Shilajit and Menopause: What the Evidence Shows

Women ask me about shilajit and menopause a lot. Usually the question is simple: does it help, or is it just more internet noise? I looked into it properly, and here is the honest answer. There is one real study. Just one. And a lot of claims built on top of it that the study never made. So let me tell you what the study actually found, and what it did not.

What changes in menopause

When estrogen drops, bone loss speeds up. That is the part most women already know from their doctor. Energy changes too, and sleep gets harder for many women. Those three things — bones, energy, sleep — are what most of the menopause questions I get are about.

The one study that matters

In 2022, researchers in India (Pingali and Nutalapati, published in Phytomedicine) ran a 48-week trial with 60 postmenopausal women who had low bone density. Three groups: one took a placebo, one took 250 mg of purified shilajit a day, one took 500 mg a day. They measured bone density at the spine and the hip at the start, at 24 weeks, and at 48 weeks.

Here is what happened. The placebo group kept losing bone, which is what you expect after menopause. Both shilajit groups held on to their bone density, and the 500 mg group did better than the 250 mg group. The researchers also saw lower markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in the shilajit groups.

That is the longest shilajit trial ever run in people. 48 weeks. And it is the only trial of its kind in women. That makes it important, and it also means we should be careful with it.

What this study does not prove

First, it was one study with 60 women. One study is a start, not a verdict. Second, it used a standardised, purified shilajit extract, not raw resin like ours. Third, the effect was preservation — the women kept the bone they had — not building new bone. And fourth, the women in the trial did not take calcium or vitamin D, so we do not know how shilajit works alongside them.

So I will say this plainly: shilajit is not a treatment for osteoporosis or osteopenia. It is not hormone therapy. If you have a diagnosis, or you take medication for your bones, talk to your doctor before you try any supplement, including mine. That is not me being careful with words. That is the right thing to do.

What about energy and sleep?

There is no menopause-specific trial on shilajit and energy or sleep. The general evidence for steady energy is the same as for everyone else: lab work on mitochondria, plus people telling me they feel steadier. That is thin evidence, and I will not dress it up as more than it is. If sleep is your main problem, start with our guide on shilajit and sleep — and fix the basics first, because no supplement fixes a broken sleep routine.

How much did the women in the study take?

250 to 500 mg a day. That lines up with our normal dose: start with a rice-grain amount (100–150 mg) for the first week, then a pea-sized amount (300–500 mg) each morning. The full detail is in our dosage guide.

What to look for if you buy shilajit

The same rules as always. Purified resin, not a mystery blend. Third-party lab testing for heavy metals, with the report published where you can read it. Ours is tested by Eurofins, and the reports are on our lab results page. If a brand talks about menopause and bone health but shows you no lab report, walk away.

For the general picture on women and shilajit, see can women take shilajit?.

The bottom line

There is one good study, and it is genuinely encouraging: 60 women, 48 weeks, bone density preserved. That is real. But it is one study, and it is not a treatment. If you are going through menopause and you want to try shilajit, do it with your eyes open, with your doctor in the loop, and with a product you can verify. That is the honest version.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Talk to your doctor before starting any supplement, especially if you have a medical condition or take medication.