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Herb library · Updated 16 October 2026 · By Aashish Passi · 27 sources

Shilajit: what the research says

Shilajit (Sanskrit Śilājatu) is a pale-brown to blackish-brown, sticky exudate that seeps from rock layers in mountain ranges, especially the Himalaya and Hindu Kush, and is used in Ayurveda as a rasayana (rejuvenative). Chemically it is mostly humic substances, chiefly fulvic acids, with dibenzo-α-pyrones, minerals such as calcium, potassium and magnesium, and variable trace and heavy metals; its composition differs widely by source region. Ayurvedic texts require it to be purified (śodhana) before use, and the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India describes that purification rather than a single-drug monograph. Small randomised trials, most using one patented purified extract, have studied it for testosterone, muscle fatigue, collagen and bone markers, while surveys of marketed products have found lead and other metals in some samples.

At a glance

Names and identity

Common nameShilajit (mineral pitch)
SanskritŚilājatu (Shilajatu)
Hindiशिलाजीत (Shilajit)
Punjabiਸ਼ਿਲਾਜੀਤ (Shilajit)
Botanical nameNot a plant species: a humic- and fulvic-acid-rich organo-mineral exudate that oozes from rock strata, mainly in the Himalaya (mineral pitch / asphaltum; 'Asphaltum punjabianum' in Ayurvedic literature). No binomial or authority applies.
Familynot applicable
Part usedPurified exudate (Śuddha / Śodhita Śilājatu); the raw resin is purified before use
Sanskrit synonymsGirija, Adrija, Adrijatu, Shailodbhava, Ashmaja, Ashmajatu, Shaileya, Gaireya, Shilaniryasa, Shilasveda, Jatu, Dhatuja, Shiladhatu

Ayurveda

Shilajit in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia

Rasa (taste)Tikta, Katu, Kashaya (per review of classical texts); Charaka describes the best (iron-ore, 'āyasa') type as tikta with lavana, and says all types smell of cow's urine
Guna (qualities)Guru, Snigdha, Mridu (as compiled from classical texts)
Virya (potency)Not-too-hot, not-too-cold (nātyuṣṇa-śīta) per Charaka Samhita and Ashtanga Hridaya; Ushna per Sushruta, Ayurveda Prakasha and Yogaratnakara. Charaka gives Sheeta for the gold-, silver- and iron-ore types and Ushna for the copper-ore type
Vipaka (post-digestive effect)Katu (Charaka gives madhura vipaka only for the silver-ore type)
Action on doshasIron-ore type described as tridoshaghna; gold-ore type vata-pittaghna; copper-ore type kaphaghna (as tabulated from classical texts)
Karma (actions)Rasayana, Yogavahi (enhances the action of co-administered drugs), Chedana / Lekhana, Vrishya, Balya, Bhedi, Chakshushya
Classical formulationsCandraprabha Vati, Shilajatu Vatika, Shilajatvadi Lauha, Shilajatu Rasayana, Arogyavardhini Gutika, Prabhakara Vati, Siva Gutika, Kantavallabha Rasa, Pramehakulantaka Rasa, Vataraktantaka Rasa, Varisoshana Rasa, Mehavajra Rasa, Indu Vati, Vedvidya Vati, Manasamitra Vataka, Satavari Guda
Dose in the APIThe API has no single-drug monograph or dose for Śilājatu: it is absent from API Part I Vol. VII (Minerals & Metals), and API Part II Vol. II gives only the śodhana procedure (Appendix 6.2.7.10). Doses exist only for individual AFI formulations that contain it (e.g. Candraprabha Vati 250-500 mg as listed from AFI 2003). Classical texts give their own doses (e.g. Rasa Tarangini 2-8 gunja), which are not API doses.

Profile as recorded in the official texts[1, 2, 3, 4, 6].

Chemistry

Key constituents

  • Reviews describe shilajit as a complex mixture of organic humic substances plus plant and microbial metabolites from the rock rhizosphere; over 80% of its weight is reported as humic substances and roughly 20% as calcium, potassium and magnesium, with amino acids (mainly glycine), fatty acids, phenolics such as caffeic and gallic acid, and trace elements including chromium, selenium and cobalt. The same review notes that no comprehensive chemical analysis has yet established its full composition.[8]
  • Organic matter is grouped into humic (about 80-85% of total organic mass) and non-humic (15-20%) substances, organised as (1) low/medium molecular weight compounds including dibenzo-α-pyrones (DBPs), (2) DBP-chromoproteins (DCPs) carrying trace metal ions, and (3) metallo-humates such as fulvic acids. Fulvic acid content varies by origin, e.g. 21.4% in a Kumaon (India) sample versus 15.4% (Nepal), 15.5% (Pakistan) and 19.0% (Russia). Only about 30-60% of the raw material is water-soluble.[6]
  • Clinical extracts are standardised on these markers: the purified extract used in several trials (PrimaVie) was specified at not less than 50% w/w fulvic acids, not less than 0.3% DBPs and not less than 10% DCPs (not less than 60% total 'bioactives') by HPLC; a processed shilajit used in rat studies was standardised to 0.43% DBPs, 20.45% DCPs and 56.75% fulvic acids.[10, 18]
  • Fulvic acid fractions isolated from commercial shilajit were products of polysaccharide degradation, mostly contained type II arabinogalactan, and showed dose-dependent complement-fixing activity in vitro that correlated with carboxylic-group content (laboratory finding only).[9]
  • ICP-MS analysis of 12 samples from different regions found wide variation in major metals (Ca, Mg), essential elements (Fe, Zn, Mn) and toxic elements (e.g. Co, Ni, Pb, Cd, Hg); most metals were bound in low-molecular-weight (<10 kDa) complexes consistent with humic-metal complexes, and calcium was present as a Ca-lactic acid complex.[23]

Research

What human studies show

The bottom line

Human evidence consists of a handful of small randomised trials (testosterone, muscle fatigue, collagen and bone markers, fracture healing), mostly using one patented purified extract and often funded or supplied by its manufacturer; results are encouraging but unreplicated, and a 2023 systematic review graded shilajit only 'possibly effective' for raising testosterone in late-onset hypogonadism. Claims for fatigue, cognition, immunity and antioxidant effects rest mainly on animal and laboratory work, and an independent review concluded that much of the bioactivity of shilajit 'lacks substantial evidence'.

RCTEvidence: limited

Testosterone (healthy middle-aged men)

Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled; 96 men aged 45-55 enrolled, 75 completed (38 shilajit, 37 placebo); purified shilajit extract (PrimaVie) 250 mg twice daily vs placebo for 90 days

Total testosterone, free testosterone and DHEA-S at day 90 were significantly higher than placebo (total testosterone about +20% from baseline in the shilajit group); LH was maintained and FSH rose.[10]

Limitations: Single small trial, per-protocol analysis (21 dropouts excluded); groups differed at baseline (placebo baseline total testosterone 5.82 vs 4.84 ng/mL) and placebo values fell over time; analysed with t-tests; funded by the extract manufacturer (Natreon). Not replicated independently.

systematic reviewEvidence: limited

Testosterone (systematic review of 'testosterone boosters')

52 studies on 27 proposed testosterone boosters, outcome total testosterone vs placebo in athletes, late-onset hypogonadism, infertile and healthy men

Most products failed to raise total testosterone; purified shilajit extract (PrimaVie) was graded only 'possibly effective' for men with late-onset hypogonadism.[12]

Limitations: Rating for shilajit rests on very few trials; no pooled meta-analysis.

observationalEvidence: preliminary

Male fertility (oligospermia)

Single-arm, uncontrolled pre-post clinical study; 35 oligospermic men enrolled, 28 completed; processed shilajit 100 mg capsule twice daily for 90 days

Reported increases from baseline in total sperm count (+61.4%), motility, normal forms and serum testosterone (+23.5%), with lower semen malondialdehyde; liver and kidney tests unchanged.[11]

Limitations: No control group, small sample, completers only; improvements could reflect regression to the mean or other factors.

RCTEvidence: limited

Muscle fatigue / strength

63 recreationally active men randomised to 250 mg/day, 500 mg/day PrimaVie shilajit or placebo for 8 weeks (21 per group); isokinetic fatiguing protocol

In the upper-50th-percentile strength subgroup only, 500 mg/day was associated with a smaller fatigue-induced drop in maximal strength (8.9% vs 16.0% placebo) and lower baseline serum hydroxyproline; 250 mg/day did not differ from placebo.[13]

Limitations: Main effect found in post-hoc dichotomised subgroups rather than the whole sample; young men only; surrogate markers.

RCTEvidence: preliminary

Collagen synthesis biomarker

35 recreationally trained men; 500 mg/day or 1000 mg/day shilajit vs placebo for 8 weeks

Serum pro-c1α1 (type 1 collagen synthesis marker) increased significantly in both shilajit groups but not with placebo; more participants exceeded the minimal clinically important difference with 1000 mg (75%) than placebo (30%).[14]

Limitations: Small, short, biomarker outcome only; no clinical endpoint.

RCTEvidence: limited

Bone mineral density (postmenopausal osteopenia)

60 postmenopausal women aged 45-65 with osteopenia randomised to placebo, 250 mg or 500 mg standardised aqueous shilajit extract daily for 48 weeks

Lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD declined on placebo, and the decline was dose-dependently attenuated with shilajit (significant differences at 24 and 48 weeks); bone turnover markers, oxidative stress markers and hsCRP moved favourably.[15]

Limitations: Single-centre, small (about 20 per arm), single trial; no fracture outcomes; not independently replicated.

RCTEvidence: limited

Fracture healing

160 adults aged 18-60 after tibial shaft fracture surgery, three Tehran hospitals; two 500 mg capsules of momiai (shilajit) or placebo for 28 days

Mean time to radiographic union was 129 days with momiai vs 153 days with placebo (p < 0.049); adverse effects did not differ between groups.[16]

Limitations: Borderline significance; radiographic assessment; product characterisation and source differ from Indian purified shilajit.

RCTEvidence: preliminary

Skin microperfusion

Healthy middle-aged women; PrimaVie shilajit 125 mg or 250 mg twice daily vs placebo for 14 weeks; skin biopsies for gene expression

At 250 mg twice daily, skin perfusion improved vs baseline and placebo, and genes linked to endothelial migration, vessel growth and extracellular matrix were induced; no adverse effects reported in 14 weeks.[17]

Limitations: Mechanistic/transcriptomic endpoints; small; product supplied by the manufacturer.

Laboratory and animal studies

These studies explain possible mechanisms. They do not show the same effect in people.

animalEvidence: preliminary

Chronic fatigue (animal model)

Rats, forced-swim model of chronic fatigue syndrome; standardised processed shilajit 25, 50, 100 mg/kg for 21 days

Shilajit reversed fatigue-like behaviours, modulated HPA-axis markers and preserved mitochondrial enzyme activity and membrane potential.[18]

Limitations: Animal model only; cannot be extrapolated to human fatigue.

in vitroEvidence: preliminary

Immune / complement activity of fulvic acid

Fractionated fulvic-acid extracts of commercial shilajit tested in complement-fixation assays

All fractions showed dose-dependent complement-fixing activity in vitro.[9, 6]

Limitations: Laboratory assay only; a separate review judged the immunomodulatory evidence for shilajit 'unproven' and its in vivo antioxidant studies to use irrelevant doses without positive controls.

Safety

Safety, interactions and regulation

  • Short-term trials (8 weeks to 48 weeks, 100-1000 mg/day of purified extract) reported no serious adverse events: liver and kidney tests were unchanged in the oligospermia study, no adverse effects were reported over 14 weeks in women, and adverse effects did not differ from placebo in the 160-patient fracture trial. A safety review describes shilajit's safety as well documented in animal and human studies, but long-term human safety data are limited.[11, 17, 16, 7]
  • Heavy metals in marketed products: in a JAMA survey of 193 Ayurvedic medicines bought online in 2005, 20.7% contained detectable lead, mercury or arsenic, and every metal-containing product exceeded at least one standard for acceptable daily intake; one US-manufactured 'Shilajit' product (classified as a rasa shastra medicine) contained lead at 10.5 µg/g.[19]
  • Regulatory action: in July 2005 Health Canada warned consumers not to use Shilajit capsules by Dabur India Ltd after its analysis found high levels of lead, mercury and/or arsenic, and advised against other Shilajit products lacking market authorisation.[25]
  • Analytical studies of raw shilajit and supplements report variable toxic-element content: one study of Indian and Pakistani samples reported Al, Pb, As, Hg and other elements above permissible limits; another found thallium up to 0.226 µg/g in natural shilajit and up to 0.5 µg/g in supplements (some supplements higher than crude material); a 12-sample ICP-MS study found toxic metals below established thresholds. A 2024 review concluded that reported levels were mostly within WHO/FDA limits except in a few studies, and that consuming shilajit without knowing its metal levels is not safe.[20, 21, 23, 22]
  • Classical texts insist on purification: impure Śilājatu taken internally is described as causing burning sensation, fatigue, aggravated pitta, blood disorders, fainting, weak digestion and constipation.[5]
  • Health Canada requires shilajit in licensed natural health products to have undergone purification, to meet heavy-metal finished-product specifications, and to have its mineral content analysed so daily mineral intake stays within set maxima. A licensed shilajit product label carries cautions for people with diabetes or on blood-sugar medication and for benign prostatic hypertrophy or prostate cancer, and contraindications for pregnancy, breastfeeding, kidney disorders, gout and susceptibility to kidney stones (product-label statements, not trial findings).[26, 27]
  • A case report describes exercise-induced anaphylaxis in a 43-year-old woman in which shilajit was considered a possible cofactor, in the setting of suspected mast-cell activation syndrome.[24]
  • No controlled studies of shilajit in pregnancy, lactation or children were found in the sources reviewed.

Quality

Identity, standards and adulteration

  • The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India has no Part I identity/assay monograph for Śilājatu (it is not among the 21 monographs of API Part I Vol. VII, Minerals & Metals); the API prescribes its purification (API Pt II Vol. II, Appendix 6.2.7.10).[2, 1]
  • API heavy-metal limits (API Pt II, Appendix 2.3, Table 4), applied to formulations where a monograph gives no other limit: lead 10 ppm, arsenic 3 ppm, cadmium 0.3 ppm, mercury 1 ppm.[1]
  • Classical genuineness tests: on fire it should burn without smoke and take a linga (rounded) shape; dropped in water it should sink in thread-like strands without dissolving; it should look black and smell of cow's urine.[5, 3]
  • Commercial standardisation uses fulvic acids, dibenzo-α-pyrones and DBP-chromoproteins quantified by HPLC (e.g. not less than 50% fulvic acids, 0.3% DBPs, 10% DCPs in one patented extract). Health Canada's ingredient database lists dibenzo-α-pyrones, fulvic acids and humic acids as shilajit sub-ingredients.[10, 26]
  • Composition varies with source region, plant cover, geology, temperature, humidity and altitude, and batches are not uniform on thermal analysis; reviewers recommend solubility, pH and thermal analysis as basic quality-control tools to limit batch-to-batch variation.[6]

Manufacturing

How Shilajit is made into medicines

In India shilajit is sold as purified resin (paste), dried powder, capsules and tablets (often standardised extracts), and as an ingredient of classical formulations such as Candraprabha Vati, Shilajatvadi Lauha and Arogyavardhini Gutika. The API purification (Śilājatu Śodhana, after Rasataraṅgiṇī 22/69-78) takes 2 parts powdered Śilājatu with 4 parts hot water and 1 part Triphalā kvātha, lets the insoluble matter settle, decants the supernatant, repeats until the liquid runs clear, concentrates the decanted liquid to a thick paste over moderate heat and dries it in the sun. Classical rasa texts describe further variants (e.g. bhāvanā with Triphalā, cow's milk, Bhṛṅgarāja juice or gomūtra), and state that marana (incineration) is not needed for Śilājatu.

Prabhat makes churnas, tablets, capsules, kwaths, syrups and oils under AYUSH GMP for brands across India. See churna, tablet and capsule manufacturing, or white label products.

FAQ

Common questions about Shilajit

What is shilajit made of?

Shilajit is a sticky, dark exudate from rock layers, mainly in the Himalaya. Analyses report that over 80% of its weight is humic substances, chiefly fulvic acids, with about 20% minerals such as calcium, potassium and magnesium, plus dibenzo-α-pyrones, amino acids and trace metals. Its exact composition varies a great deal by region and has never been fully characterised.[8, 6]

Does shilajit increase testosterone?

One 90-day randomised trial in 75 men aged 45-55 found higher total and free testosterone with 250 mg twice daily of a purified extract than with placebo. The trial was small, manufacturer-funded and had baseline differences between groups, and a 2023 systematic review rated shilajit only 'possibly effective' for men with late-onset hypogonadism.[10, 12]

Is shilajit safe, and can it contain heavy metals?

Short trials of purified extracts reported no serious adverse events. However, surveys have found lead and other metals in some marketed products, including a US 'Shilajit' product with 10.5 µg/g lead, and Health Canada warned against a brand of shilajit capsules in 2005 for lead, mercury and/or arsenic. Products tested against heavy-metal limits (e.g. the API limits of lead 10 ppm, arsenic 3 ppm, cadmium 0.3 ppm, mercury 1 ppm) reduce this risk.[10, 19, 25, 1]

What is shuddha (purified) shilajit?

Ayurveda requires raw Śilājatu to be purified before internal use. The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India describes dissolving the powdered raw material in hot water and Triphalā decoction, decanting the clear liquid repeatedly, concentrating it to a paste over moderate heat and drying it in the sun. Classical texts warn that unpurified Śilājatu can cause burning sensation, weak digestion and other complaints.[1, 5]

Does shilajit help with fatigue or strength?

An 8-week randomised trial in 63 young men found that 500 mg/day of a purified extract was associated with better retention of strength after a fatiguing exercise test, but only in a subgroup of stronger participants; 250 mg/day had no effect. Evidence for chronic fatigue comes from rat studies, so human evidence is limited.[13, 18]

Can women take shilajit?

Women have been studied: a 48-week randomised trial in 60 postmenopausal women with osteopenia found that a shilajit extract slowed bone-density loss compared with placebo, and a 14-week trial in middle-aged women reported no adverse effects. No controlled studies in pregnancy or breastfeeding were found, and a Health Canada-licensed shilajit product is labelled not for use during pregnancy or breastfeeding.[15, 17, 27]

References

Sources

  1. Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Dept. of AYUSH. The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part II (Formulations), Vol. II, First Edition. New Delhi: The Controller of Publications; 2008. Appendix 6.2.7.10 'Śilājatu Śodhana' (after Rasataraṅgiṇī 22/69-78) and Appendix 2.3, Table 4 'Permissible Limits of Heavy Metals'. (No single-drug monograph number: Śilājatu appears in the API as a śodhana procedure only.) Source.
  2. Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Dept. of AYUSH. The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, Vol. VII (Minerals & Metals), First Edition. New Delhi: The Controller of Publications; 2008. Contents list of 21 monographs (Śilājatu not among them). Source.
  3. Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana 1/3 (Karaprachitiya Rasayana Pada), verses 56-60, Sanskrit with English translation. siva.sh online edition. Source.
  4. Roy AE, Sreeni TV. Conceptual Review on Shilajathu - An Ayurvedic Perspective. Int J Ayu Pharma Res. 2022;10(7):19-25. doi: 10.47070/ijapr.v10i7.2416.
  5. Pathak R, Kumar N. Shilajatu in Ayurvedic Literature. Int J Pharm Biol Arch. 2015;6(3):7-11. Source.
  6. Wilson E, Rajamanickam GV, Dubey GP, Klose P, Musial F, Saha FJ, et al. Review on shilajit used in traditional Indian medicine. J Ethnopharmacol. 2011;136(1):1-9. PMID: 21530631. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2011.04.033.
  7. Stohs SJ. Safety and efficacy of shilajit (mumie, moomiyo). Phytother Res. 2014;28(4):475-9. PMID: 23733436. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5018.
  8. Kamgar E, Kaykhaii M, Zembrzuska J. A Comprehensive Review on Shilajit: What We Know about Its Chemical Composition. Crit Rev Anal Chem. 2025;55(3):461-473. PMID: 38133965. doi: 10.1080/10408347.2023.2293963.
  9. Schepetkin IA, Xie G, Jutila MA, Quinn MT. Complement-fixing activity of fulvic acid from Shilajit and other natural sources. Phytother Res. 2009;23(3):373-84. PMID: 19107845. doi: 10.1002/ptr.2635.
  10. Pandit S, Biswas S, Jana U, De RK, Mukhopadhyay SC, Biswas TK. Clinical evaluation of purified Shilajit on testosterone levels in healthy volunteers. Andrologia. 2016;48(5):570-5. PMID: 26395129. doi: 10.1111/and.12482.
  11. Biswas TK, Pandit S, Mondal S, Biswas SK, Jana U, Ghosh T, et al. Clinical evaluation of spermatogenic activity of processed Shilajit in oligospermia. Andrologia. 2010;42(1):48-56. PMID: 20078516. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0272.2009.00956.x.
  12. Morgado A, Tsampoukas G, Sokolakis I, Schoentgen N, Urkmez A, Sarikaya S. Do "testosterone boosters" really increase serum total testosterone? A systematic review. Int J Impot Res. 2024;36(4):348-364. PMID: 37697053. doi: 10.1038/s41443-023-00763-9.
  13. 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. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2019;16(1):3. PMID: 30728074. doi: 10.1186/s12970-019-0270-2.
  14. Neltner TJ, Sahoo PK, Smith RW, Anders JPV, Arnett JE, Schmidt RJ, et al. Effects of 8 Weeks of Shilajit Supplementation on Serum Pro-c1α1, a Biomarker of Type 1 Collagen Synthesis: A Randomized Control Trial. J Diet Suppl. 2024;21(1):1-12. PMID: 36546868. doi: 10.1080/19390211.2022.2157522.
  15. 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. PMID: 35933897. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2022.154334.
  16. Sadeghi SMH, Hosseini Khameneh SM, Khodadoost M, Hosseini Kasnavieh SM, Kamalinejad M, Gachkar L, et al. Efficacy of Momiai in Tibia Fracture Repair: A Randomized Double-Blinded Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2020;26(6):521-528. PMID: 32310691. doi: 10.1089/acm.2019.0453.
  17. Das A, S El Masry M, Gnyawali SC, Ghatak S, Singh K, Stewart R, et al. Skin Transcriptome of Middle-Aged Women Supplemented With Natural Herbo-mineral Shilajit Shows Induction of Microvascular and Extracellular Matrix Mechanisms. J Am Coll Nutr. 2019;38(6):526-536. PMID: 31161927. doi: 10.1080/07315724.2018.1564088.
  18. Surapaneni DK, Adapa SR, Preeti K, Teja GR, Veeraragavan M, Krishnamurthy S. Shilajit attenuates behavioral symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome by modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and mitochondrial bioenergetics in rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2012;143(1):91-9. PMID: 22771318. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2012.06.002.
  19. Saper RB, Phillips RS, Sehgal A, Khouri N, Davis RB, Paquin J, et al. Lead, mercury, and arsenic in US- and Indian-manufactured Ayurvedic medicines sold via the Internet. JAMA. 2008;300(8):915-23. PMID: 18728265. doi: 10.1001/jama.300.8.915.
  20. Aldakheel RK, Gondal MA, Alsayed HN, Almessiere MA, Nasr MM, Shemsi AM. Rapid Determination and Quantification of Nutritional and Poisonous Metals in Vastly Consumed Ayurvedic Herbal Medicine (Rejuvenator Shilajit) by Humans Using Three Advanced Analytical Techniques. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2022;200(9):4199-4216. PMID: 34800280. doi: 10.1007/s12011-021-03014-4.
  21. Kamgar E, Zembrzuska J, Zembrzuski W, Kaykhaii M. Quantifying of thallium in Shilajit and its supplements to unveil the potential risk of consumption of this popular traditional medicine. BMC Chem. 2025;19(1):20. PMID: 39827344. doi: 10.1186/s13065-025-01384-7.
  22. Hussain A, Saeed A. 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. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2024;202(12):5794-5814. PMID: 38393486. doi: 10.1007/s12011-024-04109-4.
  23. Kamgar E, Angaïts A, Zembrzuska J, Kaykhaii M, Szpunar J. Characterization of metal composition and molecular weight distribution in Shilajit. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2026;96:127913. PMID: 42364294. doi: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2026.127913.
  24. Losa F, Deidda M, Firinu D, Martino MLD, Barca MP, Giacco SD. Exercise-induced anaphylaxis with an Ayurvedic drug as cofactor: A case report. World J Clin Cases. 2019;7(5):623-627. PMID: 30863761. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v7.i5.623.
  25. Health Canada. Archive – Health Canada Warns Consumers Not to Use Certain Ayurvedic Medicinal Products (Advisory RA-11000686). 14 July 2005. Source.
  26. Health Canada, Natural Health Products Ingredients Database (NHPID). Chemical Substance - Shilajit (ingredient id 12308). Date modified 2019-03-01. Source.
  27. Health Canada, Licensed Natural Health Products Database. Product information: Himalayan Shilajit, NPN 80120911 (Cure With Earth Inc.), licensed 2022-08-31; Risk information. Source.

How this page was written. Every statement links to a source we opened. PubMed IDs were checked against the NCBI database. Human studies are kept apart from laboratory and animal work, and null results are included. Read our method.

Author: Aashish Passi, Managing Director, Prabhat Ayurvedic Pharmacy. Last updated: 16 October 2026. Spotted an error? Email info@prabhatayurvedicpharmacy.in.

This page is educational and summarises published research. It is not medical advice and is not a claim for any product. Talk to a qualified doctor before using any herbal medicine, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medicines or have a medical condition.

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