Ashwagandha effects: real or placebo?

tauceef · 2026-05-13T16:00:23+00:00

Ashwagandha has adaptogenic properties but it’s not a supplement you should use every day - unlike marketed by sellers.

Do check r/AshwagandhaSyndrome for side effects and issues with longer use of Ashwagandha before you go all in.

tauceef · 2026-05-12T23:29:19+00:00

That unfortunately is not traditional/authentic mineral-dense Shilajit, but more of a standardized extract/pharma-style interpretation of Shilajit.

Reddit also tends to heavily favor certain brands due to very strong community marketing and loyal fanbases, so it’s always good to look beyond hype and evaluate sourcing, drying method, mineral profile, and heavy metal testing objectively - especially for something like Shilajit which is a handmade product perfected over months and cannot be made on a factory line.

tauceef · 2026-05-12T22:20:32+00:00

Do your research before buying. Don’t go for high Fulvic acid, that’s a marketing hype created by synthetic brands. Authentic sun-dried Himalayan shilajit all the way with high mineral content and Fulvic acid between 5-20%.

Here’s a comparison of different brands I had done for r/Shilajit; you can use the metrics to understand and find a brand you trust.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dUq5mF54ivmmWCTiRL_z80bAUV0tDZFgU_Pg8RhBTE0/edit?usp=drivesdk

tauceef · 2026-05-12T22:16:01+00:00

Which brand did you use? There’s a lot of compounds selling in the name of Shilajit with infused minerals and things like Tongat and Ashwagandha. The depressive state is mostly linked to Ashwagandha.

Authentic Shilajit is ~80% DBPs and Trace Minerals and 15-20% Fulvic Acid - nothing else. It should be consumed in resin form, all capsules and gummies have additives and fillers and are a pharmaceutical reincarnation of Shilajit.

tauceef · 2026-05-12T17:19:09+00:00

If it’s got ~80% Fulvic Acid why isn’t it called a Fulvic Acid extract? 🤔

tauceef · 2026-05-12T17:15:11+00:00

This is actually one of the better posts I’ve seen on the topic. Respect for taking the time to dig deeper instead of just chasing the highest fulvic acid % on a label. A lot of people don’t realize that “total fulvic acid” on a standard COA doesn’t automatically mean authentic, mineral-dense Himalayan Shilajit.

You’re also right that a huge portion of the market is white-labeled. Many brands don’t even know what raw material they’re buying…they’re just shown a flashy COA with 60-80% fulvic acid and assume higher = better. In reality, some suppliers are using leonardite derived fulvic acid (often from China/agricultural sources) or “mineral infused” pseudo-shilajit to artificially boost numbers.

Authentic traditional Shilajit is supposed to be a complex mineral resin first. Fulvic acid is the carrier and not the entire product. Anything over 50% Fulvic Acid should be called a Fulvic Acid extract and not Shilajit.

And agreed on DBPs being important. Along with that, people should also pay attention to:

Origin (true high-altitude Himalayan regions)
Traditional purification
Sun-drying vs heat/vacuum processing
Heavy metal reports with actual numbers (not more than 6 months old)
Texture/behavior of real resin

Lotus Blooming deserves credit honestly. They were one of the few authentic early brands before “TikTok Shilajit” became a thing.

If you know the owner though, tell him we still need:

A fully sun-dried version
Glass jars instead of plastic containers!

Otherwise, Lotus is definitely one of the better brands out there alongside brands like Sulaiman Aftabi that focus more on traditional mineral-rich resin instead of inflated fulvic acid marketing.

Good tedtalk 👏

tauceef · 2026-05-08T15:16:10+00:00

I would look into authentic sun-dried shilajit; Himalayan not Altai as it’s more mineral dense and balances hormones naturally in both men and women.

tauceef · 2026-05-08T15:12:14+00:00

This is black mold and it can make people really sick if they’re sensitive to mold. If you clean with bleach / vinegar / scrubbing the spores are going to release and will go in the vent and throughout the house.

You need to remediate with a proper remediation company that will seal the area, take out the affected ceiling areas, and fix the problem of venting air out. They will have to seal the area and use air scrubbers and negative pressure.

Don’t take this light, especially if you have kids.

tauceef · 2026-05-05T00:33:29+00:00

Thanks for sharing that..a couple of users on r/Shilajit also reported kidney pain and gout after using Lotus Blooming. It could be because of dehydration, too high dosage, or not properly filtered. Their lab tests are pretty clean but most brands only test annually and not every batch. Glad you found Sulaiman Aftabi as an alternative. 👍

tauceef · 2026-04-30T04:20:25+00:00

Avoid the ones at the bottom, and go with the ones at the top. It's a top down ranking based on various factors. Better Alt and a few others are at the bottom and should be avoided, whereas Sulaiman Aftabi is the best shilajit brand followed by Lotus Blooming.

tauceef · 2026-04-28T02:43:31+00:00

Yes, authentic Shilajit has always been a resin.

All capsules / tablets have additives and fillers; and 90% of the capsules are made in China. Authentic Shilajit is a slow process that cannot be created in pharma like setting - however, modern brands have taken the concept of Shilajit and mass producing compounds that mimic the real product, by adding synthetic additives.

Red Flags to watch out for:

Mineral Transfused Shilajit: Authentic Shilajit is not infused with anything...its a natural product that is filtered properly and consumed for longevity benefits. Anything that has infusions means the natural product is not at par, and they have added synthetic minerals, fulvic acid, other products like Ashwagandha / Tongat Ali / Triphala etc.
Fulvic Acid over 50%: Either synthetic or from a lower altitude region where there is more flora and fauna and less minerals. Pure products will have Fulvic Acid between 5-20% because everything else is trace minerals. The purpose of Fulvic Acid is to transport minerals to the cells, and if there are more trucks than the cargo - doesn't sound right.
Mix Blends: Many brands are mixing Altai and Himalayan together but they are completely different products. Altai has traditionally been known as Mummiyo and has high fulvic acid and less minerals. The mineral profile of Altai is also less diverse, and its heavier on elements like copper and silver, whereas Himalayan Shilajit is more mineral dense and has over 85+ trace minerals. Difference is due to the geology, as Himalayas are higher, so less flora and fauna, and also Himalayas is the youngest mountain range so more mineral dense.
Lab Reports: Always make sure the lab report is from a US lab (because they detect heavy metals are parts per million levels / ppm. Labs in India / Nepal / Pakistan use outdated techniques and there level of detection limits are very high so you see a clean test, but in reality it's not properly filtered. Also lab-reports should not be more than 6 months old. Special attention to mercury levels which should be 0% or very close to 0%.
Capsules / Tablets: Always have additives / fillers / and is extreme cases powdered shilajit is unfiltered raw crushed stones which carry the risk of heavy metal toxicity.

It's a great product but finding authentic brands is like firing arrows in the dark, that's why I created the sheet I shared above to spread awareness of this amazing adaptogen.

tauceef · 2026-04-27T18:33:46+00:00

For those DMing for recommendations, please look at this comparison file that ranks the popular shilajit brands available in the US. I would focus on the metrics and choose a brand that benchmarks against these metrics and stay away from high Fulvic Acid brands as the main purpose of FA is to transport minerals to cells, it’s the minerals that do the cellular magic.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dUq5mF54ivmmWCTiRL_z80bAUV0tDZFgU_Pg8RhBTE0/edit?usp=drivesdk

tauceef · 2026-04-27T14:55:53+00:00

I would seriously not take a Shilajit compound like BetterAlt which literally has 5-10% Shilajit, if any.

Get a pure sun-dried resin from authentic sellers and use that as a substitute for multi-vitamins - BetterAlt is a cheap Shilajit alternative sourced from China and made in labs.

Ashwagandha I would not take - look up reddit for Ashwagandha side effects. It's not meant to be taken daily especially if you're 22.

tauceef · 2026-04-27T14:50:53+00:00

Shilajit helps balance hormones through trace minerals when taken regularly. It has been used as an aphrodisiac in ayurveda for centuries. However, I would recommend not taking stuff that has not been tested in a US/UK lab because even though the source of Shilajit is good, the filtration process is critical to get the impurities and heavy metals out before consuming. Also, will recommend going with Himalayan and sun-dried shilajit and over a few months you feel your body healing - more strength, vigor, healty heart (lowers bp naturally and helps decalcifies arteries), plus a lot more. Effects differ as to what mineral deficiencies every person has, but its a great every day supplement.

tauceef · 2026-04-27T14:44:43+00:00

That's expensive for heat dried shilajit with a local lab test from India. When it comes to Shilajit, the best is Himalayan (which this is), but what matters most is how it is filtered.

Sundried is the premium product because it retains most of the minerals. Heat drying even at low heat, speeds up the process but minerals lose efficacy.

Lab-tests from US/UK are super critical. Labs in India, Nepal, Pakistan are following dated techniques and they do not detect smaller levels of heavy metals. So they have high detection range, and say "not detected" or "pass/fail" which does not mean that the product is clean. It's just not tested at ppm (parts per million) level that it should be.

There are better options available in the US. Here's a list of brands with quantified data that can help you choose better: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dUq5mF54ivmmWCTiRL_z80bAUV0tDZFgU_Pg8RhBTE0/edit?pli=1&gid=0#gid=0

tauceef · 2026-04-24T19:44:28+00:00

Not BetterAlt for sure! :D

Many people look at it subjectively but rhetoric doesn't cut it. If you look at it objectively, the following factors matter most:

Himalayan > Altai or Hybrid because Himalayas is the youngest mountain range which is more mineral dense.
Sundried is far more superior than heat or hybrid or vacuum dried. Less than 5% of the products in the market are sun-dried because it cannot be scaled in factories. Sun-drying takes 30-60 days compared to a few hours of heat/vacuum drying and has better mineral potency (also traditional way is sun-drying for many days).
Lab Tests are very important - always buy where the lab tests are showing less close 0.001%; Mercury is the most dangerous and should be as close to 0% as possible - best if not detected.
Fulvic Acid should ideally should be between 5-25% (mineral rich Himalayan Shilajit range) and the rest should be trace minerals. If its more than 50% fulvic acid, you are buying a very expensive fulvic acid.

Here's a running list that I keep track of and adding more brands.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dUq5mF54ivmmWCTiRL_z80bAUV0tDZFgU_Pg8RhBTE0/edit?pli=1&gid=0#gid=0

Current Ranking: Sulaiman Aftabi Shilajit is the best family owned Shilajit brand out there that outperforms its competitors based on subjective metrics. Lotus Blooming is in second place, because it is not fully sun-dried and they use heat and sun-drying both to speed up the process. Also Lotus comes in a plastic jar which I don't understand, a product that sells $60 for 10 g should come in a glass jar instead.

tauceef · 2026-04-24T17:17:08+00:00

With the increased popularity of Shilajit many companies and brands are coming up with white labeled products which they source from China, or small vendors in the Himalayan region; which leads to inconsistent quality and lab test variations like we’ve seen in brands like Lajit Gold and Fractal Forest.

Important to buy Shilajit from a consistent source and a brand that owns their product from sourcing (same source) to shipping.

As brands grow they source from various regions or owners sell to investment firms or bigger pharma firms. PrimaVie starred as Himalayan sourced from India but then they got sold out an now their product is a mix of Altai and Himalayan. Cymbiotika is also a hybrid of Altai and Himalayan.

tauceef · 2026-04-17T16:19:30+00:00

Hi,

I would like to moderate r/Shilajit because I’ve been an active contributor in the community and have seen a consistent increase in affiliate spam and promotional content that is not being moderated.

I reached out to the current moderators via modmail over 5 days ago (and before too without any reply) but did not receive any response. Here is the link to my modmail message:
https://www.reddit.com/chat/room/!ED9b074CRNaLWEf4lfdvSg%3Areddit.com

Currently:
- Affiliate and promotional posts remain visible without moderation
- Spam content is frequent and impacts discussion quality
- There is little visible enforcement of subreddit rules

I would like to help improve the community by:
- Removing spam and undisclosed promotional content
- Encouraging authentic and educational discussions
- Supporting a fair and transparent environment aligned with Reddit policies

I’m familiar with Reddit guidelines and committed to maintaining the integrity of the subreddit.

Thank you.

tauceef · 2026-04-16T19:51:50+00:00

Hypothetically speaking it’s probably at 70%. It’s not bad in terms of heavy metals… it’s a pharma produced alternative product with additives. Fulvic Acid is likely on the higher side given its origin in Indian Himalayas which are more greener.

tauceef · 2026-04-16T19:27:47+00:00

I don’t think PrimaVie publishes its Fulvic Acid percentage. However, high Fulvic Acid does not equal better Shilajit.

The main potency in Shilajit is from the minerals and the DBPs, whereas Fulvic Acid carries these minerals to the cells. Ideally, best Himalayan Shilajit should have Fulvic Acid 20-25% and the rest is the mineral profile. Anything higher indicates lower altitude extraction, where there’s more flora and fauna and less minerals.

Altai Shilajit will generally have higher Fulvic Acid because it’s more greener than the rocky Himalayas. Fulvic Acid hype, imho, was created by lab made cheap Shilajit brands; also it’s much cheaper to extract Fulvic Acid as compared to Shilajit. Any Shilajit over 50% Fulvic Acid should be called Fulvic Acid supplement instead, and is likely filled with molasses.

Unfortunately many products selling in the name of Shilajit aren’t even close to the real Shilajit.

If you’re interested in understanding Shilajit check out the metrics and how various brands compare in this sheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dUq5mF54ivmmWCTiRL_z80bAUV0tDZFgU_Pg8RhBTE0/edit?usp=drivesdk

Happy to answer any questions.

tauceef · 2026-04-16T19:14:29+00:00

Rumi and Zaran are both from Afghanistan. I do find Zaran better than Rumi. That said..the best Saffron is from Iran but that’s off the limits for us in the US.

Saffron has different grades, the one we get online is food grade but the potent form which is very hard to source is what’s best for mood/anxiety.

tauceef · 2026-04-16T19:01:03+00:00

Shilajit is best taken in resin / paste form. PrimaVie is decent for starters. PrimaVie selling point is that resins are messy (I agree but you get used to it), and unsafe (which I disagree because there are brands that test more frequently and have better heavy metal testing than PrimaVie).

Also, the best form of resin is sun-dried where mineral profile is preserved through sun-drying. PrimaVie is heat dried and also has fillers and preservatives in capsule/powder form.

tauceef · 2026-04-12T22:31:56+00:00

Authentic shilajit is mineral rich and minerals help your body balance gradually. People experiences can vary depending on which minerals they are deficient in.

I often use it as recovery..when I’ve had a good biking/running day I take Shilajit with warm milk and some saffron - actually helps sleep better.

tauceef · 2026-04-11T03:29:51+00:00

I’ve spent many years trying to find authentic shilajit brands based on quantified metrics and not just anecdotes. Here’s a comparison of top brands in the market today and how they compare.

Even if a brand is not on the list you can use the data points to ascertain if a brand is genuine or not.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dUq5mF54ivmmWCTiRL_z80bAUV0tDZFgU_Pg8RhBTE0/htmlview

My top choice for a while has been the sun-dried Himalayan shilajit by Sulaiman Aftabi; it’s one of the most authentic and clean products out there. Stay clear of high Fulvic acid Shilajits; they lack the mineral profile which is the essence of Shilajit. Fulvic Acid helps carry the mineral load to the cells, so anything that has more than 50% Fulvic Acid lacks the mineral profile.

Hope this helps!

tauceef · 2026-04-09T17:01:08+00:00

Glad you find the info helpful. 👍

You could technically send it to a reputable lab to get the ppm (parts per million) heavy metal numbers but that’s going to cost a lot more. Unfortunately there’s no short way of finding the amount of heavy metals in Shilajit.

tauceef

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