What is Shilajit • Mumijo ?
The name 'Mumijo' is actually Russian (МУМИЁ) and is derived from the Greek, originally meaning 'body-preserving'. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher was already mentioning it and even gave some tips on how to benefit from it. In Ayurveda Mumijo is called 'Shilajit' or 'Salajeet' ; 'Nectar of the Gods, The Destroyer of Weakness, The Conqueror of Mountains'. It is considered the most powerful of all remedies, a panacea, giving vitality, unsurpassed sexual power and long lasting health.
A lump of pure Shilajit • Mumijo resin
It is a substance mainly found in the highlands ( 1000-5000 m above sea level ) of Altai, Himalaya and the Caucasus mountains in Central-Asia. The color range varies from white to pitch-black, depending on composition. For medicinal use the black variant is the most known and covers the widest spectrum.
Russian tourists discover Mumijo in a cave, deep inside a mountain
Shilajit • Mumijo can and has been described as 'mineral oil', 'stone oil' or 'rock sweat', as it seeps from cracks in mountains due to the warmth of the sun, mostly. Altai Mumijo is usually found in caves, deposited on walls or even forming stalactites, hanging from the ceiling.
There are many legends and stories about its origin, use and properties, often wildly exaggerating. We recommend you to have a look at our research section, where we collected several publications about Mumijo • Shilajit.
Use the menu for more details.
Composition of Mumijo • Shilajit
Once cleaned from impurities and extracted, Mumijo is a homogeneous paste-like substance, with a glossy surface, a peculiar smell and bitter taste. Dry Mumijo density ranges from 1.1 to 1.8 g/cm3. Mumijo has a plastic-like behavior, at a temperature lower than 20ºC / 68ºF it will solidify and it will get soft when warmed up. It easily dissolves in water without leaving any residue, and it will soften when worked between the fingers. Purified Mumijo has an unlimited shelf life. In tablet or powder form it has lost a lot of its properties and is less effective as a result of the processing and the additives involved.
In Russia and India Mumijo • Shilajit has been the subject of scientific research since the early '50s. Claims attributed to Shilajit • Mumijo were investigated with scientific methods. So far several successful medications have been developed, based on Mumijo • Shilajit, and quite a few medical claims have been confirmed in animal- and laboratory tests. Still, it is often unclear why a specific result is achieved.
Mumijo as it is sold on rural markets and in the former Soviet republics.
The precise composition of Mumijo depends on where it is found. It is always a combination of fossilized and fermented organic matter combined with minerals and many many trace-elements, altogether a few dozen of chemical elements, macro- and micro-elements, and over 20 different metal oxides and several amino acids, including animal melanins, a series of vitamins, essential oils, resins and resinous-like substances. It also contains bee poison, humic bases and several other substances not yet fully understood and researched. The white version appears to contain only anorganic compounds, and looks more like a pure mineral, being brittle.
A lump of pure Shilajit, ready to be processed.
The complexity and variability make it impossible to give an exact breakdown of its composition. A loose breakdown would be as follows: the volume of the inorganic part usually exceeds the organic part by 2-4 times. The organic part contains carbon (20-57%), oxygen (30-48%), hydrogen (4-18%) and nitrogen (3-8%) in the composition of various acids, resins and proteins. The inorganic part contains calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium and aluminum minerals. In addition to these, the inorganic part comprises also about 30 micro-elements of rare earths, rubidium, cesium, barium, strontium, chromium, antimony, etc. The quantity of each of the above ranges from traces to centigrams, but it is precisely those substances that our body lacks at times. From a medical point of view the most important active ingredients are benzoic acids and related acids, like fulvic and humic acid.
It should be obvious that standardization of Mumijo or its ingredients is not possible without subjecting it to severe processing (potentially destructive) and/or spiking.
Mumijo • Shilajit - Genuine or Fake?
Genuine Shilajit / Mumijo is truly rare and therefore expensive. A lot of fake is being sold, mostly in the form of powder, tablets, capsules and tinctures. The processing makes it almost impossible to distinguish the genuine from the fake, unfortunately.
The problem is that fulvic acid levels are usually not tested, pure 'inventions' or based on unreliable lab reports. Despite the existence of an AOAC-validated fulvic acid test only one supplier used this. As can be seen on our product comparison page, many sellers actually do have COA's available (in itself quite surprising!) but these certificates show in general only trace minerals, not fulvic acid or other active ingredients. Only after unsatisfactory attempts to benefit from Mumijo's power one might realize his money has been wasted on a fake product.
A few tips:
Real Mumijo will get soft in the hand, the fake (e.g. Ozokerite) will not, most of the time.
Real Mumijo has a very distinctive, bitter smell, described as a mix of bitumen and very dark chocolate. It also has a very bitter taste. It is not a herb!!
Sometimes sellers claim the resin should be non-sticky and one can e.g. easily roll a ball from it without it sticking to the fingers. Actually this is proof the product contains gums - the stickyness is a property of genuine Shilajit • Mumijo resin.
It will dissolve in water, benzene, acetone, chloroform but not in methanol and alcohol (ethanol). There are some -mainly Indian- websites claiming Shilajit should be able to dissolve mercury. We have not been able to find a reliable source / explanation for this. Common sense tells us that something that can dissolve mercury is most likely not safe for consumption, so we don't think this is an adequate way to test your Shilajit. Mercury is also an extremely toxic metal - best to stay away from it !
Here are some official Russian methods to test it for authenticity:
- Take 0.05 g of Shilajit • Mumijo, add 5 ml of water and a few drops of ferric chloride solution - the mixture should show a dark green color.
- Take 0.05 g of Shilajit • Mumijo, dissolve in 5 ml of alcohol, heat for 2-3 minutes (temperature not higher than 50° C ) and filter. Add 10 drops of a 5% solution of alkali to the filtrate and heat for another 3-5 minutes. Then add 5-10 drops of diazotized sulphonic acid - the filtrate should turn dark red.
Resins are the way to go if you are after actual therapeutic effects, always. There are no alternatives.
A lump of pure 'raw' Shilajit.
The same applies to products claiming guaranteed levels of e.g. fulvic acid - this is not possible, just like it is impossible to guarantee vitamin C levels in an orange. It is a natural product, not a pharmaceutical product. Despite that, a single batch can of course be tested for fulvic acid / humid acid and the outcome can be put on the label. In such a case - always request a Certificate of Analysis, showing which test methods were used and what the outcome was. AOAC International (which is developing/screening international scientific testing standards) has currently a validated method to determine ash-less humic / fulvic acids in samples. Despite this low-cost test only a couple of sellers have tested their product for these important quality markers. Always ask for those test results to make sure you get a quality product.
Processing is very destructive. According to Russian research Mumijo should not be heated to more then 39 ºC/102 ºF - higher temperatures will quickly destroy several of the amino acids and affect the existing synergy. The use of metal (like tools or bowls) should also be avoided - oxidation will occur, i.p. in the organic acids that are present.
Oddly enough not a single seller is aware of this. When we did the product research for the comparison page we saw that most recommend the use of a metal spoon or scoop to dose the product - one seller even sells a specific tool for this ('patent pending' - LOL). This proves the ignorance of the average Shilajit seller - almost none has actual knowledge, the majority is just copy/pasting information from Wikipedia or other websites.
The recommendation to take the product with milk is also seen everywhere. This is rooted in the Ayurvedic tradition, but modern science discovered the lactose in milk binds with polyphenolic compounds, rendering them useless. Polyphenols are a major bioactive ingredient in Shilajit / Mumijo !
The best way to dose is using a wooden spoon - silicone is also excellent, and easy to clean. Create a solution as described in the dedicated page and dosing should be easy, then.
Traditional Processing of Shilajit in Nepal
A thin layer of Shilajit can be seen on these rocks
Scraping the Shilajit from the rocks. It's obvious no large quantities can be collected this way.
Raw Shilajit, directly after being harvested.
Ready for processing.
The Shilajit is being washed in water and roughly cleaned. This is the traditional way. Not very hygienic!
The cleaned Shilajit is filtered using a piece of fabric. Crude, but it works.
The cleaned and filtered Shilajit is now being boiled to get rid of excess water and to make it more solid.
The cooking of Shilajit is not a good practice and will kill a lot of medicinal power!
The finished product is poured into jars, ready to be sold. The Indian and Nepalese products are often contaminated with bacteria and molds, because of the unhygienic way of preparation.
Shilajit Powder Production
Shilajit is also sold in local markets as powder - here are the air-dried chips of pure Shilajit
A 4 kg metal rod is used to pound the chips to powder. Using metal is effective but not good.
Everything is done manually.
The powdered Shilajit needs to be sieved. Here it is poured into a sieve.
Sieving guarantees an even particle size in the powder.
All this work is mainly done by women. Hygiene is not taken into account.
The powder is sold in 25 grams bags on the market. This has nothing to do with the Shilajit powder offered online in large quantities - the majority of that is fake.
All pictures © oriveda.com; used with permission
Therapeutic Effects of Mumijo • Shilajit
To briefly describe what makes it work and why it works is undoable. Nevertheless, a brief sample from the existing documentation:
- -Animal tests showed an endurance increase of up to 40%, plus recovery after work-outs is much faster. A reason why Mumijo was and still is used a lot in Russia by top athletes (weightlifters, long distance runners e.g.) and the Special Forces (Spetznaz).
- -Fractures were healing up to 50% faster, reason why since 1961 it's officially being used by Russian hospitals. Several medications have been developed since then, based on raw Mumijo.
-
Skin marks and stretch marks will be reduced - a popular cosmetic application in the Russian Federation
-In Russia Mumijo is often used cosmetically by women. They develop their own recipes and use it e.g. for facials, to reduce stretch marks after giving birth and to fight cellulite and hairloss. Reported reductions in stretch marks were up to 60 % within 6 weeks. Internet forums are discussing Shilajit • Mumijo often in this context. The same components that make a mud bath and a facial mask work, fulvic and humic acids, are the key components here. It has also been reported that scars resulting from burns were significantly less after using Mumijo. -
-Several sources mention that using Mumijo together with other herbs will increase the effect of these herbs considerably. It is said it improves the bioavailability significantly.
Shilajit / Mumijo applied to a painfull knee.
As an example, a traditional anti-stretch marks method:*
Dissolve 4-5 grams of Shilajit • Mumijo in water. When it is completely dissolved (this process will take some time) mix the resulting solution with ± 100 grams of your usual body cream or lotion. Stir well and leave for 15-20 minutes until the Shilajit • Mumijo has dissolved in the cream. The distinctive smell should no longer be noticeable. Apply it in the morning and evening to the problem areas.
However, to quote a Russian study:
"Mumijo is not a panacea for all diseases. Nevertheless, modern science has clearly shown that Mumijo has a broad spectrum of biological action: anti-bacterial, bacteriostatic, anti-inflammatory, choleric, tonic and anti-stress. Due to its composition mumijo stimulates the activity of many enzyme systems of the body and supports a variety of immunological processes."
* recipe courtesy oriveda.com
Shilajit • Mumijo - Research Repository
Click the title for a brief description of the article and a downloadlink.
-
SHILAJIT - a Materia Medica monograph
-
Shilajit (Mumijo) : Unraveling the mystery
Chemistry of Shilajit, an immunomodulatory Ayurvedic rasayan
-
Medical preparations based on Mumijo
-
The antioxidant-genoprotective mechanism of the action of the preparation Mumiyo-Vitas
-
Complement-fixing Activity of Fulvic Acid from Shilajit and Other Natural Sources
-
Mumijo Traditional Medicine - Fossil Deposits from Antarctica
-
Selected herbals and human exercise performance
-
Shilajit: An Ancient Panacea
-
Shilajit: A Review
-
Therapeutic Potentials of Shilajit
How to prepare an easy-to-use solution
Because high quality Shilajit • Mumijo is a thick sticky resinous paste with a low moisture content (< 10 %) it can be quite difficult to manipulate and to dose accurately.
We do recommend to make a 30% water solution - 30 % Mumijo with 70 % of cooled down boiled water. This solution has an unlimited shelf life, just like the raw paste. Put the required amount of water (for 25 grams ± 59 ml) in the container with Mumijo and leave it overnight. It will dissolve to a mayo-like consistency. Stir with a non-metal spoon to ensure proper dissolving.
If your product is already runny it's better not to dilute it with water unless you plan to take it right away. Low quality products are often diluted to create a higher profit margin for the seller.
You can also freeze the Mumijo; this makes it easy to remove it from its container. Put the frozen Mumijo in a glass jar, add the required water and leave overnight.
After preparation the solution should be kept in a well-closed container in a dark, cool spot, like in the refrigerator.
For accurate administration use a set of plastic/silicone kitchen measuring spoons - 1/4 of a teaspoon = 1.25 ml of solution, the daily dose for an adult with a body weight of 80-90 kgs. You can of course dilute the daily dose in additional water just before taking it if you want. If the taste is too much for you, adding honey or some other sweetener is no problem. Do not use milk - although this is an Ayurvedic tradition we now know milk binds with polyphenols, rendering them useless. Polyphenols are very important bioactive compounds. Warm water is best !
Do not prepare a weaker solution unless you plan to consume it soon. Solutions weaker than the described 30/70 have a limited shelf life and might spoil rather quickly.
Shilajit • Mumijo products compared
Summary
This is an overview of 30 Shilajit-Mumijo products, most of which are available on Amazon.com. Powders, tinctures, tablets and capsules are not included because the quality is per definition questionable. Most of the products below are resins; some are in the form of hard, brittle solid pieces/chips.
Almost all of these sellers have an analysis report to back up their product (which is quite surprising for dietary supplements). But oddly enough almost none of these analysis reports gives us the answer to that most important question: which is the best and most reliable product?
- 'Best' meaning: with the highest levels of active ingredients (in Shilajit-Mumijo those are fulvic / humic acids in synergy with trace metals and minerals).
- 'Reliable' meaning: the authenticity of the product was verified using validated tests.
Only the products from Supermanherbs
That last one is usually overlooked - but there are tests available that show whether or not the product is actually Shilajit • Mumijo or just some smelly black tar-like substance. Unfortunately there is a lot of fake Shilajit on the market, in particular from India. These authenticity tests have been developed in the former Soviet Union in particular (also see the entry about 'Fake Shilajit' on this site).
It is important to know that you are buying genuine Shilajit - Mumijo with validated therapeutic potential and a clear indication of active ingredients. That doesn't mean the others are per definition bad, but the quality cannot be verified, so you have to take the sellers word for it. And the marketing is very strong in some cases - which is why we also included a verification of the existing product reviews on Amazon.
Be on guard !
Prices are ranging from $ 0.17 to $ 6.00 per gram for these products.
More details and background - click here
The table below is unsorted. Click a header to sort ascending or descending.
| Name | CoA | Safety (Heavy Metals) | Authenticity test | Fakespot | Price per gram (USD) | Conclusion | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  |
Authentic Shilajit - 10 Grams |
N | Y | N | B | 5.70 | 1+ | |
  |
ORIGINAL SHILAJIT | 3 Months Supply | 50g |
N | N | N | B | 0.78 | - | |
 |
Ladakhi Shilajit | 13 g | N | N | N | no reviews | 3.83 | - | |
  |
Pürblack Live Resin Shilajit | 30 g |
N | N | N | D ("Our engine has profiled the reviewer patterns and has determined that there is high deception involved.")" | 2.97 | - | |
  |
Pure Altay Shilajit | 15 g |
N | Y | N | B | 1.33 | 1+ | |
 |
3P SHILAJIT | 25g | N | N | N | no reviews | 2.60 | - | |
  |
Authentic Shilajit Siberian Mumijo | 100 grams |
N | N | N | A | 0.49 | - | |
  |
Sayan Altai Shilajit | 30 Grams |
N | Y | N | F ("Tread lightly, this product may contain a major number of unreliable or low quality reviews!") | 1.84 | 1+ | |
  |
Himalayan Shilajit | 30 Grams |
Y | Y | N | A | 1.63 | 2+ | |
  |
Shilajit Resin | 15gr |
Y | Y | N | D ("Our engine has profiled the reviewer patterns and has determined that there may be deception involved.") | 3.10 | 2+ | |
  |
Shilajit Black Platinum Resin | 10 grams |
N | Y | N | no reviews | 2.90 | 1+ | |
  |
Pure Shilajit Resin | 20 grams |
N | N | N | no reviews | 2.00 | - | |
 |
Oriveda Shilajit-Mumijo - 25 Grams | Y | Y | Y | no reviews | 2.90 | 3+ | |
  |
Amiruca Botanicals Ancient Earth Shilajit | 50 grams |
N | N | N | no reviews | 2.50 | - | |
  |
Shilajit rock crystals | 28 grams/(1 oz) |
N | N | N | no reviews | 0.33 | - | |
  |
Authentic Shilajit mineral pitch Mumijo resin | 100 Gram |
N | N | N | no reviews | 0.17 | - | |
 |
Himalayan SHILAJIT RESIN (10G) Minimally Processed for Maximum Potency ... |
Y | Y | Y | no reviews | 6.00 | 3+ | |
  |
Authentic Pure Shilajit | 100g from Altai |
N | N | N | no reviews | 0.45 | - | |
  |
Natural Royal Shilajit resin, Altai, 30 grams + free unique white Royal Shilajit sample, 5 grams (Limited Offer) |
N | N | N | F ("Tread lightly, this product may contain a major number of unreliable or low quality reviews! - Our analysis detected 100.0% low quality reviews") | 1.63 | - | |
  |
Genuine Himalayan Shilajit | 30 grams |
N | N | N | no reviews | 2.67 | - | |
  |
Himalayan Organic Shilajit | 50 grams |
N | N | N | no reviews | 2.67 | - | |
  |
SHILAJIT 120 gram Himalayan Asphaltum, Mumiyo |
N | N | N | no reviews | 0.38 | - | |
  |
High Mountain Shilajit | 12 grams |
N | N | N | F ("Tread lightly, this product may contain a major number of unreliable or low quality reviews! - Our analysis detected 100.0% low quality reviews") | 5.25 | - | |
  |
14 grams Shilajit Shilajeet Natural Resin |
N | N | N | A | 2.67 | - | |
  |
50 Gram Shilajit From Altai Mountains |
N | N | N | no reviews | 1.20 | - | |
  |
Dirobi Pure Himalayan Shilajit Resin | 20 Grams |
(tests executed by Atlas Bioscience, notorious for issueing fake reports) | Y | N | D ("Our engine has profiled the reviewer patterns and has determined that there is high deception involved. - Our analysis detected 49.3% low quality reviews") | 3.00 | -/+ | |
 |
Premium Shilajit | 10 Grams | N | Y | N | no reviews | 5.00 | 1+ | |
  |
Pure Himalayan Shilajit, 240 Servings |
N | Y | N | D ("Our engine has profiled the reviewer patterns and has determined that there is high deception involved.") | 1.97 | 1+ | |
  |
Barlowe's Herbal Elixers: TIBETAN BLACK - High Himalayan Shilajit |
Y | Y | N | no reviews | 2.19 | 2+ |