When it comes to using dietary supplements to support a healthy lifestyle, recommending the old basics is always the easiest approach. We love the comfort of ingredients that have been around for a long time. We know them. We trust them! But every now and then, it’s important to try something new, something maybe a little outside of the ordinary.
You may have heard rumblings of an ingredient making waves recently: Shilajit. This jet black, dietary supplement has started popping up in formulas left and right and for good reason! Here we’re going to talk about what Shilajit is, how it has been studied in a clinical setting, and what you can expect when you give it a go.
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What is Shilajit?
Shilajit is formally classified as a “mineral exudate” meaning it literally seeps out of rocks found in the Himalayan mountains. You heard that right! This is why it goes by other names such as “Sweat of the Mountain”.
It contains a wide variety of trace minerals but the active ingredient, what gives it the famously vivid black color, is called fulvic acid, a potent antioxidant. This is why, on many products, you’ll see fulvic acid called out alongside the shilajit ingredient.
Shilajit has been used in a wide range of traditional Ayurvedic remedies and applications and is known within that practice as a “rasayana”, one of the eight different forms of medicine from Indian literature.
Here we’ll talk about how Shilajit works, how you can take it, and what to look for when purchasing a product that contains Shilajit.
What Does Shilajit Do In The Body?
Since popularity and understanding of Shilajit are only recently on the rise, the amount of rigorous clinical investigations into its various effects is a bit narrow in scope. This means that research so far hasn’t been able to really dig into all the possible uses of the ingredient. However, we have seen some very interesting studies completed on Shilajit for specific uses. We want to make sure we call out only what we know about the ingredient based on research so you can feel confident in defining your “why” for shilajit.
For Men
The focus so far has been on Shilajit’s effect on men’s sexual wellness. In a clinical trial investigating hormone levels of otherwise healthy middle-aged men, supplementation with 250mg of Shilajit two times per day (500mg/day total) yielded a significant increase in both free and total testosterone. (1) This was doubly interesting as the Shilajit did not seem to have any effect on the gonadotropic hormones such as Luteinizing Hormone (LH) or Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
A second study looked at Shilajit’s effect on men with low sperm count and found similar results. (2) After supplementing with 100mg two times per day (200mg/day total), subjects taking shilajit showed increased sperm counts as well as enhanced testosterone levels. One *major* caveat to this study was that there was no group consuming a placebo by which to compare the outcomes. The placebo effect is well-documented so not having one here does raise some eyebrows, but the results do speak to the need for more well-designed research in the future.
These two studies represent an amazing start for understanding how shilajit can help men maintain healthy hormone levels. It’s important to remember, though, that we may just be scratching the surface with more to uncover with future research.
For Women
In addition to men’s health, Shilajit has also been investigated for use in supporting women’s health, specifically speaking to their bones! (3) All people, but especially women, struggle with the loss of bone mineral density as they age. This is particularly difficult for women as menopause causes significant hormonal changes that lead to a greater reduction of bone loss than that experienced by men. Queue a recent trial that compared women consuming Shilajit to those taking a placebo focusing on bone mineral density. It was found that those taking the supplement were able to attenuate (slow down) the loss of bone density over the course of the -week trial. This was found to be dose dependent, so the women consuming a higher dose saw better results! I fully expect we’ll see more data on this topic in the near future.
As with the discussion around men’s hormones, this data is exciting, but also a bit singular. When we try to understand the full scope of how any ingredient works, we want to be able to point to a large body of evidence that helps paint a more detailed picture of benefits and pathways. We’re very excited to learn more about how shilajit can help women who may be struggling to maintain bone mineral density as more research surfaces in the future.
Muscle Health
Finally, a clinical trial investigated Shilajit to see if it could have a positive impact on muscle performance. (4) It was found that subjects consuming 500mg of Shilajit per day were able to perform with greater intensity after a fatiguing exercise protocol compared to subjects who had been given a placebo for 8 weeks.
How Can I Take Shilajit?
Shilajit is currently available in a range of different formats. The most common is in pill form so that should be the easiest to find. You may also see shilajit in some ready-to-mix powder supplements as well as drinks and droppers. Doses of shilajit in prorducts have a fairly wide range – anywhere from 100-1000mg per serving. Always discuss supplement use with your doctor or nutritionist to determine what’s best for you.
Bottom Line
Shilajit is a popular ingredient that has some very interesting preliminary results from clinical trials. You may start seeing it become more prevalent in formulas focused on Men’s Testosterone or other hormone-related functions. If you’re curious, give it a go! Just make sure to follow all directions for use and talk to your primary care doctor about what’s right for you.
References
- Pandit, S., Biswas, S., Jana, U., De, R. K., Mukhopadhyay, S. C., & Biswas, T. K. (2016). Clinical evaluation of purified Shilajit on testosterone levels in healthy volunteers. Andrologia, 48(5), 570-575.
- Biswas, T. K., Pandit, S., Mondal, S., Biswas, S. K., Jana, U., Ghosh, T., … & Auddy, B. (2010). Clinical evaluation of spermatogenic activity of processed Shilajit in oligospermia. Andrologia, 42(1), 48-56.
- Pingali, U., & Nutalapati, C. (2022). 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, 105, 154334.
- Keller, J. L., Housh, T. J., Hill, E. C., Smith, C. M., Schmidt, R. J., & Johnson, G. O. (2019). The effects of Shilajit supplementation on fatigue-induced decreases in muscular strength and serum hydroxyproline levels. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 16, 1-9.