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Shilajit: What It Is, What the Research Shows, and Who Should Avoid It
Shilajit is a sticky, tar-like resin that seeps from rocks in the Himalayas and other mountain ranges. Used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries, it is now sold as resin, powder, capsules and gummies, mainly for energy and men’s health.
Last updated 31 October 2026
Shilajit: the short answer
Shilajit is a mountain rock resin rich in fulvic acid, used in Ayurvedic medicine. The human research is small and mostly supported by the maker of one branded extract: in a 90-day trial, 250 mg twice a day raised testosterone in healthy men aged 45 to 55, and in an 8-week trial 500 mg a day helped men keep more muscle strength after tiring exercise. Claims for memory, energy and anti-aging rest on lab studies. Raw or poorly purified shilajit can contain heavy metals.
| What it is | A blackish-brown mineral resin from mountain rock (also called mumijo), rich in fulvic acid; used in Ayurvedic medicine and sold as resin, powder, capsules and gummies. |
|---|---|
| Most studied for | Testosterone in middle-aged men, and keeping muscle strength after tiring exercise; memory and anti-aging claims rest on lab studies. |
| Amounts used in studies | 250 mg twice a day for 90 days (testosterone trial) and 500 mg a day for 8 weeks (strength trial), of a purified, standardized extract. |
| Strength of evidence | Limited: a few small trials, mostly of one branded extract whose maker supported the research. |
| Safety | No serious side effects in the trials, but little long-term data. Raw or poorly purified products can contain heavy metals; choose third-party tested products. Avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding; ask a doctor if you take medicines. |
| In products we review | NeuroVera, Neura, ViriFlow, Prostadine |
Sources: Testosterone trial in men aged 45-55 (Andrologia 2016) · Muscle strength and fatigue trial (JISSN 2019) · ConsumerLab tests of shilajit supplements (2024)
Benefits of Shilajit
What is shilajit?
Shilajit is a sticky, blackish-brown resin that seeps from cracks in rock in the Himalayas and other mountain ranges, especially in summer heat. It forms over long periods as plant matter breaks down, and it is rich in fulvic acid and minerals. In Central Asia and Russia it is known as mumijo or mumie. Ayurvedic medicine has long used it as a rejuvenating tonic, and today it is sold as resin, powder, capsules and gummies, sometimes standardized to a stated percentage of fulvic acid.
Why people take it
Shilajit is marketed for testosterone and sex drive, energy and stamina, muscle strength, memory and “anti-aging”. Only a few of these claims have been tested in people, in small trials, and most of those trials used one branded, purified extract.
Top Rated Supplements with Shilajit
Products we review that list Shilajit as an ingredient. Not every product discloses how much of each ingredient a serving contains, so check each review before assuming it matches the amounts used in studies.
NeuroVera is a two-capsule daily memory supplement from Nutraville built around bacopa, lion’s mane, gotu kola, shilajit and schisandra. It is unusually cheap for its category, at $49 a bottle or less, and carries a 365-day money-back guarantee. This review covers what the research on those ingredients supports, what the vendor leaves out, the real prices and how the refund works.
Neura is a memory and focus capsule from Binaural Technologies, sold through ClickBank, with lion’s mane, goji berry, bacopa and shilajit. This review checks its claims against the research and explains the prices, the neuroscientist in the sales pitch and the refund rules.
ViriFlow is a liquid dropper sold for prostate health, bladder control and urine flow. Its label lists iodine and a 700 mg blend of saw palmetto, pygeum, neem, seaweeds, pomegranate, citrus pectin and shilajit. This review explains what that label does and does not tell you, what the research shows for each ingredient, the hard-water claim behind the product, and the real prices and refund terms.
Prostadine is a liquid dropper sold for prostate health, urine flow and bladder control. Its sales page names nine ingredients, including kelp, bladderwrack, nori, wakame, saw palmetto, pomegranate, iodine, shilajit and neem, but publishes no label. This review covers what the research shows for those ingredients, the hard-water claim behind the product, iodine safety, and the real prices and 60-day refund.
Scientific Analysis of Shilajit
Testosterone
In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial published in 2016, healthy men aged 45 to 55 took 250 mg of a purified shilajit extract twice a day for 90 days. Their total and free testosterone and DHEA-S rose more than with placebo, with most of the rise seen at 90 days. It was a single small trial of one branded extract whose maker supported the research, and it has not been repeated independently, so the result is promising rather than settled.
Muscle strength and fatigue
In an 8-week trial of 63 recreationally active men, those taking 500 mg a day kept more of their strength after a tiring exercise test than men on placebo, and had lower levels of a marker of collagen breakdown. A lower dose of 250 mg a day did not make a clear difference. The same extract maker supported this trial, and the authors noted that human research on shilajit is limited.
Memory, energy and anti-aging
Claims that shilajit protects the brain, boosts energy or slows aging come mainly from laboratory and animal studies of fulvic acid and shilajit extracts. We found no good human trials showing that it improves memory or prevents dementia.
Prostate and urinary symptoms
Shilajit appears in some prostate supplements, but it has not been tested for urinary symptoms or an enlarged prostate.
Safety and heavy metals
Because shilajit comes from rock, raw or poorly purified products can contain lead, arsenic, mercury or mold. In 2024 the independent tester ConsumerLab checked eight popular shilajit supplements and found heavy metals below levels of concern at one daily dose, which shows that purified, tested products are available, not that every product is clean. Choose a product with a recent third-party test for heavy metals. The trials reported no serious side effects, but there is little long-term safety data: avoid it if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and ask a doctor first if you take regular medicines or have a medical condition.
How much was used in studies
The trials used 250 mg twice a day, or 500 mg once a day, of a purified, standardized extract for 8 to 12 weeks. Resins and powders vary widely in strength, so their doses cannot be compared directly with the trials.
Products we review that contain it
ViriFlow lists a shilajit extract standardized to 40% fulvic acid, and NeuroVera also includes a shilajit extract. Prostadine and Neura do not say how much shilajit they contain or how it is tested.
Frequently Asked Questions
A sticky, blackish-brown resin that seeps from rock in the Himalayas and other mountain ranges, rich in fulvic acid and minerals. It is used in Ayurvedic medicine and is also known as mumijo.
The human evidence is limited to a few small trials: one found it raised testosterone in healthy men aged 45 to 55 after 90 days, and another found 500 mg a day helped men keep more strength after tiring exercise. Claims for memory, energy and anti-aging have not been shown in good human trials.
In one small randomized trial, 250 mg of a purified extract twice a day for 90 days raised total and free testosterone in healthy men aged 45 to 55 compared with placebo. The trial was supported by the extract’s maker and has not been independently repeated.
Purified, tested products appear to be well tolerated, but raw or poorly purified shilajit can contain heavy metals such as lead and arsenic. Choose a product with a recent third-party test, avoid it in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and ask a doctor first if you take medicines.
The trials used 250 mg twice a day or 500 mg once a day of a purified, standardized extract. Resins and powders vary in strength, so follow the label of a tested product and do not exceed it.
There is no evidence that one form works better. The trials used a purified extract in capsules; what matters most is purification and third-party testing for heavy metals.
Among the products we review, ViriFlow lists a shilajit extract standardized to 40% fulvic acid, NeuroVera includes a shilajit extract, and Prostadine and Neura contain shilajit without stating the amount.
⚖️ Conclusion
Shilajit is an old Ayurvedic remedy with a small modern evidence base: one trial in middle-aged men found higher testosterone after 90 days, and another found men kept more strength after tiring exercise, both using a single branded extract whose maker supported the research. The popular claims for memory, energy and anti-aging are not backed by good human trials. The bigger practical issue is purity: raw or poorly purified shilajit can contain heavy metals. If you want to try it, choose a purified extract with a third-party heavy-metal test, use the amounts studied, and skip it during pregnancy or breastfeeding.