Shilajit has been part of Ayurvedic practice for centuries, and it's now turning up in more and more supplement cupboards across the UK. It's a sticky, dark resin that seeps from rock in mountain ranges, most famously the Himalayas. It forms over centuries as certain plants gradually break down through the action of microorganisms. What's left behind is a dense mix of compounds: fulvic acids, dibenzo-α-pyrones, proteins and minerals. Ancient pedigree only goes so far, though. Here's what modern research suggests shilajit may offer.
1. It may support healthy testosterone levels in men
This is the one most people come looking for, and there's a decent study behind it. In a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, researchers gave healthy men aged 45 to 55 purified shilajit at 250 mg twice a day. After 90 days, the shilajit group showed a significant rise in total testosterone, free testosterone and DHEAS compared with placebo, while LH and FSH levels stayed stable. It's a single trial in a specific age group, so it isn't the final word. For men in midlife who are keen to support their hormonal health naturally, it's a promising place to start.
2. It may help you hold onto strength when you're tired
Anyone who trains knows the feeling of strength fading as fatigue sets in. A 2019 study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition tested shilajit against exactly that. Eight weeks of 500 mg per day helped participants retain their maximal muscular strength after a fatiguing protocol. The drop in strength after fatigue was around 8.9% in the higher-dose group, compared with roughly 16–17% in the low-dose and placebo groups. Worth noting: the benefit only showed up at the higher dose, so how much you take matters.
3. It may support connective tissue and collagen
Your tendons, ligaments and joints take a pounding in training, and they rely on collagen to stay resilient. The same 2019 study found that shilajit decreased baseline hydroxyproline, a marker of collagen degradation. A separate 2016 study involving muscle biopsies backs this up. It found that oral shilajit supplementation promoted skeletal muscle adaptation by upregulating genes linked to muscle elasticity, repair and regeneration, including collagen, elastin and fibronectin. Put together, it points to shilajit playing a supporting role in keeping the body's structural tissues in good nick.
4. It may support energy at a cellular level
Mitochondria are the parts of your cells that produce energy, and when they're under strain, you feel it. A 2012 study looked at shilajit in a rat model of chronic fatigue. The researchers found that shilajit reversed fatigue-induced mitochondrial oxidative stress and reversed the stress-induced decline in mitochondrial respiration at every dose tested. This is animal research, so it can't be read straight across to people. Still, it offers a plausible explanation for why shilajit has long been prized as a traditional rejuvenator.
5. It's being studied for brain health
This area of research is at an early stage, but it's an interesting one. Most of the attention falls on fulvic acid, shilajit's main active component. A review in the International Journal of Alzheimer's Disease noted that fulvic acid blocks tau self-aggregation, opening an avenue toward the study of Alzheimer's therapy. Those findings come from lab work, and the authors themselves call for more investigation at the basic biological level, as well as clinical trials. So it's one to watch rather than one to bank on.
Try pure Himalayan Shilajit for yourself
Quality varies hugely with shilajit, and the studies above all used purified, standardised extracts. That's why ours is sourced from the Himalayas and lab tested before it reaches you, so you know exactly what you're taking. If you're after something to back up your training, recovery and everyday energy, it's worth adding to your routine.
