Social media pushes shilajit as a testosterone booster. In people, it comes down to one small trial of one branded extract. For shoppers, the larger question is what else could be in the jar.
Most of shilajit's testosterone reputation traces to a single 2016 trial of about 75 healthy men aged 45 to 55, in which a purified extract at 500 mg a day lifted total testosterone by roughly 20% over 90 days. That is an interesting result, but a slim one, and no one has independently replicated it. Shilajit is a mineral-rich resin, so heavy metal contamination is a genuine worry. Buy only purified products that publish third-party test results.
Shilajit is a sticky, tar-like resin that oozes out of rock in mountain ranges like the Himalayas. It builds up over a very long time from decayed plant matter, and it contains fulvic acid and minerals. In Ayurvedic medicine it is classed as a rasayana, or general rejuvenating tonic. Today it's sold as resin, capsules, tablets, drops and gummies.
Since it comes from rock and soil, raw shilajit may contain whatever was in that setting, such as toxic metals and microbes. Commercial products are meant to be purified before sale. Quality still differs widely from one brand to the next.
Nearly every claim about shilajit and testosterone leads back to one randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, which appeared in Andrologia in 2016. A team in Kolkata, India, gave healthy men aged 45 to 55 either 250 mg of purified shilajit twice a day or a placebo for 90 days.
The abstract says total testosterone, free testosterone and DHEA-S ended up significantly higher in the shilajit group than in the placebo group. LH and FSH, the pituitary hormones that signal the testes, were reportedly maintained. A trade-press report in NutraIngredients described 75 participants and rises of about 20% in total testosterone and 19% in free testosterone after 90 days.
Two further points deserve mention. The same coverage said the pituitary hormones were at first maintained and later dropped while testosterone stayed high, something the study wasn't built to explain. Also, the trial measured hormone levels and not the things men care about most, like libido, erections, strength or fatigue.
An average rise of 20% from a normal starting point is modest. For most men of that age, the result would still sit within the normal range. The study didn't show whether it changes energy, libido or body composition.
Shilajit marketing usually glosses over this. Shilajit is a mineral substance found in traditional Ayurvedic preparations, a category with a documented history of heavy metals.
In 2008, researchers writing in JAMA purchased 193 Ayurvedic medicines online. About 21% held detectable lead, mercury or arsenic. Rasa shastra products, which intentionally blend herbs with metals or minerals, had metals more than twice as often, at about 41%. Each product containing metals went past at least one standard for acceptable daily intake, and three-quarters of them said they followed good manufacturing practices. The study looked at Ayurvedic products broadly and not at shilajit alone. It does show why a mineral-based traditional product calls for extra caution.
Results from tests aimed specifically at shilajit are more mixed.
The FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they go on sale. Makers are responsible for the safety and quality of their own products. So the purity of your shilajit depends a great deal on the brand. A small amount of a contaminant adds up when you take something daily for months, which is how shilajit is typically sold.
If you still want to try it, you can lower the risk:
Short studies suggest purified shilajit is well tolerated, but long-term safety isn't established. Cautions to know about:
Other ingredients have more human testosterone data. Tongkat ali has five small randomized trials combined in a meta-analysis, and its clearest effect was in men who began with low levels. When you compare products, our guide to choosing a testosterone supplement shows how to check doses and the evidence for each ingredient.
If you have symptoms such as low libido, tiredness and fewer morning erections, start with a morning blood test, not a supplement. A test can uncover causes like weight, sleep apnea or medications, which a supplement won't fix.
The testosterone case for shilajit rests on one small trial, never replicated, of one branded extract in healthy middle-aged men, and it found a modest rise. That counts for something, but not much. Purity is the more practical issue. As a mineral resin from rock, shilajit can contain lead, arsenic, thallium and other contaminants, and the FDA doesn't check products before they're sold. If you try it, choose a purified extract with batch-level third-party heavy-metal results, stay at the label dose, and tell your doctor, particularly if you use diabetes medication or have a prostate or kidney condition.