Shilajit
What’s New This Month
- Products listed: Five shilajit products now appear in our buying table. None holds NSF/ANSI 173, NSF Certified for Sport or USP Verified status.
- Trials still unreviewed: The 2026 trials of 100 men and of people with muscle pain remain preprints that have not been peer reviewed. 1 2
- FDA objection: In April 2026 FDA told one company that its notification for a shilajit fulvic acid ingredient did not establish the ingredient’s identity or safety, and that a product containing it may be adulterated. 3
- Recall: Pure Shilajit Tonic 16 oz and 32 oz was recalled (Class II) in April 2026 because it may be under-processed, allowing Clostridium botulinum growth; the recall was still listed as ongoing at the end of September 2026. 4
- Lead notices: Two California Proposition 65 notices allege that specific shilajit products expose buyers to lead without a warning; these are allegations, and no lead amount has been published. 5 6
Overview
Shilajit, also called mumijo, is a mineral-rich resin that seeps from rocks in mountain regions. It is rich in fulvic acid, a natural organic acid. 7
India’s Ayurveda has long used it as a “rejuvenator.” It is sold as resin, powder, capsules and gummies. 8
Sellers claim it boosts testosterone, strength, energy, bones, fertility and the brain, and some make disease claims. The fertility claim rests on one study of 28 men with no placebo group. 9
How We Researched It
We rate each marketing claim with a modified version of GRADE, the system medical researchers use to say how sure we can be (i.e., high, moderate, low or very low), and check each trial with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, which asks whether a study’s design could skew its results. For shilajit we used 26 evidence rows, mostly from October 2022 to October 2026. We also checked 10 regulators and sources. The two largest 2026 trials are not yet peer reviewed. Four claims lack human evidence and are not scored.
Research NotesTop three benefits
Testosterone GRADE: Low
In 100 trained men, 250 mg twice daily for 90 days raised total testosterone 15.6%, against a 3.8% fall on placebo. 1 An older trial in men aged 45 to 55 also reported a rise, but its abstract gives no figures. 10
Bias check: The new trial is a preprint with no confidence ranges. The resin maker paid for it, and part of the gap came from the placebo group falling. The older trial was funded by Natreon Inc. A 2024 review of 27 testosterone boosters found most did not raise testosterone. 11
Strength and Recovery GRADE: Low
In the same trial, leg-press strength rose 26.0% versus 18.4%, and grip 12.5% versus 7.9%. 1 A 2019 trial found less strength loss at 500 mg a day, but only in a subgroup. 12 A 28-day pilot in 25 men also reported strength gains. 13
Bias check: Unrepeated, maker-funded and not peer reviewed. Placebo gains were large, which adds uncertainty. Natreon Inc. funded the 2019 trial. The 28-day pilot had no placebo group, and several authors worked for the resin maker.
Bone Density GRADE: Low
In 60 women with thin bones after menopause, 250 or 500 mg a day for 48 weeks held spine and hip bone density, which fell on placebo. 14
Bias check: One small trial, with product supplied by Natreon Inc. Fractures were not measured.
Benefit Evaluation
| Claim | Claim Verdict | Research Confidence | Supporting Evidence | Safety Risk | Product Quality | FactStack™ Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Testosterone | Promising | Low | Promising | Within Limits | Inconsistent | Caution |
| Strength and Recovery | Promising | Low | Promising | Within Limits | Inconsistent | Caution |
| Bone Density | Promising | Low | Promising | Within Limits | Inconsistent | Caution |
| Energy | TBD | Very Low | TBD | Within Limits | Inconsistent | Caution |
| Male Fertility | TBD | Very Low | TBD | Within Limits | Inconsistent | Caution |
| Pain | TBD | Very Low | TBD | Within Limits | Inconsistent | Caution |
What Sellers Say vs. What Studies Show
| “Clinically proven to boost testosterone.” | The larger trial is an unreviewed preprint, and the older trial’s abstract gives no figures. Makers funded both. 1 10 |
| “It builds strength.” | In one 100-man trial, leg-press strength rose 26.0% versus 18.4% on placebo. No independent group has repeated it. 1 |
| “Lab-tested shilajit is always clean.” | Two named products face California lead notices, which are allegations, not test results. A 2025 lab study found thallium in commercial supplements. 5 6 15 A 2024 review found metal levels mostly under limits, but a few studies found more. 16 |
| “More fulvic acid means a better product.” | Fulvic acid varied about 320-fold across 8 products tested, and resins held far less than extracts. 7 |
| “It is natural, so it is safe.” | A woman had a severe allergic reaction after raising her dose, and a shilajit tonic was recalled in 2026 for botulism risk. 17 4 |
| “It sharpens the brain.” | We found no adequate human trial of shilajit alone. |
Trial ParametersIf you try it
| Who | Adults 18 and over. No benefit is established for any group, and it is not for any disease. |
| Dose | 250 to 500 mg a day of a purified extract or standardized resin. 1 14 |
| Ceiling | Stay inside the studied range. One trial went up to 1,000 mg a day. 18 |
| Duration | Studied for 8 to 48 weeks. Stop after 8 to 12 weeks if nothing changes. Get urgent care for hives, swelling, breathing trouble or fainting. 17 |
| Form | A purified extract or standardized resin with a current batch report for lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury and thallium. Fulvic acid varies about 320-fold between products. 7 15 |
| Ask First | Pregnancy or breastfeeding; kidney disorders, gout or a tendency to kidney stones; diabetes or blood-sugar drugs; past anaphylaxis or a suspected mast-cell disorder; under 18. 19 17 |
How to Take It
| Pick a plan | Two trials used 250 mg twice a day for 90 days; a bone trial used 250 or 500 mg a day for 48 weeks. 1 10 14 |
| Time of day | Not reported. Trials split the dose into two a day. |
| With food | Not reported. |
| What to expect | In the 100-man trial the gaps appeared over 90 days. Stop if you notice nothing after 8 to 12 weeks. 1 |
| How to take | Take it as the label directs, and choose a batch with a current lab report. In a 2008 test, about 1 in 5 Ayurvedic products bought online held lead, mercury or arsenic. 20 |
Works With / Don’t Mix With
✓ Works with
Not reported. We found no supplement shown to add to shilajit’s effect.
A doctor’s check. For suspected low testosterone or thin bones, a medical work-up and established treatments are the usual route; we did not compare them here.
⚠ Ask first / don’t mix
Blood-sugar drugs. Health Canada’s licence for a shilajit product says to consult a practitioner if you have diabetes. 19
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, kidney disorders, gout or kidney stones. Health Canada’s licence for a shilajit product says not to use it in pregnancy or breastfeeding, or with kidney disorders, gout or a tendency to kidney stones. 19
Past severe allergy. One woman needed emergency care after raising her dose and exercising. 17
Manufacturer Recalls & WarningsLast 36 months, newest first
| Date | Maker / Brand | Product | Action | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2026 | Health & Wellness Associates Inc. (Wellness Labs Rx) | Fulvic Acid Shilajit 15,000 | California Prop 65 notice 2026-01724 alleges lead without a warning. An allegation; no lead amount published. | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Liquid Blenz Corp | Pure Shilajit Tonic, 16 oz and 32 oz | FDA Class II recall: may be under-processed, allowing Clostridium botulinum growth. Still listed as ongoing at the end of September 2026. | 4 |
| May 2025 | PristineHydro Development Inc. (PristineNutrition) | Shilajit Vegan Capsules | California Prop 65 notice 2025-01545 alleges lead without a warning. An allegation; no lead amount published. | 6 |
Where to Buy
We compare products side-by-side not just on price, but on whether NSF lists the product as NSF/ANSI 173 Contents Certified (an independent lab confirms the label matches the contents), whether it is NSF Certified for Sport, whether USP lists it as USP Verified, and whether the seller says it is manufactured in the USA. We leave out a brand’s products for this supplement when, in the last 36 months, the FDA took action against that brand over this supplement (a Class I or II recall, a warning letter, an import alert or an advisory letter). We also leave out any brand with an FDA Class II recall or warning letter on any product. We also leave out any product named in a California Prop 65 notice or a non-US recall, along with that brand’s products of the same ingredient and form. Brands with other actions stay listed and are marked in the Recall Screen column. Our goal remains to provide you, the Consumer, with the information and data necessary to make an informed purchasing decision. Prices reflected below are static and subject to change.
Ratings above describe the ingredient’s research, not any product listed below.
| # | Retailer | Product | Price | NSF 173 | NSF Sport | USP | Mfg. in USA (per seller) | Recall Screen | Affiliate link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iHerb | EVLution Nutrition, Shilajit, 400 mg, 60 Veggie Capsules | $9.00 | ✓ | ✓ | View on iHerb ↗ | |||
| 2 | iHerb | Force Factor, Shilajit, 250 mg, 60 Vegetable Capsules | $9.99 | ✓ | ✓* | View on iHerb ↗ | |||
| 3 | iHerb | Nutricost, Shilajit, 120 Capsules | $14.95 | ✓ | ✓* | View on iHerb ↗ | |||
| 4 | iHerb | Bio Nutrition, Shilajit (Asphaltum), 60 Vegetarian Capsules (500 mg per Capsule) | $16.77 | ✓ | ✓ | View on iHerb ↗ | |||
| 5 | iHerb | Zahler, Shilajit, 60 Capsules | $28.09 | ✓ | ✓ | View on iHerb ↗ |
Sources
1. Yadav et al. Shilajit resin 250 mg twice daily in 100 resistance-trained men, 90-day placebo-controlled trial (preprint, not peer reviewed). medRxiv, 31 Jul 2026. doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.27.26358996
2. Basavaraja et al. Shilajit 250 mg a day in myofascial pain syndrome, open-label pilot (preprint, not peer reviewed). medRxiv, 3 Aug 2026. doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.24.26357716
3. FDA response letter on new dietary ingredient notification 1460 (Shilajit Fulvic Acid Complex), docket FDA-2025-S-0023-0177. US Food and Drug Administration, 1 Apr 2026. downloads.regulations.gov/FDA-2025-S-0023-0177/attachment_1.pdf
4. openFDA food enforcement report H-0791-2026, Liquid Blenz Corp, Pure Shilajit Tonic. US Food and Drug Administration (openFDA), Queried 8 Oct 2026. api.fda.gov/food/enforcement.json?search=recall_number.exact:%22H-0791-2026%22
5. Proposition 65 60-day notice 2026-01724 (Wellness Labs Rx Fulvic Acid Shilajit 15,000, lead). California Office of the Attorney General, 17 Apr 2026. oag.ca.gov/prop65/60-day-notice-2026-01724
6. Proposition 65 60-day notice 2025-01545 (PristineNutrition Shilajit Vegan Capsules, lead). California Office of the Attorney General, 16 May 2025. oag.ca.gov/prop65/60-day-notice-2025-01545
7. Shilajit supplements tested: fulvic acid and heavy metals in 8 products. ConsumerLab, 26 Sep 2024. www.consumerlab.com/news/shilajit-supplements-found-to-contain-high-amounts-of-fulvic-acid/09-26-2024/
8. Wilson E et al. Review on shilajit used in traditional Indian medicine. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 136(1):1-9, 2011. doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2011.04.033
9. Biswas TK et al. Processed shilajit and sperm in men with low sperm counts, 90-day uncontrolled study (28 men completed). Andrologia 42(1):48-56, 2010. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20078516/
10. Pandit S et al. Purified shilajit and testosterone in healthy men aged 45 to 55, 90-day trial. Andrologia 48(5):570-575, 2016. doi.org/10.1111/and.12482
11. Morgado A et al. Do testosterone boosters really increase serum total testosterone? A systematic review (52 studies, 27 boosters). International Journal of Impotence Research 36:348-364, 2024. doi.org/10.1038/s41443-023-00763-9
12. Keller JL et al. Shilajit and muscle fatigue in 63 active men, 8-week trial. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2019. doi.org/10.1186/s12970-019-0270-2
13. TruBlk shilajit resin 500 mg a day in 25 healthy men, 28-day open-label pilot (no placebo group). Cureus 18(1), 27 Jan 2026. doi.org/10.7759/cureus.102372
14. Pingali U et al. Shilajit extract and bone density in postmenopausal women with osteopenia, 48-week trial (60 women). Phytomedicine 105:154334, 2022. doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2022.154334
15. Kamgar et al. Thallium in raw shilajit and commercial supplements. BMC Chemistry 19:20, 2025. doi.org/10.1186/s13065-025-01384-7
16. Hussain A, Saeed A. Heavy metals and humic substances in shilajit: a review. Biological Trace Element Research 202:5794-5814, 2024. doi.org/10.1007/s12011-024-04109-4
17. Losa F et al. Exercise-induced anaphylaxis with shilajit as a cofactor: case report. World Journal of Clinical Cases 7(5), 2019. doi.org/10.12998/wjcc.v7.i5.623
18. Neltner TJ et al. Shilajit at 500 and 1,000 mg a day in 35 trained men, 8-week trial. Journal of Dietary Supplements 21(1), 2024. doi.org/10.1080/19390211.2022.2157522
19. Natural health product licence 80123347 (shilajit). Health Canada, revised 21 Nov 2025. health-products.canada.ca/lnhpd-bdpsnh/info?licence=80123347
20. Saper RB et al. Lead, mercury and arsenic in Ayurvedic medicines sold online (193 products tested). JAMA 300(8):915-923, 2008. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18728265/
21. FDA warning letters, full-text search for shilajit: no records. US Food and Drug Administration, Queried 8 Oct 2026. www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/compliance-actions-and-activities/warning-letters
22. CAERS adverse-event reports naming shilajit (openFDA food event records). US Food and Drug Administration (openFDA), Queried 8 Oct 2026. api.fda.gov/food/event.json?search=products.name_brand:shilajit&limit=10
23. Lead, Arsenic in Shilajit? (product update). ConsumerLab, 7 May 2026. www.consumerlab.com/product-updates/shilajit/shilajit-supplements/
