Shilajit buying guide: how to choose it safely

What should I look for when buying shilajit?

Use this checklist before you buy:

1. A certificate of analysis for the batch. Not a generic report from years ago, and not one that just says “tested”. The batch number on the certificate should match the one on your jar or box.
2. An independent, accredited lab. Look for the lab’s name and an ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, the international standard for testing labs. A report from the seller’s own lab is weaker evidence.
3. Heavy metal results for lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic. Each should be given as a number, not just “pass”, and be within the UK legal limits below.
4. Microbial testing. Results for bacteria, yeasts, moulds, E. coli and salmonella, since raw shilajit is collected from rock and can carry soil microbes.
5. “Purified” on the label, with an explanation of how. Most trials used purified, standardised extracts (see what is shilajit?).
6. A clear dose per serving. You need to know how many milligrams you’re taking to match the doses used in studies.
7. A UK address for the seller or importer. That gives you a route to complain and makes the seller answerable to UK food law.

If a seller can’t or won’t send a certificate when you ask, don’t buy from them.

What heavy metal levels are acceptable?

Food supplements sold in Great Britain must not exceed these levels, measured in the product as sold:

Certificates sometimes give results in ppm, ppb or µg/g. 1 mg/kg = 1 ppm = 1 µg/g = 1,000 ppb. So a lead result of 500 ppb is 0.5 mg/kg, comfortably within the limit.

This matters because contamination is real. One analysis of Indian and Pakistani shilajit found lead, arsenic and mercury above permissible limits (Aldakheel et al., 2022), and a JAMA study of Ayurvedic products sold online found about 1 in 5 contained detectable toxic metals, including products claiming good manufacturing practice (Saper et al., 2008). See is shilajit safe? for more.

Should I buy raw or purified shilajit?

Purified, in most cases. Raw shilajit is sold as “natural” or “wild-harvested”, but it hasn’t been filtered to remove soil, sand and plant debris, and it’s harder to test consistently. Almost all of the human research used purified shilajit, so purified products are the closest match to what was actually studied.

What does “fulvic acid content” mean on the label?

Fulvic acid is one of the main humic substances in shilajit, which together make up more than 80% of its weight (Kamgar et al., 2025). Many products advertise a fulvic acid percentage, such as “60% fulvic acid”. Treat these figures with caution: different lab methods give very different results, so percentages from different brands often can’t be compared. A figure is only meaningful if the certificate names the test method.

Which claims should make me wary?

In the UK, no food or supplement may claim to treat, prevent or cure a disease, and health claims on food must be on the government’s authorised list. No health claim specific to shilajit has been authorised. Nine claims for purified shilajit sit on the government’s “on hold” list, which allows limited use under strict conditions, but that is not an approval (see is shilajit legal in the UK?). Be wary of sellers who say shilajit:

• “boosts testosterone”, “cures” anything, or replaces medicine
• contains “85 minerals” or “84 trace minerals” (a marketing number, not a lab result)
• is “lab tested” without showing you the results
• is “Grade A”, “gold grade” or “premium grade” (there’s no official grading system)

For what the evidence actually supports, see shilajit benefits.

Do home tests prove shilajit is genuine?

No. Online guides suggest burning a piece (real shilajit bubbles rather than flames), dissolving it in water (real shilajit dissolves fully) or checking whether it softens in your hand and hardens in the fridge. At best these suggest you have some kind of resin. None of them can detect heavy metals, microbes or added fillers, which are the things that actually affect your health. Only a lab test can.

Is it legal to buy shilajit in the UK?

Yes. Shilajit is sold in the UK as a food supplement. Food supplements don’t need approval before they go on sale, but they must be safe, correctly labelled and comply with UK food law, which is enforced by local Trading Standards and environmental health teams (Food Standards Agency). Shilajit is not on the GB register of authorised novel foods, and the Food Standards Agency hasn’t published a decision on whether it counts as one, so its status under novel food rules is unsettled. If you buy from an overseas website, UK rules don’t protect you in the same way.

Where can I check the research behind a product?

Our research library summarises every human trial on shilajit, including which branded extracts were tested. A product that cites studies should be the same extract, at the same dose, as the one used in those trials.