Looking for the best shilajit supplements? Here is what you need to know about how shilajit supplements are made, shilajit types, Himalayan vs. Russian shilajit, and the best brands of real shilajit for your money.
Not sure what shilajit is? Read this post about Shilajit Health Benefits
Quick Picks:
- Best Overall: Pure Himalayan Shilajit Resin
- Best Value: Siberian Treasure Shilajit
- Best Capsules: Banyan Botanicals Shilajit
How Shilajit Supplements Are Made
In nature, shilajit often looks like a hard blackish-brown rock. In hot weather, the shilajit softens into a sticky resin. This is what collectors often find oozing out of rocks.
After gathering shilajit, it is cold-filtered to remove impurities and sun dried. Depending on how much the shilajit is dried, it can be liquid, sticky or hard. In fact, if you let a jar of liquid or sticky shilajit sit for long enough, it will get rock hard as the moisture evaporates from it.
Sometimes shilajit liquid is freeze-dried to create a powder. This is different than “standardized shilajit,” which is also a powder, but has gone through additional processing.
Standardized Shilajit
Standardized shilajit has gone through an additional level of processing than other types of shilajit. A solvent is used to extract certain compounds in the shilajit. The extracted substances are usually spray-dried to produce a powder.
The benefits of using standardizd shilajit is that it does not contain impurities (such as heavy metals) and has a high level of healthy compounds (such as fulvic acid). You are guaranteed to get the listed ingredients with standardized shilajit. However, the downside is that the processing may reduce the levels of certain nutrients. For this reason, most people prefer filtered shilajit which is less-processed. (1)
Types of Shilajit Supplements
Shilajit supplements can be a liquid, sticky resin, hard rock or a powder.
Liquid Shilajit
This is filtered shilajit which hasn’t been dried. Because of this, it has the least concentration of healthy compounds. It is usually measured with an eye dropper. It can be taken directly or mixed with a beverage.
- Least concentrated
- Not good for travel
- Good for topical use
Shilajit Resin
This shilajit has been dried to remove moisture and thus is more concentrated than liquid shilajit. It is slightly runny and has the consistency of honey. It usually comes in a jar and is scooped out with a spoon. You can dissolve it in warm beverages or just eat a small piece of it. Because it’s so viscous, it is hard to measure the shilajit precisely. It’s also a bit messy and not ideal for on-the-go.
- About 7-15% moisture
- Medium concentration
- Okay for travel
- To take, dissolve in liquid or eat it
Solid/Sticky Shilajit
This is shilajit which has had most of the moisture removed from it. Because it contains very little moisture (only about 3-6%), it is the most concentrated form of shilajit. It will cost more than other forms of shilajit because you are getting more product per weight. Hard shilajit isn’t messy but it is hard to break off a piece to use. You’ll find it tricky to get an exact dosage.
- Medium processed
- Most concentrated form
- Not messy
- Take by swallowing
*Shilajit tablets or “drops” are just solid shilajit which has been shaped. This makes it much easier to take and get an exact dosage.
Shilajit Powder
Shilajit powder is usually made by freeze-drying, a process which removes all of the water. Because there is no moisture, the nutritious compounds are very highly concentrated. Freeze-drying generally does a good job of preserving nutrients. However, some people still look at it as a more highly-processed form of shilajit.
- Usually freeze-dried
- Very concentrated
- Not messy
- To take, dissolve in liquid
- Good for travel
Which Form of Shilajit Is Best?
All forms of shilajit provide health benefits. However, shilajit resin is generally considered the best type of shilajit because it is the easiest to use yet still contains concentrated nutritious compounds. It is also minimally processed so live nutrients aren’t destroyed by heat. In terms of convience, shilajit soft tablets are considered best.
Himalayan vs. Russian Shilajit
Shilajit has long been used in Ayurvedic medicine, which originates in India. Because of this, shilajit from the Himalayan Mountains (near India) is often considered “real shilajit.” However, shilajit is also found in many other parts of the world including: Russia, Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, and Mongolia. (2)
The composition of shilajit can vary depending on where it was formed. However, samples of shilajit from around the world have similar compounds. So, in terms of medicinal benefits, it doesn’t really matter where the shilajit comes from. Despite this, Himalayan shilajit is often touted as “real shilajit” and costs much more than shilajit from other countries. (3, 4)
Best Shilajit Supplements
1. Best Overall – Pure Himalayan Shilajit Brand Resin
Pure Himalayan Shilajit is by far the most trusted brand for shilajit supplements. For most people, their shilajit resin is the best choice. It comes in glass jars of either 0.2, 0.5 or 1.76oz. All of their products are tested at the source location and then re-tested at a USA lab. They use aloe-flavored water when filtering the shilajit, which helps (slightly) with the normal bad taste of shilajit. Note that, despite their name, some of their products are sourced in Russia.
- Form: Resin
- Jar sizes: 6g, 14g, 50g
- Source: Himalayan Mountains
- Altitude: 16,000 feet
- Lab tested: Yes
- Buy Here
2. Best Value – Siberian Treasure Shilajit
This is by far the most affordable shilajit you’ll find while still being a great quality. The resin comes in a 3.5oz glass jar (which is much larger than most other shilajit products). You’d think that the shilajit would be watery at this price, but it is actually very thick. You can even leave the lid off a bit to dry it out and then you’ll be able to roll it into little balls for easier dosing. The shilajit is tested in a lab at Russia and then tested again in the USA.
- Form: Resin
- Jar size: 5oz (100g)
- Source: Altai Mountains, Russia
- Lab tested: Yes
- Buy Here
3. Best Capsules – Banyan Botanicals Shilajit
Banyan Botanicals is a brand which specializes in Ayurvedic natural medicines. Their products are of a high quality and generally affordable. Their shilajit capsules are made up of hard shilajit which is ground into a powder. There is 300mg of shilajit per capsule, along with some fillers to prevent moisture.
- Form: Vegan capsules
- Amount per capsule: 300mg
- Capsules per bottle: 90
- Source: Himalayas
- Lab tested: Yes
- Fair Trade
- Buy Here
4. Sayan Shilajit
Sayan is one of the main brands of shilajit supplements. All of their shilajit is sourced from the Altai Mountains in Russia at above 10,000 feet. The box contains two small containers with 15g each. The shilajit itself is in a plastic container which is within a metal tin. Don’t transfer the shilajit into the tin as the metals may interact. Rather, the metal tin helps keep the plastic container from deforming.
- Form: Resin
- Amount per jar: 30g
- Source: Altai Mountains, Russia
- Altitude: 10,000+ feet
- Lab tested: Yes
- Buy Here
5. Pure Himalayan Shilajit Brand Drops
If you want shilajit which is convenient to use, then these tablets are a good option. They are presized into 200mg each. I find them too large to swallow but you can chew them or dissolve them into a warm drink.
- Form: Tablets
- Amount per tablet: 200mg
- Tabs per container: 60
- Source: Altai Mountains, Russia
- Altitude: 14,000 feet
- Lab tested: Yes
- Buy Here
6. Lotus Blooming Herbs Shilajit
This is a more expensive brand of shilajit but a lot of people love them. They are very forthcoming about their filtering processes and lab analysis results. The brand also claims their shilajit is ethically sourced. I also really like how they package the shilajit. While the plastic container holding the actual shilajit isn’t ideal, the tin is large enough to hold the little dosing spoon. This makes it easy to take the shilajit with you wherever you go.
- Form: Resin
- Jar sizes: 10g
- Source: Himalayan Mountains
- Altitude: 16,000 feet
- Lab tested: Yes
- Ethically sourced
- Buy Here
8. Best Standardized – Roar Shilajit Capsules
Unlike the other brands of shilajit supplements reviewed here, these ones are standardized. That means the shilajit goes through additional processing to extract high amounts of the healthy compounds. It is guaranteed to contain at least 50% fulvic acid. It’s difficult to test for fulvic acid, which is why other brands of filtered shilajit don’t list their fulvic acid content. Roar doesn’t standardize other aspects of shilajit, but some other nutritious compounds do remain after the standardization process. If fulvic acid is the main reason you want to take shilajit, then this is the best option for you.
- Form: Vegan capsules
- Amount per capsule: 600mg
- Capsules per container: 60
- Standardized to 50% fulvic acid
- Lab tested: Yes
- Buy Here
If someone absolutely does not care about the cost, and only cares for safety and efficacy, what would you recommend between Pure Himalayan and Blooming Lotus? Or is there another brand you consider the absolute best? I plan to take this myself and also give to my 66-year-old mother as well as our three year old Siamese cat and 12-year-old Pomeranian Chihuahua mix and safety is huge bc my furbabies are only 8-10 lbs each and more likely to become sick if there’s anything there that shouldn’t be.
I bought some Shilajit on the internet. The brand is Vitalizen. Can you please give me some information if this is a legit product or am I wasting my money?