supervised and given a characterised preparation. What is in a retail bottle is frequently not what was studied, and the amount that suits one person is not general advice.

Studied for Testosterone, fatigue and general use
250–500 mg
Not enough
Purified extract, once or twice daily · 8–12 weeks
From a small number of trials of purified branded extracts, several with manufacturer involvement. Raw or crudely processed shilajit is a different and less predictable material.

This is general information about food, not medical advice. It cannot diagnose, treat or replace guidance from a clinician who knows your history.

When it was taken

Each window says whether a trial compared it against an alternative, or whether it is convention and pharmacology. Most timing advice is the second kind.

None of the timings below were directly compared in a trial. They reflect how the research happened to dose, or what the pharmacology implies — which is not the same as a timing being better.

Any time
Not enough
No timing has been examined in human studies.
Timing was not directly compared. This reflects convention or how the compound behaves in the body, not a trial showing this window works better.

Exercise performance

Muscle & Physical Performance

Not enough evidence

Evidence is limited for shilajit and strength, fatigue or testosterone. The trials are small, mostly from producing regions, and often involve the manufacturer of the extract tested.

Not enough evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

View the 3 sources

Clinical evaluation of purified Shilajit on testosterone levels in healthy volunteers.(opens in a new tab)
Randomised controlled trial · Andrologia · 2016 · PMID 26395129
Effects of 12 Weeks of Chromium, Phyllanthus emblica Fruit Extract, and Shilajit Supplementation on Markers of Cardiometabolic Health, Fitness, and Weight Loss in Men and Women with Risk Factors to Metabolic Syndrome Initiating an Exercise and Diet Intervention: A Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.(opens in a new tab)
Randomised controlled trial · Nutrients · 2025 · PMID 40573153
The effects of Shilajit supplementation on fatigue-induced decreases in muscular strength and serum hydroxyproline levels.(opens in a new tab)
Randomised controlled trial · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2019 · PMID 30728074

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Iron status

Women's Health

Not enough evidence

There is not enough human research to support shilajit for iron status or anaemia, despite the mineral framing used to market it.

Not enough evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated not enough evidenceby default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Things to know

Interactions, contraindications and dose limits, most serious first. Concentrated extracts interact with medication in ways the whole plant does not, so this section carries more weight here than it does on a food page.

Worth knowing
Heavy metals, mycotoxins and unpurified material
Raw shilajit has been found to contain lead, arsenic, mercury and fungal toxins. Traditional practice requires purification, and modern testing of retail products has found metal content exceeding safe limits. This is the dominant risk with the product.
Worth knowing
Iron overload risk
Shilajit can contain substantial iron. Anyone with haemochromatosis, thalassaemia or another iron-loading condition should avoid it entirely.
Avoid
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children
Given documented heavy-metal contamination, shilajit is inappropriate in pregnancy, breastfeeding and childhood, where lead exposure is most damaging.
Interaction
Blood pressure and glucose medication
Interacts withAntihypertensives, insulin, sulfonylureas
Reported effects on blood pressure and glucose may add to medication, and mineral content can interfere with absorption of some drugs.
Worth knowing
Gout and uric acid
Shilajit has been reported to raise uric acid, which matters for anyone with gout or a history of urate stones.

Shilajit

What shilajit may help with

About Shilajit

What the research used

When it was taken

Any time

The evidence in depth

Exercise performance

Iron status

Things to know

Heavy metals, mycotoxins and unpurified material

Iron overload risk

Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children

Blood pressure and glucose medication

Gout and uric acid

What shilajit may help with

About Shilajit

What the research used

When it was taken

🕐Any time

The evidence in depth

Exercise performance

Iron status

Things to know

Heavy metals, mycotoxins and unpurified material

Iron overload risk

Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children

Blood pressure and glucose medication

Gout and uric acid

Any time