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Shilajit Review 2024
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Summary

  • What is shilajit?

    Shilajit is a resinous, black-brown, sticky tar-like substance produced from the decomposition of plant material and found in mountain rocks. Shilajit supplements are typically made of shilajit that has undergone various amounts of purification. While the exact composition will vary depending on the region from which it is sourced, purified resins are about 6% to 7% fulvic acid, while extracts are approximately 60% to 80% fulvic acid. Although sometimes promoted for its mineral content, shilajit provides clinically insignificant amounts of essential minerals (see What It Is).
  • What does shilajit do?

    Shilajit is commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine for "longevity" and "rejuvenation," and shilajit supplements have been promoted for a wide range of uses, including boosting testosterone levels and improving fertility in men, improving digestive and skin disorders, anxiety, bronchitis, epilepsy, preventing Alzheimer's disease, lowering cholesterol or blood sugar, and boosting blood levels of CoQ10 or minerals. However, as discussed in this Review, there is very little clinical evidence to support these uses (see What It Does).
  • Are there concerns with the quality of shilajit?

    Some shilajit supplements have been found to exceed contamination limits for lead, a toxic heavy metal. Raw shilajit may also have microbial contamination. In addition, it is difficult to know the strength (in terms of fulvic acid level) of most products from labels (see Quality Concerns and Tests Performed).
  • Which is the best shilajit supplement?

    We purchased and tested the quality of 8 popular shilajit supplements. One could not be Approved, as the amount of fulvic acid found was unusually high and not consistent with its label. Heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury) were generally quite low, although some products would exceed strict limits on lead if taken more than once per day. Amounts of fulvic acid per serving ranged by nearly 32,000% -- from just 6.9 mg to 2,206 mg — indicating major differences among products. In addition, the cost to get an equivalent amount of fulvic acid (100 mg) from products ranged by 8,600% from just 10 cents to $8.69, suggesting better value with certain products over others.

    Among products that were Approved for their quality, we selected one as our Top Pick for shilajit overall, as it contains a significant amount of fulvic acid from a form of shilajit commonly used in clinical studies, was particularly low in heavy metals, was less expensive than comparable products, and was formulated to be much more palatable that other shilajit formulations.
  • Is shilajit safe to take?

    Purified shilajit resin and shilajit extracts appear to be well tolerated in most adults, but studies have been small and preliminary; larger, well-controlled studies are needed to confirm the safety of shilajit, particularly the safety of long-term use. Be aware that shilajit has an unpleasant, smoky, tar-like flavor and is more palatable if taken in a capsule or coated tablet. Shilajit has the potential to lower blood sugar, and so it should be used with caution in people with low blood sugar levels or those who take blood-sugar lowering medications (see Concerns and Cautions).

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Shilajit supplements compared in this review.

View Larger Image Banyan_Botanicals_Shilajit-Shilajit-2024-small.png

Banyan Botanicals Shilajit

View Larger Image Cymbiotika_Shilajit_Live_Resin-Shilajit-2024-small.png

Cymbiotika & PüRBLACK Shilajit Live Resin

View Larger Image Lotus_Blooming_Herbs_Authentic_Shilajit-Shilajit-2024-small.png

Lotus Blooming Herbs Authentic Shilajit

View Larger Image Nootropics_Depot_PrimaVie_Purified_Shilajit_Capsules_250_mg-Shilajit-2024-small.png

Nootropics Depot PrimaVie Purified Shilajit Capsules 250 mg

View Larger Image Organifi_Shilajit_Gummies-Vanilla_Cinnamon-Shilajit-2024-small.png

Organifi Shilajit Gummies - Vanilla Cinnamon

View Larger Image Pure_Shilajit_Shilajit_Dry_Drops-Shilajit-2024-small.png

Pure Himalayan Shilajit Dry Drops

View Larger Image Swanson_Shilajit_Extract_Extra_Strength-Shilajit-2024-small.png

Swanson Shilajit Extract Extra Strength

View Larger Image Youtheory_Shilajit-Shilajit-2024-small.png

Youtheory Shilajit

You must be a member to get the full test results along with ConsumerLab.com recommendations and quality ratings. You will get results for 8 shilajit supplements, including liquids, tablets, capsules, and gummies, selected for testing by ConsumerLab.com.

In this comprehensive review, you'll discover:
  • Which shiltajit supplements failed our tests and which ones passed
  • CL's Top Picks among products as the best shilajit supplements based on quality, taste, and value
  • If clinical research supports the use of shilajit for "longevity," improving digestive and skin disorders, reducing anxiety, preventing Alzheimer's disease, boosting testosterone or fertility
  • Whether shilajit supplements are a good source of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium
  • If shilajit products are contaminated with heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury
  • What to look for on shilajit product labels
  • Safety and other potential concerns with shilajit

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Additional Information
Tested through CL's Quality Certification Program prior to, or after initial posting of this Product Review.