Shilajit quality: heavy metals, lab tests and real or fake

Short answer: You cannot tell whether shilajit is good from its colour, smell or a home test. Only a lab analysis shows that. Ask for the certificate of analysis (CoA) of the batch and check what was measured: at least lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic, and ideally also mineral oil and microbiology. That is no luxury: in 2026 a German control lab found signs that 3 of the 12 products it tested contained little or no real shilajit.

Last updated: 5 November 2026 · Written by Florian Fermin

Shilajit (mumijo, Asphaltum punjabianum) is a resin-like substance from rock crevices in high mountains. Because it comes from rock and its composition varies by site, quality matters more with shilajit than with many other supplements. At GOYU we sell shilajit resin and capsules ourselves, so we have an interest in this topic. That is exactly why we set out below what researchers and control labs found, even when it does not always reflect well on the market. What shilajit is and what is known about its effects is explained in what is shilajit and what to look out for.

How do you recognise good shilajit?

By paperwork, not by appearance. A good product has a CoA per batch from an independent lab, with measured values and detection limits. Look out for these four things:

1. Identity: the label says Asphaltum punjabianum (or shilajit, mumijo) and whether it is resin or extract.
2. Contaminants: the CoA gives values for heavy metals, and ideally also for mineral oil and microbiology.
3. Clear dosage: how much per serving or per capsule, and how often per day.
4. No miracle promises: statements such as "boosts your testosterone" or "gives instant energy" are not allowed on a supplement in the EU.

What did a German control lab find in 12 shilajit products?

The Chemisches und Veterinäruntersuchungsamt (CVUA) Stuttgart, a government lab in Germany, tested twelve shilajit products from online shops, retailers and a pharmacy in 2026. The results are a good checklist of what can go wrong (CVUA Stuttgart, 2026):

In the end the lab judged all twelve products misleading, for example because of the "lab tested" claim or their composition. The German consumer organisation Verbraucherzentrale also writes that "lab tested" alone does not guarantee complete testing for harmful substances (Verbraucherzentrale, 2026).

Real or fake: can you test shilajit at home?

No, not reliably. Online you see all kinds of tests: dissolving shilajit in warm water, letting it harden in the cold, warming it until it softens or pulling a thread between your fingers. We found no research in which such tests have been checked. Moreover, caramelised sugar also dissolves in warm water and also becomes sticky when warm. That is exactly the kind of adulteration the CVUA Stuttgart suspected in 4 products.

Labs use other methods. The CVUA looked for substances typical of shilajit, such as hippuric acid and certain phenols. In 2025, Indian researchers developed a method (HPLC) to measure fulvic acid, hippuric acid and urolithin A, among others, in shilajit (Kohli et al., 2025). You see such measurements on a detailed CoA, not in a video.

Which heavy metals can shilajit contain?

Shilajit comes from rock and can therefore contain metals. What research shows differs by sample and by site:

• In samples from India and Pakistan, researchers found lead, arsenic and mercury, among others, above common limits (Aldakheel et al., 2021).
• A review of the available measurements mostly came out below the limits, but not always (Hussain and Saeed, 2024).
• In 12 samples of different origins, the toxic metals were below common thresholds (Kamgar et al., 2026).
• Researchers found thallium, a toxic metal that is rarely measured, at up to 0.23 µg per gram in raw shilajit and up to 0.5 µg per gram in supplements. Some supplements contained more than the raw material (Kamgar et al., 2025).

In the EU, food supplements have maximum levels of 3.0 mg/kg lead, 1.0 mg/kg cadmium and 0.10 mg/kg mercury (Regulation (EU) 2023/915). There is no maximum for arsenic in supplements: the EU maximum for inorganic arsenic only applies to certain foods, such as rice, baby food, fruit juice and fish. So check for yourself whether arsenic is on the CoA.

What belongs on a shilajit CoA?

How to read such a document in general, with examples, is explained in how to read a CoA.

Does "Himalayan" on the label say anything about quality?

No. Shilajit is found in several mountain ranges. Researchers analysed raw shilajit from Iran, India, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, for example, and found that the composition, in this case of salts such as chloride and sulphate, clearly differs by origin (Kamgar et al., 2025). Which origin is "better" has not been studied. Besides, you cannot see or taste the origin in the product. A CoA tells you more than a place name on the jar.

What does the fulvic acid content tell you?

Extracts often state a percentage of fulvic acid on the label, such as 5%. That figure only means something if you know how it was measured: researchers use different methods for it, for example weighing (gravimetry) or HPLC (Kohli et al., 2025). Fulvic acid as a separate ingredient is, incidentally, a non-authorised novel food in the EU; shilajit contains it naturally (European Commission, Novel Food Catalogue). Shilajit itself is permitted in food supplements in the EU (POL-NF-00522).

Requesting analysis data for GOYU shilajit

If you want to know which analysis data are available for our shilajit, request them via support@getgoyu.com and include the product name and the lot number on your pack. Use the checklist above to assess them, just as you would for any other brand.

All our forms are on the page buy shilajit. Possible side effects and who should not use shilajit are covered in shilajit side effects.

Summary in 3 points

• You cannot judge the quality of shilajit by colour, smell or a home test, only by a lab analysis (CoA) of the batch.
• In 2026 a German government lab found signs of little or no real shilajit in 3 of 12 products, signs of caramel in 4 and a lot of mineral oil in 4. It found no excess heavy metals.
• Check the CoA for lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic with detection limits, and ask about mineral oil and microbiology. "Lab tested" alone tells you little.

Frequently asked questions

How do you know if shilajit is real?

Only with a lab analysis that measures substances typical of shilajit, such as hippuric acid. Home tests with water, heat or cold have not been checked and tell you little, because caramelised sugar, for example, behaves the same way.

Does shilajit contain lead?

It can. In some samples from India and Pakistan researchers found lead above common limits; in other studies it stayed below them. So ask for the CoA of the batch with a measured lead content; in the EU the maximum for supplements is 3.0 mg/kg.

Is shilajit resin better than capsules?

Not necessarily. For quality, what counts most is what was measured, not the form. With extract capsules you also look at the fulvic acid content and how it was measured. How to use resin is explained in how to take shilajit resin.

What does "purified" mean for shilajit?

After collection, raw shilajit is purified into a glossy resin. Exactly how that is done differs by producer. So "purified" on the label says nothing about the levels of metals or other substances; for that you need the CoA.

Sources

1. Güneri M, et al. Shilajit - der neueste Sh*t. Chemisches und Veterinäruntersuchungsamt (CVUA) Stuttgart, 29 April 2026 (study of 12 products). cvuas.de
2. Verbraucherzentrale. Mumijo bei Darmproblemen? Updated 13 October 2026. verbraucherzentrale.de
3. Kohli HK, Somasekhar V, Reddy MD, Prakash NS. Laboratory study of test methods (HPLC, HPTLC, LC-MS, ICP-MS) for substances in raw shilajit, extract and resin. J Chromatogr A. 2025;1766:466570. doi:10.1016/j.chroma.2025.466570. PubMed 41330163
4. Aldakheel RK, Gondal MA, Alsayed HN, et al. Laboratory study of metals in shilajit from India and Pakistan. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2022;200(9):4199-4216 (online 2021). doi:10.1007/s12011-021-03014-4. PubMed 34800280
5. Hussain A, Saeed A. Review of heavy metals and humic substances in shilajit. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2024;202(12):5794-5814. doi:10.1007/s12011-024-04109-4. PubMed 38393486
6. Kamgar E, Angaïts A, Zembrzuska J, Kaykhaii M, Szpunar J. Laboratory study of metals in 12 shilajit samples of different origins. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2026;96:127913. doi:10.1016/j.jtemb.2026.127913. PubMed 42364294
7. Kamgar E, Zembrzuska J, Zembrzuski W, Kaykhaii M. Laboratory study of thallium in raw shilajit and shilajit supplements. BMC Chem. 2025;19(1):20. doi:10.1186/s13065-025-01384-7. PubMed 39827344
8. Kamgar E, Zembrzuska J, Lorenc W, Kaykhaii M. Laboratory study of anions in 14 raw shilajit samples from Iran, India, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan and Russia and 6 supplements. BMC Chem. 2025;19(1):95. doi:10.1186/s13065-025-01473-7. PubMed 40223103
9. European Commission. Regulation (EU) 2023/915 on maximum levels for certain contaminants in food, Annex I (lead, cadmium and mercury in food supplements; inorganic arsenic only for the foods in section 3.4). EUR-Lex
10. European Commission. Novel Food Catalogue: Asphaltum punjabianum (shilajit, mumijo), "not novel in food supplements" (POL-NF-00522); fulvic acid, "novel food, not authorised" (POL-NF-00369). Accessed 5 November 2026.
11. GOYU, product pages of Shilajit Resin and Shilajit Extract Capsules (5% Fulvic Acid) 500 mg, accessed 5 November 2026.

This article is for information only and is not medical advice. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. If in doubt, or if you are pregnant or taking medication, consult your GP or pharmacist.