Shilajit (Mumijo)

1. What Is Shilajit (Mumijo)?

Shilajit is a dark, tough, tar-like natural product. It exudes from rock crevices in the high mountains of Asia. In Ayurvedic tradition, it is considered a strengthening agent. Traditionally, it is taken as resin dissolved in warm water or milk. Fulvic acid and minerals are considered typical components.

2. Where Is It Found, and What Is It Made From?

Shilajit is available as raw resin, purified resin, powder, granules, capsules, tablets, standardized extract and liquid preparation. The resin is collected by hand from rock crevices and caves in high mountains such as the Himalayas, Altai and Caucasus. For sale, it is usually dissolved in water, heated and filtered, which produces purified resin.

3. What Does Shilajit (Mumijo) Do? What Research Shows

Skin and Connective Tissue

In young, athletic men, a marker for collagen formation increased under shilajit, but not under placebo (sham) 9. In healthy middle-aged women, the higher dose improved skin blood flow compared with placebo 11. Visible skin changes were not measured in these studies.

Testosterone and Male Fertility

In healthy middle-aged men, total and free testosterone as well as DHEAS increased more with purified shilajit than with placebo 10. In strength-trained men, standardized shilajit resin also increased testosterone more than placebo 4. With shilajit gummies, testosterone and sexual response increased more than with placebo; gummies of the same brand also contained ashwagandha and other herbs in a second study 56. A review classifies purified shilajit as possibly effective only in men with age-related testosterone deficiency 1. Regarding fertility, there is no controlled study (with a control group).

Muscle Strength, Fatigue and Recovery

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.

Heart, Blood Vessels and Metabolism

Purified resin lowered markers of oxidative stress in older people with hypertension more than the control group 8. Vascular stiffness and endothelial function, however, did not change 8. A study with chromium, Phyllanthus emblica extract and shilajit found only isolated, sometimes marginal benefits in overweight individuals, even with the plant extract alone 2. How shilajit alone affects the heart and metabolism is open.

Bone Healing

In a study with 160 people after a tibial fracture, the bone healed faster under shilajit capsules (Momiai) than under placebo (sham) 3. The participants were assigned to the groups by lot. Further controlled studies on bone healing are lacking.

Cognitive Function

Whether shilajit improves mental performance has not yet been examined by any comparative study. A review article suspects benefits 17.

Other Investigations

In myofascial pain, pain decreased markedly with shilajit as an add-on treatment, but a control group was lacking 12.

4. How Was Shilajit (Mumijo) Taken in the Studies?

Purified or standardized shilajit resin, powder, capsules and gummies were tested. Some investigations used mixtures of shilajit and other ingredients such as chromium, Phyllanthus emblica, ashwagandha, ginger, black pepper, Mucuna pruriens, Akarkara or Agnimantha. The doses and intake durations are shown in the table. Traditionally, shilajit is taken as resin dissolved in warm water or milk.

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

If a preparation contains other ingredients, a finding applies only to the mixture, not to shilajit alone. In the studies, shilajit was predominantly well tolerated; side effects were no more frequent than under placebo 34. Gastric irritation was reported occasionally 12, and in one case shilajit is named as a cofactor of exercise-induced anaphylaxis 15.

All details with tables and sources: full expert page on Shilajit (Mumijo)