Shilajit for Health & Longevity - Quick Reference Sheet
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Shilajit for Health & Longevity

Created on 09/13/2026 – Quick Reference based on Evidence Review created using AI4L / Opus 5 – Audit

A mineral-rich tar-like substance with long traditional use and a small, uneven body of modern human evidence. Controlled trials point to preserved bone density after menopause, higher testosterone in middle-aged men, and faster healing of a broken shinbone. Short-term tolerance is good; the dominant variable is product quality, since commercial samples repeatedly contain toxic metals. (Full Review)

Protocol

Standard regimen
250 mg twice daily
Morning and evening, purified extract standardised to at least 50% fulvic acid and around 10% dibenzo-α-pyrones. The dose used in the hormone, bone and skin trials.
Higher-dose variant
500 mg once or twice daily
Used by the strength trial and the higher arm of the bone trial; 1000 mg daily has been used for eight weeks without incident.
Traditional resin approach
300–500 mg once daily
A rice-grain-sized portion of purified resin dissolved in warm water or milk. Ayurvedic practice, not trial-derived, and dose accuracy is poor.
Time to effect
Bone density
24–48 weeks
Bone density was measured only at 24 and 48 weeks in women after menopause.
Hormones
90 days
Hormone changes were measured at 90 days; nothing meaningful is assessable before three months.
Collagen and strength markers
8 weeks
Collagen and strength markers were measured at 8 weeks.

Benefits

Contraindications
  • Pregnant and breastfeeding women
  • Hereditary haemochromatosis, thalassaemia, or ferritin above 300 ng/mL with transferrin saturation above 45%
  • Blood lead level at or above 3.5 µg/dL
  • Active or previously treated hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, or prostate-specific antigen above 4 ng/mL under surveillance
  • Chronic kidney disease at stage 3b or worse (filtration rate below 45 mL/min/1.73 m²)
  • Children and adolescents under 18
    •
Key Interactions
  • Blood-glucose-lowering drugs (metformin, glipizide, insulin, empagliflozin)
  • Mineral-chelated antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, doxycycline, minocycline)
  • Levothyroxine and bisphosphonates (alendronate, risedronate)
  • Over-the-counter iron and mineral products (ferrous sulfate, calcium carbonate antacids, magnesium hydroxide)
  • Over-the-counter stomach-acid reducers (omeprazole, famotidine)
  • Testosterone-support supplements (tongkat ali, ashwagandha, boron, fenugreek)
  • Glucose-lowering supplements (berberine, chromium, cinnamon extract, alpha-lipoic acid)
  • Coenzyme Q10
  • Testosterone replacement therapy and other exogenous androgens
    •

Risk & Side Effects

  • Low: Toxic element content of commercial product; gastrointestinal upset and headache; unwanted androgen elevation; licorice-like blood pressure and potassium disturbance
  • Speculative: Mycotoxin and microbial contamination of unpurified resin; iron and mineral loading; kidney stone formation

Monitoring

Marker Target Why
Total testosterone (men) 600–900 ng/dL The primary trial-supported endpoint
Free testosterone (men) 15–25 pg/mL The bioavailable fraction that rose in trial
DHEA-S 200–400 µg/dL (men), 100–250 µg/dL (women) Rose alongside testosterone in the hormone trial
Blood lead Below 1.0 µg/dL Direct readout of the main contamination hazard
Ferritin 50–150 ng/mL Detects iron loading from the mineral fraction
Transferrin saturation 20–40% Separates true iron loading from inflammatory ferritin rise
High-sensitivity C-reactive protein Below 1.0 mg/L The inflammatory marker that moved in the bone trial
Fasting glucose 75–86 mg/dL Catches additive glucose lowering with medication
ALT Below 26 U/L (men), below 22 U/L (women) Confirms the liver tolerance trials reported
Creatinine and estimated filtration rate Filtration rate above 90 mL/min/1.73 m² Reduced clearance concentrates absorbed trace elements
Uric acid 3.5–5.5 mg/dL Tracks the theoretical stone and gout concern
Prostate-specific antigen (men over 45) Below 2.5 ng/mL, stable year to year Guards the deliberate androgen rise
Bone density T-score (lumbar spine, femoral neck) Above −1.0 The endpoint the bone trial actually moved
Urinary arsenic and thallium No established target; change from own pre-supplement baseline Confirms whether a specific product is adding exposure

Cadence: Baseline, then 12 weeks for blood lead, ferritin, liver and kidney panels and hormones, then every 6 months while use continues. Glucose deserves closer watching in the first month if a glucose-lowering drug is in use. A bone density scan repeats no sooner than 12 months.

Qualitative Assessment

  • Perceived exertion during a repeated, standardised training session
  • Recovery time between hard training sessions
  • Daytime energy stability, particularly mid-afternoon
  • Libido and morning erections in men
  • Digestive comfort in the first two weeks, the window in which complaints appear
  • Headache frequency against a pre-supplement baseline
  • Skin texture and hydration, the one cosmetic endpoint with any human data behind it
Not medical advice. Educational distillation of a single evidence review. Confirm any decision with a qualified clinician, especially in the presence of prescription drugs or chronic conditions.