Evidence library · Shilajit research UK
Shilajit Research UK: Clinical Studies & Scientific Evidence
Shilajit has been tested in a small number of human trials and a larger body of laboratory and animal work. The human studies looked at testosterone, sperm quality, muscle strength and muscle gene activity over 8 to 12 weeks, and all four used the same standardised extract. The findings are interesting rather than conclusive. Below is each study, what it measured and how much weight it can carry.
01 · Scope
What does Shilajit research actually study?
Shilajit research falls into three groups: chemical analysis of what the resin contains, a handful of human trials on hormones, fertility and exercise, and laboratory or animal studies exploring possible mechanisms. Only the human trials say anything direct about effects in people.
Shilajit – also called mineral pitch, mumijo or salajeet – is a blackish-brown resin that seeps from rock in mountain ranges, the Himalayas above all. It forms over long periods from decomposed plant material, which is why its make-up varies from one source to another.
That variability shapes the whole research picture. Most studies use purified material rather than raw resin, and several human trials used the same commercially standardised extract. So when you read that "shilajit was shown to" do something, the useful follow-up questions are: in whom, at what dose, for how long, and which shilajit? This page answers those for every study it covers.
02 · Method
Levels of evidence used on this page
Not all research carries the same weight. Every study below is tagged with one of these labels, so you can see at a glance what kind of evidence sits behind each claim.
- Human randomised trial
- People are randomly given shilajit or a placebo, usually without knowing which. The strongest design here, although the trials so far have been small.
- Human study, no placebo
- Measurements are compared before and after taking shilajit. Useful, but it can't separate the effect of shilajit from expectation or natural change.
- Animal study
- Usually rodents. Shows biological activity, but results often don't carry over to people.
- Laboratory study
- Cells, proteins or chemical tests in a lab. Good for exploring mechanisms; says nothing on its own about effects in the body.
- Traditional use
- Centuries of use in Ayurveda and other systems. Explains why scientists study shilajit, but isn't evidence of a specific effect.
- Product testing
- Laboratory analysis of a specific batch. Tells you what is in the jar, not what it does for your health.
03 · Composition
What is in Shilajit? Fulvic acid and other compounds
Shilajit is made up mostly of humic substances, chiefly fulvic acid, together with dibenzo-alpha-pyrones, other plant and microbial compounds, and minerals from the surrounding rock. The exact composition depends on where it was collected and how it was purified.
Fulvic acid
Fulvic acid is the compound most often measured in shilajit, and reviews describe it as the main active fraction. You'll often read that it acts as a carrier that helps the body take up minerals. That idea comes from laboratory work; it hasn't been confirmed in human nutrition studies.
Fulvic acid percentages are also hard to compare. Different laboratories use different methods, and independent testing by ConsumerLab in 2024 found fulvic acid content varying roughly 320-fold across eight products. Our resin is specified at more than 60% fulvic acid, with some batches around 75%, based on an IAS Laboratories composition report – you can read how that figure was measured and its limits.
Dibenzo-alpha-pyrones
Reviews describe dibenzo-alpha-pyrones (DBPs) as characteristic compounds of shilajit and link them to antioxidant activity in laboratory tests. Their effect in people hasn't been studied directly.
Minerals and trace elements
Published analyses report a wide range of elements in shilajit, with the profile changing by origin. Our "85+ trace minerals" description refers to that broad profile and to our product specification. It isn't a claim that a routine safety test measures 85 separate elements – the crude ash result on our batch report (15.7 g per 100 g) is a general indicator of total mineral content.
04 · Human evidence
Has Shilajit been studied in humans?
Yes, in four published studies covered here: two randomised, placebo-controlled trials and two smaller studies without a placebo group. Between them they involved fewer than 250 people, lasted 8 to 12 weeks, and all used the same purified, standardised extract.
| Study | Who took part | Daily amount, length | Main reported finding | Evidence level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pandit et al. 2016Andrologia | 75 healthy men aged 45–55 | 500 mg (250 mg twice daily), 90 days | Total and free testosterone and DHEAS rose significantly compared with placebo | Randomised trial |
| Keller et al. 2019J Int Soc Sports Nutr | 63 recreationally active men | 250 mg or 500 mg, 8 weeks | The 500 mg group lost less strength after a fatiguing exercise test | Randomised trial |
| Biswas et al. 2010Andrologia | 35 men with low sperm counts enrolled; 28 completed | 200 mg (100 mg twice daily), 90 days | Sperm count and motility higher at 90 days than at the start | No placebo |
| Das et al. 2016J Med Food | Adults with overweight or class I obesity | Standardised extract, 8 weeks, then 4 weeks with exercise | Muscle biopsies showed increased activity of collagen and extracellular-matrix genes | No placebo |
All four studies used PrimaVie, a branded purified shilajit extract supplied in capsules. At least one (Das 2016) was partly funded by the ingredient's maker. Full references are in the sources at the end of this page.
05 · Hormones
Shilajit and testosterone: what the clinical trial found
One randomised, placebo-controlled trial reported higher testosterone in healthy men aged 45 to 55 who took purified shilajit for 90 days. It is a single, modest-sized study of one extract, so it suggests an effect rather than establishing one.
Purified shilajit and testosterone in healthy volunteers
Randomised trialPandit S, et al. Andrologia, 2016 · PubMed 26395129
- Design
- Double-blind, placebo-controlled
- Participants
- 75 healthy men, aged 45–55
- Amount
- 250 mg twice daily
- Duration
- 90 days
- Measured
- Total and free testosterone, DHEAS and related hormones
Men taking the extract had significantly higher total testosterone, free testosterone and DHEAS than the placebo group. Total testosterone was reported to be about 20% above baseline at day 90, and free testosterone about 19%.
Read with care: participants were healthy volunteers, not men diagnosed with low testosterone (an earlier version of this page said otherwise). It is one trial, it hasn't been independently repeated, and it measured blood hormone levels rather than symptoms, energy or wellbeing.
Shilajit is a food supplement, not a hormone treatment. If you're worried about low testosterone, the right first step is a conversation with your GP and a blood test, not self-supplementing.
06 · Reproductive health
Shilajit and sperm quality research
Evidence on sperm quality comes from one small 2010 study in men with low sperm counts. It had no placebo group, so it cannot separate the effect of shilajit from other changes over the 90 days.
Processed shilajit in men with oligospermia
Human study, no placeboBiswas TK, et al. Andrologia, 2010 · PubMed 20078516
- Design
- Single group, before and after
- Participants
- 35 men enrolled; 28 completed
- Amount
- 100 mg twice daily after meals
- Duration
- 90 days
- Measured
- Semen analysis and blood hormones
Sixty men attending for infertility were screened, and those with total sperm counts below 20 million per millilitre were enrolled. After 90 days, the researchers reported improvements in sperm count and motility compared with the start of the study.
Read with care: without a comparison group, improvements could partly reflect natural variation in semen results. The study was small and hasn't been repeated in a controlled trial.
Much of the remaining reproductive research is in animals, as the 2014 safety and efficacy review sets out. None of it shows that shilajit treats infertility. Anyone trying to conceive without success should speak to their GP.
07 · Physical performance
Shilajit, exercise and muscle strength
Two human studies relate to exercise. A 2019 randomised trial found that active men taking 500 mg a day kept more of their strength after a fatiguing exercise test, and a 2016 study found changes in muscle gene activity. Neither shows broad improvements in fitness or endurance.
Shilajit, fatigue-related strength loss and collagen breakdown
Randomised trialKeller JL, et al. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2019 · Full text (PMC6364418)
- Design
- Double-blind, placebo-controlled, three groups
- Participants
- 63 recreationally active men (21 per group)
- Amount
- 250 mg or 500 mg a day
- Duration
- 8 weeks
- Measured
- Leg strength before and after a fatiguing test; serum hydroxyproline
After eight weeks, the 500 mg group lost about 9% of their maximal strength during the fatiguing protocol, compared with about 17% in the 250 mg group and 16% on placebo. The higher dose was also linked to lower baseline hydroxyproline, a blood marker of collagen breakdown.
Read with care: the lower dose showed no advantage over placebo. This was not a training study, so it doesn't show gains in muscle size, endurance or general performance (an earlier version of this page described it as one).
Skeletal muscle gene activity after oral shilajit
Human study, no placeboDas A, et al. Journal of Medicinal Food, 2016 · Full text (PMC4948208)
- Design
- Single group, before and after
- Participants
- Adults with overweight or class I obesity
- Duration
- 8 weeks, then 4 weeks combined with exercise
- Measured
- Gene expression in muscle biopsies; blood markers
Muscle samples taken after eight weeks showed increased activity of genes linked to collagen and the extracellular matrix, the scaffolding that supports muscle tissue. Adding exercise for a further four weeks increased these changes.
Read with care: gene activity is not the same as stronger or fitter muscle, and there was no placebo group. This is also the study an earlier version of this page described as a randomised trial on mitochondrial markers – it was neither.
08 · Cellular research
Cellular energy and mitochondrial research
Claims that shilajit boosts cellular energy or mitochondrial function come from laboratory and animal research. None of the human studies on this page measured mitochondrial function directly.
Mitochondria produce ATP, the molecule cells use for energy. Shilajit's traditional reputation as the "destroyer of weakness" has led researchers to ask whether it affects this process, and earlier animal work reported improved physical performance and ATP production, as the Das 2016 paper notes in its background.
That makes it a reasonable question for future human research. It isn't yet an established effect in people, and it's the main reason we avoid describing shilajit as an energy booster.
Animal study Laboratory study
09 · Cognitive research
Shilajit and cognitive or neurological research
There are no controlled human trials showing that shilajit improves memory, focus or brain health. The research interest comes mainly from laboratory work in which fulvic acid stopped tau protein from clumping in a test tube.
Tau is a protein that forms tangles in some neurodegenerative conditions. A 2012 review by Carrasco-Gallardo and colleagues in the International Journal of Alzheimer's Disease summarised findings that fulvic acid can block tau self-aggregation in vitro, and discussed shilajit as a candidate for further study.
Three points matter when reading it. The tau work used isolated proteins, not people. The authors' own laboratory worked with Andean shilajit, a different material from Himalayan resin. And the review's optimistic tone runs well ahead of the evidence it describes. These findings are not evidence that shilajit prevents, treats or slows any neurological condition, and we don't present them that way.
Laboratory study
10 · Antioxidant research
Is Shilajit an antioxidant?
Shilajit shows antioxidant activity in laboratory tests, but that doesn't show it reduces oxidative stress in the body. A 2011 review found the animal antioxidant studies used doses of doubtful relevance and lacked proper controls.
Antioxidant activity is easy to demonstrate in a test tube and much harder to show in a living body, where antioxidant systems are tightly regulated. The review by Wilson and colleagues in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology concluded that the bioactivity of shilajit "lacks substantial evidence" and called for better-designed studies.
We include that conclusion because it's a fair summary of where this area stands. Laboratory antioxidant activity is a reason to keep studying shilajit, not a benefit we can promise.
Laboratory study Animal study
11 · Context
Traditional use versus modern research
Shilajit has a long history in Ayurveda as a rasayana, or rejuvenating tonic, and appears in many traditional formulations. That history explains why researchers study it; it isn't evidence of specific effects.
Traditional names give a sense of its reputation: "conqueror of mountains" and "destroyer of weakness". The 2011 Wilson review counted shilajit in twenty classical Ayurvedic formulations and twenty-four proprietary products, while also noting how little of that use had been scientifically evaluated.
Both things can be true at once. Shilajit has genuine cultural and historical significance, and modern science has only begun to test the uses attached to it. We think customers deserve to know which is which.
Traditional use
12 · Interpretation
How to read the Shilajit evidence
The strongest findings are two single randomised trials, one on testosterone and one on strength retention. Everything else is preliminary. The studies are small, short and mostly built on one extract, which limits how far their results can be generalised.
What the research supports
- Purified shilajit has been taken for up to 90 days in human trials without serious reported problems
- One controlled trial links it to higher testosterone in healthy middle-aged men
- One controlled trial links 500 mg a day to better strength retention after fatigue
- Its composition is complex and varies by source
Why caution is still needed
- Trials have had between 63 and 75 participants
- Studies lasted 8 to 12 weeks, so long-term effects are unknown
- All four human studies used the same extract, and independent replication is limited
- Most outcomes are blood or tissue markers, not how people feel
- Positive results are more likely to be published than null ones
What does research say about safety?
A 2014 review by Stohs in Phytotherapy Research found no serious adverse effects reported in the available human and animal studies at the doses tested. It also stressed that raw or poorly purified shilajit can carry contaminants such as heavy metals and mycotoxins. Safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding hasn't been studied. Our Shilajit safety guide covers this in more detail.
13 · Preparation
Why the specific Shilajit preparation matters
The human trials tested a specific purified, standardised extract in capsules. Results from one preparation don't automatically carry over to another, including the resins sold in the UK – ours included.
Shilajit from different mountains, collected in different ways and purified by different methods, can differ in fulvic acid content, mineral profile and contaminants. A study result is really a result for the material that was tested.
Our suggested use of 250–500 mg a day sits in the same range as the studies, but our resin is not the extract that was trialled, and we don't borrow those results as proof of what our product does. What we can show you is exactly what is in our batches, which is the job of the next section.
14 · Product evidence
How research relates to Nature Elixirs testing
Research asks what shilajit might do. Testing asks what is actually in a particular batch. Our current batch, SJ2509, was screened by AGROLAB LUFA GmbH, an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory in Kiel, for heavy metals, mycotoxins, PAHs, 31 pyrrolizidine alkaloids, pesticide residues and microbiology.
What published research can tell you
- Which effects have been studied, and in whom
- How strong the evidence is for each
- Which questions are still open
What our batch documentation tells you
- Which laboratory tested the resin, when and by which methods
- Measured contaminant results against reporting limits
- A batch number you can match to your jar
Resin is collected in the Himalayan range and purified at our own facility in Pakistan, then each production batch is tested by an independent laboratory before release. You can view the Nature Elixirs laboratory reports in full, including the original PDFs, or learn how to read a Shilajit Certificate of Analysis and see the certificates held across our production chain.
15 · Questions
Questions about Shilajit research
Has Shilajit been studied in humans?
Yes, but only in a small number of trials. The best known are a 90-day randomised trial on testosterone in 75 healthy men aged 45 to 55, an 8-week randomised trial on muscle strength in 63 active men, and two smaller studies without placebo groups on sperm quality and muscle gene activity.
Does research show that Shilajit increases testosterone?
One randomised, placebo-controlled trial reported that healthy men aged 45 to 55 taking 250 mg of a purified extract twice daily had significantly higher total and free testosterone after 90 days. It has not been independently repeated, and it does not show that Shilajit treats low testosterone.
Is there proof that Shilajit cures or prevents disease?
No. No clinical study has shown that Shilajit treats, cures or prevents any disease. In the UK it is sold as a food supplement, not a medicine, and laboratory findings on brain proteins or antioxidant activity are not evidence of a medical effect.
How much Shilajit was used in the studies?
Daily amounts ranged from 200 mg to 500 mg, usually split into two doses, for 8 to 12 weeks. These were purified extracts in capsules, so the amounts are not directly interchangeable with every resin product.
Do the study results apply to every Shilajit product?
Not automatically. Composition varies with origin and purification, and the human trials used one standardised extract. Results from that preparation cannot be assumed for other products, which is why batch-level laboratory testing of the product you actually buy matters.
What does research say about Shilajit safety?
A 2014 review in Phytotherapy Research found no serious adverse effects reported in the available human and animal studies at the doses tested, while warning that raw or poorly purified material can contain contaminants such as heavy metals. Speak to your GP first if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or managing a health condition.
16 · Sources
Research sources
Checked against PubMed, PubMed Central and publisher records in October 2026. This page is updated when significant new research is published.
- Pandit S, et al. Clinical evaluation of purified Shilajit on testosterone levels in healthy volunteers. Andrologia. 2016;48(5):570–575. PubMed 26395129
- Keller JL, Housh TJ, Hill EC, Smith CM, Schmidt RJ, Johnson GO. 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;16:3. doi:10.1186/s12970-019-0270-2
- Biswas TK, et al. Clinical evaluation of spermatogenic activity of processed Shilajit in oligospermia. Andrologia. 2010;42(1):48–56. PubMed 20078516
- Das A, et al. The human skeletal muscle transcriptome in response to oral Shilajit supplementation. Journal of Medicinal Food. 2016. PMC4948208Registered as clinicaltrials.gov NCT02026414; partly funded by the ingredient's maker.
- Carrasco-Gallardo C, Guzmán L, Maccioni RB. Shilajit: a natural phytocomplex with potential procognitive activity. International Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 2012;2012:674142. doi:10.1155/2012/674142Review. Previously listed on this page under an incorrect title.
- Agarwal SP, et al. Shilajit: a review. Phytotherapy Research. 2007;21(5):401–405. PubMed 17295385Review. Previously listed on this page with the wrong journal, year and title.
- Wilson E, Rajamanickam GV, Dubey GP, et al. Review on shilajit used in traditional Indian medicine. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2011;136(1):1–9. PubMed 21530631
- Stohs SJ. Safety and efficacy of shilajit (mumie, moomiyo). Phytotherapy Research. 2014;28(4):475–479. PubMed 23733436
- ConsumerLab. Shilajit supplements testing, September 2024. consumerlab.comIndependent testing of eight products for fulvic acid and heavy metals.
- AGROLAB LUFA GmbH. Test report, order 3674612, sample 765188, batch SJ2509, 6 October 2025. Original PDF
- Department of Health and Social Care. Great Britain nutrition and health claims register. gov.uk
Related Nature Elixirs resources
Pure Himalayan Shilajit Resin, 30g
- Collected in the Himalayan range and purified at our own facility
- Each batch tested by an independent, accredited laboratory before release
- Batch number on every jar, matched to a published report
- Dispatched from London by Nature Elixirs Ltd
Research tells you what's possible. Our reports tell you what's in the jar.
Read the studies, read our batch documentation, then decide for yourself. Every jar of Pure Himalayan Shilajit Resin carries a batch number you can check.
Shilajit is sold in the UK as a food supplement, not a medicine. This page summarises published research for general information. It is not medical advice and makes no claim that Shilajit diagnoses, treats, cures or prevents any disease. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or managing a health condition, speak to your GP or pharmacist before taking any supplement.
