you develop swelling of the face, lips or throat, difficulty breathing, chest pain or a widespread rash after taking any supplement. Call 999 in an emergency, or contact NHS 111 for urgent advice.
The overall picture
A 2014 review of the published literature found no evidence of toxicity in the human and animal studies available.[1] Later trials have reported similar results; a 14-week trial in women, for example, recorded no adverse effects during the study period.[2] Both points come with a large qualifier. The trials were small, lasted weeks or months, excluded many people with health conditions, and mostly used one purified, standardised preparation.
So the fair position is not “shilajit is safe” or “shilajit is dangerous”. It is that a clean, well-processed product has a reassuring but thin safety record in healthy adults, and that contamination is a real and separate problem.
| Concern | How strong is the evidence? | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy metals | Documented in shilajit and in the wider category of traditional products | Ask for a batch COA with a metals panel |
| Microbial contamination | A recognised risk for minimally processed natural materials | Check for microbiological results on the COA |
| Adulteration | Reported in the market; extent unknown | Buy from sellers who publish identity testing |
| Side effects | Few reported, but studies too small to detect rare effects | Stop if new symptoms appear |
| Interactions | Not studied | Check with a pharmacist if you take medicines |
| Pregnancy, children | No safety data | Avoid unless a clinician advises otherwise |
For a longer discussion of how much safety studies can actually establish, see what a safety study can tell you and what animal toxicology shows.
Contamination: the main practical risk
Shilajit comes out of rock. Whatever metals are in that rock can end up in the product, and collection, drying and storage can add microbes or foreign matter. Purification reduces these risks but doesn’t remove them, and “natural” offers no protection at all. See why natural does not mean safe.
Heavy metals
Lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium are the usual concerns. Problems with metals in traditional products are well documented: a US study of Ayurvedic medicines bought online found that about one in five contained detectable lead, mercury or arsenic, and most of the metal-containing products claimed to follow Good Manufacturing Practice.[3] That study was not specific to shilajit, but it shows why a manufacturing claim is no substitute for test results.
Shilajit-specific work is starting to appear. A 2025 study measured thallium in natural shilajit and in commercial supplements, and found some supplements contained more than the crude material.[4] Thallium is rarely included on consumer lab reports.
| Metal | Maximum level (mg/kg, as sold) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Lead | 3.0 | Applies to food supplements generally |
| Cadmium | 1.0 | Higher limit applies only to seaweed-based supplements |
| Mercury | 0.1 | Applies to food supplements generally |
| Arsenic | — | Not among the supplement limits set by this amendment |
Source: retained Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as amended by Regulation (EC) No 629/2008.[5] Northern Ireland follows EU rules under the Windsor Framework, which may differ. See heavy-metal limits: UK rules and other benchmarks.
Each metal has its own page: lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium. The overview is on heavy metals in shilajit.
Microbes, mycotoxins and other contaminants
Material dried slowly or at low temperatures can carry bacteria, yeasts and moulds. A useful COA reports microbiological results alongside metals. Pesticides, mycotoxins, PAHs and solvent residues are less often tested and deserve a question to the seller. Read microbial contamination and other contaminants.
Adulteration
Fillers, bitumen-like substances and diluted extracts are the forms most often discussed. Visual checks won’t catch most of them. Our article on adulterated shilajit covers what gets added, and contaminants & contamination brings the topic together.
Side effects and adverse events
The clinical trials of shilajit have reported few problems. The catch is size: a trial of 60 or 75 people simply can’t detect a side effect that affects one person in a thousand. Absence of reported harm in small trials is not proof of safety.
Allergic reactions are possible with any natural product. Digestive upset, headaches or feeling unwell after starting a new supplement are worth taking seriously, especially if they ease when you stop. Our pages on side effects, including allergic reactions and adverse events and case reports track what has been documented.
Studied doses and taking too much
Human trials have used roughly 200–500 mg a day of specific purified or standardised extracts, for periods of eight weeks to 48 weeks.[6][7][8] UK labels often recommend a “pea-sized” amount of resin, which is hard to measure and may not correspond to anything studied.
There is no established upper safe limit. More is not better, and taking several shilajit or mineral products together increases exposure to whatever metals they contain. See studied doses vs label doses, taking too much and how to measure resin consistently.
Medicines and existing health conditions
We are not aware of any published interaction studies for shilajit. That is a gap in knowledge, not a sign that interactions don’t happen. If you take prescription medicines, check with a pharmacist before starting, and bring the product with you so they can see the label.
Extra care makes sense if you have kidney disease, a condition affecting iron or mineral balance, diabetes, high or low blood pressure, or a hormone-sensitive condition, because these are the areas where shilajit is either marketed or traditionally used. See medication interactions and shilajit with existing health conditions.
Pregnancy, children and older adults
| Group | What is known | Our position |
|---|---|---|
| Pregnancy & breastfeeding | No human safety studies | Avoid unless a clinician advises otherwise |
| Children & teenagers | No studies in under-18s | Not appropriate; heavy-metal exposure matters more in children |
| Older adults | Trials included middle-aged adults; few over 65 | Check medicines and kidney function first |
| Before surgery | No data | Tell your surgical team about all supplements |
Daily and long-term use
The longest published trial we cite ran for 48 weeks.[8] Many people take shilajit daily for longer than that, with no data to describe what happens. Low-level contaminant exposure also accumulates over time, which makes batch testing more important for long-term users than for someone trying a single jar. See taking shilajit daily and long term and why long-term safety data matter.
Sport and anti-doping
Shilajit is not a prohibited substance in itself, but any supplement can be contaminated with something that is. Under anti-doping rules athletes are strictly liable for what is in their system, and UK Anti-Doping advises athletes who choose to use supplements to look for products batch-tested through a scheme such as Informed Sport.[9] Products marketed for testosterone deserve extra caution. See shilajit, sport and anti-doping.
When to stop and get advice
- Signs of an allergic reactionRash, itching, swelling or breathing difficulty. Stop immediately; seek urgent help if severe.
- Symptoms that start after you beginPersistent stomach upset, palpitations, dizziness or unusual tiredness.
- Changes in a monitored conditionBlood sugar, blood pressure or kidney results moving unexpectedly.
- A new diagnosis or medicineReview all supplements with the prescriber.
Suspected side effects from herbal products and food supplements can be reported to the MHRA through the Yellow Card scheme, which accepts reports on all product types.[10] If the problem is mislabelling or a misleading claim, see reporting a problem in the UK. More detail is on when to stop shilajit.
Common questions
Is raw shilajit more dangerous than purified?
Unprocessed material is more likely to carry debris, microbes and contaminants, which is why the human trials used purified preparations. “Purified” on a label still needs a test result behind it. See raw vs purified.
Does a COA mean a product is safe?
It means one sample was tested for the things listed. Whether that tells you anything depends on whether it matches your batch, which tests were done and what the results were. See why a COA alone does not prove quality.
Can shilajit damage the kidneys or liver?
There is no good human evidence either way. Contaminating metals are a recognised cause of kidney harm, which is one more reason to insist on metals testing, and people with existing kidney or liver disease should get medical advice first.
Is it safe to take every day?
Daily use has been studied for up to 48 weeks in one trial.[8] Beyond that, nobody knows. If you take it daily, prioritise products with batch-specific contaminant testing.
Sources & further reading
Primary research, regulators and standards bodies are cited first. A source being listed here does not mean it supports every claim made by sellers; it supports the specific statement it is attached to.
- Stohs SJ. Safety and efficacy of shilajit (mumie, moomiyo). Phytotherapy Research 28(4):475–479, 2014. PMID 23733436. View source (opens in a new tab) [Review]
- Das A, El Masry MS, Gnyawali SC, et al.. Skin transcriptome of middle-aged women supplemented with natural herbo-mineral shilajit shows induction of microvascular and extracellular matrix mechanisms. Journal of the American College of Nutrition 38(6):526–536, 2019. doi:10.1080/07315724.2018.1564088; PMID 31161927. View source (opens in a new tab) [Randomised controlled trial (biomarkers)]
- Saper RB, Phillips RS, Sehgal A, et al.. Lead, mercury, and arsenic in US- and Indian-manufactured Ayurvedic medicines sold via the Internet. JAMA 300(8):915–923, 2008. View source (opens in a new tab) [Cross-sectional product survey]
- Quantifying of thallium in Shilajit and its supplements to unveil the potential risk of consumption of this popular traditional medicine. BMC Chemistry 19:20, 2025. doi:10.1186/s13065-025-01384-7. View source (opens in a new tab) [Laboratory analysis]
- European Commission (UK version on legislation.gov.uk). Commission Regulation (EC) No 629/2008 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs. legislation.gov.uk, 2008. View source (opens in a new tab) [UK legislation (retained)]
- Pandit S, Biswas S, Jana U, De RK, Mukhopadhyay SC, Biswas TK. Clinical evaluation of purified Shilajit on testosterone levels in healthy volunteers. Andrologia 48(5):570–575, 2016. PMID 26395129. View source (opens in a new tab) [Randomised controlled trial]
- Keller JL, Housh TJ, Hill EC, Smith CM, Schmidt RJ, Johnson GO. The effects of Shilajit supplementation on fatigue-induced decreases in muscular strength and serum hydroxyproline levels. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 16:3, 2019. doi:10.1186/s12970-019-0270-2; PMID 30728074. View source (opens in a new tab) [Randomised controlled trial]
- Pingali U, Nutalapati C. 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, 2022. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2022.154334; PMID 35933897. View source (opens in a new tab) [Randomised controlled trial]
- UK Anti-Doping (UKAD). Clean Sport Essentials pocket guide. ukad.org.uk, 2021. View source (opens in a new tab) [Anti-doping guidance]
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Herbal products: safety update (Drug Safety Update). GOV.UK. View source (opens in a new tab) [Regulator safety update]