Shilajit (Mumijo)

We evaluated 24 human studies on Shilajit (Mumijo), including 10 randomised controlled trials and 0 meta-analyses or systematic reviews; the controlled studies include 829 participants in total. As of 6 October 2026.

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1. What Is Shilajit (Mumijo)? Occurrence, Origin and Forms

Shilajit is a dark, sticky, tar-like natural product that seeps from rock crevices in the high mountains of Asia. In Ayurvedic tradition it is regarded as a strengthening tonic (rasayana) and is traditionally taken as a resin dissolved in warm water or milk. Its characteristic constituents are considered to be fulvic acid and minerals.

It occurs in rock crevices and caves of high mountain ranges, among them the Himalayas, the Altai and the Caucasus. It is traded worldwide as a food supplement in resin, powder and capsule form.

The resin is collected by hand from rock crevices; for sale it is usually dissolved in water, heated and filtered, which yields a purified resin. Studies mostly use purified resin as well as powders, capsules and standardised extracts made from it.

Forms and Preparations Studied

• Raw resin as collected from rock crevices
• Purified resin, dissolved in water, heated and filtered
• Powder and granules
• Capsules and tablets
• Standardised extract with a declared fulvic acid content
• Liquid preparation, for example as drops or a solution

Not covered on this page:

• Isolated fulvic acid products that are not derived from shilajit
• Multi-ingredient formulations of shilajit with other herbs or vitamins; they count as a mixture, not as shilajit alone
• Asphalt, pitch and other bituminous natural substances from other regions that are traded as substitutes
• Mineral and trace element products offered as a substitute for shilajit

2. What Does Shilajit (Mumijo) Do? Results by Area

How to read the table: counted are human studies whose results concern the area. “High” means at least one meta-analysis and two controlled studies showing improvement, or at least three controlled studies of which three quarters show improvement, with at least 300 participants in total. “Moderate” means at least two controlled studies showing improvement, as a majority, or one meta-analysis alongside controlled studies. “Low” means one controlled study showing improvement. Where an area has no controlled study, the strength of evidence is at most “low” (result “reviews only” or “observational data only”). Everything else is “unclear”. A study counts as showing improvement when at least half of its outcomes in this area improved. Reviews of combination products do not count as meta-analyses; results that only describe side effects or shares of users do not count as an effect. The same study is counted only once.

3. What the Studies Show in Detail

Shilajit (Mumijo), Skin and Connective Tissue: Human Studies

In young, recreationally active men, a marker of collagen formation increased with both shilajit doses, but not with placebo 10. With the higher dose, more participants exceeded a threshold considered meaningful than with placebo 10. In another study, a marker of collagen breakdown decreased with the higher dose, again only in a subgroup 7. In healthy middle-aged women, the higher dose improved skin blood flow compared with placebo 13. Visible skin changes were not a measured outcome in these studies.

Shilajit (Mumijo), Testosterone and Male Fertility: Human Studies

In healthy middle-aged men, total and free testosterone as well as DHEAS increased more under purified shilajit than under placebo 11. LH and FSH remained unchanged 11. In strength-trained men, standardized shilajit resin also increased testosterone more than placebo 4. Under shilajit gummies, testosterone and sexual response increased more than under placebo; in a second study, gummies of the same brand also contained ashwagandha and other herbs 56. A systematic review classifies purified shilajit as possibly effective only in men with age-related testosterone deficiency 1. Regarding fertility, the research found no controlled study.

Shilajit (Mumijo), Muscle Strength, Fatigue and Recovery: Human Studies

In strength-trained men, standardized shilajit resin increased leg strength, muscular endurance and grip strength more than placebo 4. Muscle soreness and muscle damage markers also decreased more 4. Purified shilajit reduced strength loss after fatigue at the higher dose, but only in a subgroup 7. The lower dose did not differ from placebo 7. Mixtures with chromium or with ashwagandha and other herbs apply only to the respective mixture 26. An open-label study without a control group showed similar courses, but is not conclusive 15.

Shilajit (Mumijo), Heart, Blood Vessels and Metabolism: Human Studies

Purified resin lowered markers of oxidative stress, including oxidized LDL, in older people with hypertension more than the comparison group 9. Vascular stiffness and endothelial function, by contrast, did not change 9. A study with chromium, Phyllanthus emblica extract, and shilajit found only isolated, partly marginal advantages in overweight people, even with the plant extract alone 2. An Ayurvedic formulation with shilajit and agnimantha lowered BMI and cholesterol more than another formulation; a placebo was lacking 8. How shilajit alone affects the heart and metabolism therefore remains open.

Shilajit (Mumijo) and Bone Healing: Human Studies

In a randomized study with 160 people operated on after a tibial fracture, the bone healed faster under shilajit capsules (Momiai) than under placebo 3. Further controlled studies on bone healing are lacking; the dose is shown in the table.

Shilajit (Mumijo) and Cognitive Function: Human Studies

Whether shilajit improves cognitive performance has not yet been tested in a comparative study; a review suggests benefits 19.

Shilajit (Mumijo): Further Outcomes in Studies

Under shilajit gummies, presumably an herbal mixture, fatigue and perceived stress decreased somewhat more than under placebo 5. In myofascial pain, the pain decreased markedly under shilajit as an add-on treatment, but there was no comparison group 14. In healthy women in a radiation-exposed area, low platelet counts rose toward the normal range under mumijo; the study was not randomized 12.

4. How Is Shilajit (Mumijo) Dosed? Preparation, Dose and Duration in Studies

Purified or standardized shilajit resin, powder, capsules, and gummies were tested. Some investigations used combination preparations of shilajit with other ingredients such as chromium, Phyllanthus emblica, ashwagandha, ginger, black pepper, Mucuna pruriens, akarkara, or agnimantha. The doses and durations of intake are shown in the table.

5. Is Shilajit (Mumijo) Safe? Side Effects in Studies

In the studies, shilajit was predominantly well tolerated; side effects were no more frequent than with placebo 34. Gastric irritation was reported occasionally 14, and in one case shilajit is named as a cofactor of exercise-induced anaphylaxis 17.

6. What Remains Open: Limits of the Evidence

• Most studies are small and short; long-term data are lacking. Several studies tested brand-name products from individual suppliers; their results do not readily apply to other shilajit products.
• Many findings come from combination preparations and cannot be attributed to shilajit alone.
• The different forms — raw resin, purified resin, standardized extract, powder — are not interchangeable, and controlled data are lacking for some forms.
• The participants were predominantly healthy men; there are only isolated controlled studies on women and people with complaints.
• For cognitive function and bone healing, few or no controlled studies are available.

7. Bottom Line: What Is Established About Shilajit (Mumijo)

In Ayurvedic tradition, shilajit is listed as a rasayana and is traditionally taken as a resin dissolved in warm water or milk. Individual randomized studies found higher testosterone levels, more muscle strength, and less oxidative stress with shilajit than with placebo. These findings come from purified or standardized resin; raw resin and liquid preparations have hardly been tested in controlled studies. Several studies investigated combination preparations; their results apply only to the respective mixture, not to shilajit alone. Tolerability was predominantly good in the studies, but the strength of evidence is limited by small participant numbers, short duration, and different forms.