Shilajit Explained: Resin vs Capsules, Fulvic Acid and Purity

Short answer: resin is the traditional form and usually the most concentrated. Capsules are easier and cleaner to take. The more important question is not the format but whether the shilajit has been purified.

What shilajit is

Shilajit is a tar-like substance that seeps from rock in mountain ranges, most famously the Himalayas and Altai. It forms over a very long period from compressed plant matter, and its main constituents are fulvic and humic acids along with a range of trace minerals.

Raw shilajit straight from the rock is not a finished product. It contains rock fragments and plant debris, and purification is a necessary step before it can be sold as a supplement.

Purified is the only kind worth buying

Purification removes the rock, the plant matter and the contaminants that raw material can carry. It is the difference between a supplement and a lump of mineral pitch, and it is the first thing to check on any shilajit product.

Our resin is made from purified shilajit honey resin. Purity matters considerably more than the number printed on the front of the jar.

Fulvic acid percentages, and why they are hard to compare

Fulvic acid content is the headline figure on most shilajit products, and comparing those figures between brands is less meaningful than it looks.

There is no single agreed laboratory method for measuring fulvic acid. Different methods — and different definitions of what counts as fulvic acid versus humic acid — produce substantially different numbers from the same sample. A product tested one way may report a figure twice that of an identical product tested another way.

So treat percentages as a rough indicator rather than a ranking.

Resin, capsules or gummies?

• Resin — the traditional form. Dissolved in warm water or taken under the tongue. Most concentrated per serving, but sticky and awkward to dose by eye.
• Capsules — pre-measured and portable, usually an extract rather than raw resin. Easier to take consistently.
• Gummies — the lowest dose per serving of the three, and the easiest to take daily.

Extract strengths on capsules are often quoted as equivalents — a 40:1 extract at 400mg may be listed as 16,000mg equivalent. That is standard practice in the industry, but it means the equivalent figure and the actual capsule content are very different numbers.

A note on claims

No health claims for shilajit are authorised in Great Britain. Claims you will see elsewhere about energy, testosterone or vitality are not permitted here, and we do not make them. We will tell you what is in the product and how it was made.

Our shilajit range

Traditional resin: Shilajit & Manuka Honey Resin, 650mg purified shilajit resin with 350mg manuka honey per 1,000mg serving. Contains honey, so not suitable for vegans.

Capsules: 5-in-1 Shilajit, Sea Moss & Lion's Mane with black pepper and zinc. Zinc contributes to normal cognitive function. 60 vegan capsules.

Gummies: Shilajit, Sea Moss & Lion's Mane Gummies with vitamin D3 and C.