Your patients are using shilajit to enhance mental clarity and improve their sex life
Key Takeaways
Shilajit may help regulate hormones, improve sperm health, and support cognitive function due to its active ingredients like fulvic acid, though much of the research is based on animal studies.
Unpurified shilajit can contain harmful contaminants such as heavy metals, which may lead to serious health risks like heavy metal poisoning.
Shilajit, a blackish-brown powder that comes from high mountain rocks such as the Himalayas, is the newest dietary supplement making the rounds on social media platforms like TikTok.[]
Influencers claim that shilajit can regulate hormones and improve energy levels.[] Some research does, in fact, support these claims.[] After all, shilajit has been used for thousands of years in ayurvedic medicine to promote longevity.[] But there’s still a lot we don’t know about the sticky goo that’s made up of dead plant material, and, as is the case with many TikTok trends, the hype is outpacing the data.
So, what’s driving the current craze? “It’s possible that shilajit recently became popular after promising studies show[ed] that its main component, fulvic acid, is a powerful antioxidant that may improve brain health and male infertility,” Angel Luk, RD, a registered dietitian at Food Mysteries, tells MDLinx.
MDLinx spoke with two experts and sifted through the research to get the lowdown on shilajit. Here’s what it can—and can’t—do for your health.
What exactly is shilajit?
Shilajit is a phytocomplex that researchers suspect is produced by the decomposition of plant material over centuries.[] Two of the main active components are humic acid and fulvic acid, which are chemicals with powerful antioxidant effects.[]
But not all shilajit is the same. Shilajit that is sourced from the Himalayas, for example, is different from shilajit that comes from the Andes. The reason? “Its constituents vary depending on the site of origin and the ambient temperature, but it typically consists of a blend of substances, including vitamins, minerals, and a variety of other essential nutrients,” explains Felice Gersh, MD, an OB/GYN, the founder and director of the Integrative Medical Group of Irvine, in Irvine, CA, and the author of Menopause: 50 Things You Need to Know.
Traditionally, shilajit has been used in ayurvedic medicine to improve longevity and support healthy aging.[] In Nepal, for example, people consume shilajit as a regular part of their diet. More recently, the western world has started to catch on. “It is growing in popularity, offering the possibility of reducing the adverse effects of aging,” Dr. Gersh says.
Can shilajit help balance hormone levels?
Some research suggests shilajit can raise testosterone levels and improve sperm health, but the evidence is dated.[][]
The most well-known report is one from 2016; it found taking 250 mg of shilajit twice a day for 90 consecutive days led to an increase in testosterone levels.[] But the study was conducted on healthy men, Luk points out, so it’s unclear how the substance might help people with hormone imbalances. Another study from 2010 found that taking 100 mg of processed shilajit twice a day after major meals for 90 days boosted sperm motility and total sperm count, Luk notes.[]
But Dr. Gersh says that the bulk of the research on shilajit’s effects on testosterone is solid. “The studies were controlled, blinded, and incorporated a control arm,” she says.
What about mental clarity
There is evidence to support the use of shilajit for cognition—one of the claims that has received a lot of attention on TikTok. One report, for instance, found that a form of shilajit from the Andes improved cognitive disorders like Alzheimer's disease and boosted cognitive function.[]
Researchers believe that these positive cognitive effects can be attributed to the high levels of fulvic acid. Data suggests that fulvic acid blocks tau self-aggregation—a process that contributes to Alzheimer’s disease.[]
But the bulk of the research exploring the substance’s cognitive effects has been conducted in rodents. “There may be some promising research from animal studies, but nothing with human subjects that provides strong, reliable evidence to support that shilajit will improve memory and cognition,” Luk says.
Helping patients understand the potential risks
Shilajit needs to be purified to ensure that it does not contain contaminants. Without purification, consuming the substance can be damaging, as it can contain mycotoxin, heavy metal ions, oxidant agents, and free radicals.[] Unfortunately, some studies have found that shilajit products advertised online contain heavy metals like lead, mercury, and arsenic. “It is imperative that shilajit is only taken after being properly processed and purified to remove all harmful compounds, including heavy metals,” Luk says.
Furthermore, there have been reports of individuals developing lead poisoning after consuming such products.[] “Heavy metal poisoning can lead to life-threatening symptoms, such as liver and kidney failure and brain damage, and it’s a risk that should not be taken lightly,” Luk says.
What this means for you
Because the contents of shilajit can vary so much depending on the region of origin, it can be difficult to know what, exactly, the effects are of different formulations.[] “Its contents are not reproducible [and] are highly variable, and exactly how to dose it is a concern,” Dr. Gersh says.