Why this database exists
The shilajit market has a transparency problem. Hundreds of products are sold under the same label with no unified quality standard, no regulatory oversight specific to this category, and little consistency in what that label actually contains. Products bearing identical claims can differ substantially in form, purity, testing, and biological relevance.
For consumers trying to make an informed choice, this creates a difficult signal-to-noise problem. Price is not a reliable proxy for quality. Marketing language — “Himalayan”, “pure”, “authentic” — is largely unverifiable. And the most meaningful quality signals — independent lab testing, manufacturing transparency, country of origin — are rarely surfaced clearly.
Why quality varies so much
The economics of the supplement industry make low-quality shilajit easy to sell. Finished products — already powdered, encapsulated, or blended — can be sourced cheaply through global supply chains and private-labeled without meaningful involvement in sourcing, testing, or manufacturing. When brands don’t control their own formulation, they are limited to whatever documentation their upstream suppliers provide, which is often incomplete or unverifiable.
Shilajit is also genuinely complex. Its biological activity depends on preserving the natural fulvic–humic matrix formed over centuries in high-altitude mountain environments. That molecular structure is sensitive to heat, drying, and processing. Products in resin form — the least processed — are more likely to preserve it. Products in powder, tablet, or gummy form involve processing steps that can fragment that structure and reduce bioavailability. Yet convenient formats dominate the market, not necessarily effective ones.
The result is a category that resembles a Wild West rather than a standardised supplement category — one where two products with identical labels can differ substantially in composition, safety, and biological relevance.
What actually matters
Independent researchers point to the same set of objective quality signals when evaluating shilajit:
- Certificate of Analysis (COA) — finished-batch testing for heavy metals, microbial contamination, and fulvic/humic acid content, conducted by an independent laboratory. A COA on raw material only, or one that cannot be verified, provides much weaker assurance.
- Named testing lab — the specific laboratory should be identifiable and verifiable, not a vague “third-party tested” claim with no attribution.
- Product form — resin is the least processed and most bioavailable form; powders and capsules involve processing trade-offs; tablets and gummies are furthest removed from the natural state.
- Manufacturing transparency — where and how the product is made, including whether the facility operates under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards.
- Country of manufacture — manufacturing in countries with stronger regulatory frameworks provides additional accountability and traceability.
No single signal tells the whole story. A product can have a public COA but still be a heavily processed powder. A resin product may lack any testing documentation. The combination of signals taken together gives a clearer picture.
What this database does
The Shilajit Transparency Database scores every product using a consistent, deterministic methodology applied exclusively to publicly verifiable signals. No brand receives preferential treatment. Every product receives three independent scores:
- Transparency Grade (A–F) — how openly a brand documents its product, based on COA availability, lab disclosure, and sourcing claims.
- Quality Tier (Poor → Ultra Premium) — based on product form, third-party testing, manufacturing standards, and country of origin.
- Overall Grade (F → A+) — a composite score combining both dimensions.
The goal is not to tell consumers what to buy. It is to surface the information that brands should be making easy to find — and to make clear which brands are and aren’t doing that.
See the full scoring methodology →
Contact
For corrections, data submissions, or press enquiries: hello@shilajitdb.com