Ayurvedic Ingredient Shilajit May Improve Testosterone Levels

As the baby boomer generation reaches retirement age, there is a growing market for male sexual health supplements. A recent study suggests that taking a daily supplement of purified Shilajit may boost testosterone levels in healthy men by as much as 20%.

Participants in the study included 75 healthy men between the ages of 45 and 55. They were given either 500 mg of Shilajit or a placebo daily for 90 days. Because many Shilajit supplements on the market are diluted or counterfeit, this study used a standardized supplement that contained no less than 60% total bioactives, including no less than 50% of fulvic acids, no less than 0.3% of DPs, and no less than 10% of dibenzo-alpha-pyrone chromoproteins.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers noted that the supplement was associated with a 20% increase in total testosterone levels and a 19% increase in free testosterone levels.

Researchers from the J.B. Roy State Ayurvedic Medical College and Hospital conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print on September 22, 2015, in the journal Andrologia.

Shilajit is a sticky, tar-like substance used in Ayurvedic medicine. Its active ingredients include fulvic acids, dibenzo alpha pyrones, humins, humic acids, trace minerals, vitamins A, B, C and P (citrines), phospholipids and polyphenol complexes, terpenoids.

Previous studies on the efficacy of Shilajit are limited but suggest that, in addition to helping with male sexual health, it may have beneficial effects on blood lipid levels. If you decide to take Shilajit, make sure that the supplement you choose is verified for potency and purity, as the market is flooded with impure versions.