Modern wellness culture has a habit of taking ancient substances and turning them into products. Shilajit has been in use for over two thousand years in Ayurvedic medicine. It is now appearing in supplement shops and online stores globally — and with that arrival comes the same problem that follows every high-value natural ingredient: variable quality, aggressive marketing claims, and a market that rarely explains what you are actually buying.
This is the Element 72 guide to shilajit. Not a sales document. A reference you can use regardless of where you buy.
What shilajit actually is
Shilajit is not a plant extract. It is not synthesised. It is not manufactured in any conventional sense.
It is a mineral pitch — a dark, resinous substance that forms over millions of years as ancient plant matter decomposes under the pressure of mountain rock. Over geological time, the organic material is compressed, mineralised, and slowly exuded through fissures in the rock face at high altitude. What you see in a jar is that exudate, collected and purified.
The primary mountain sources are Himalayan, Altai, and Caucasian ranges. The Himalayan source — drawn from rock faces at altitudes of 3,000–5,000m — is the reference quality in the published research. The geology of the high Himalayas produces a higher mineral density and fulvic acid concentration than lower-altitude sources.
At its core, shilajit is a concentrated form of something the human body used to receive from food and water: trace minerals and fulvic acid, delivered in a bioavailable matrix that the body can actually absorb.
The Element 72 source is single-origin Himalayan resin from the Himalayan region — drawn from the mountain ranges cited in the published clinical trials. Geographic coordinates: approximately 36°N, 74°E, 3,000–5,000m above sea level.
Fulvic acid — the compound that matters
Fulvic acid is the primary active compound in shilajit. It is also the single most important number on any shilajit product's certificate of analysis.
Most mineral supplements deliver isolated compounds — a zinc tablet, a magnesium capsule — that pass through the digestive tract with limited absorption. The bioavailability problem is well documented: many minerals taken in isolation are poorly absorbed at the cellular level.
Fulvic acid is a carrier molecule. It binds to minerals and nutrients in the digestive tract and transports them across cell membranes — a mechanism distinct from synthetic chelation and one that the body recognises as food-derived rather than pharmaceutical. The practical effect is increased bioavailability of the minerals the body actually needs.
The fulvic acid percentage is the quality metric for shilajit resin. Industry range runs from under 20% in low-grade product to above 75% in premium Himalayan resin. The specification most referenced in the published literature is above 40% as a minimum.
The Element 72 Batch E72-SH01, independently tested by Eurofins Analytical Services (NABL Accredited, ISO 17025), measured 76.12% fulvic acid by mass — method EASI-CHE-SOP-361. Full report: element72vitality.com/lab
What the research says
Four peer-reviewed studies are worth knowing. These are cited on the Element 72 product page with full journal references. We reproduce them here.
Andrologia · Vol 48(5) · pp 570–575
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · Vol 16(1)
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease · Vol 27(1) · pp 143–153
Phytotherapy Research · Vol 23(6) · pp 787–793
Element 72 Vitality does not make medical claims. Shilajit is classified as a food supplement. These citations are published so you can read the original research. Consult a healthcare practitioner before use if you have a medical condition or take prescription medication.
The quality problem in the market
Shilajit is a high-value ingredient from a geographically limited source. That combination, in any market, produces adulteration.
The most common issue is humic acid substitution. Humic acid is a lower-grade compound found in ordinary soil — it looks similar to fulvic acid and is far cheaper to source. Some products sold as shilajit are humic-dominant resin with minimal fulvic acid content. Others list a fulvic acid percentage with no independent verification behind the number.
A second risk is heavy metal contamination. Shilajit is a mineral-dense substance drawn from mountain rock. Without proper sourcing and independent testing, lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium can be present at levels that exceed safe consumption limits.
The only way to verify what is in a jar is a certificate of analysis from an independent, accredited laboratory. Not a house test. Not a certificate issued by the same company that produced the product.
This is not a problem specific to Kenya. It applies to products sold in the UK, US, and EU markets as well. The Nairobi market simply has fewer buyers with the knowledge to ask for documentation.
What to look for when buying shilajit in Kenya
Four questions. If a product cannot answer all four, the quality is unverifiable.
| Question | What it tells you | Element 72 B-001 |
|---|---|---|
| What is the fulvic acid percentage — and who tested it? | Self-reported numbers are unverifiable. An independent CoA from an accredited lab is the minimum standard. | 76.12% · Eurofins NABL ✓ |
| What are the heavy metal results? | Lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium must be screened. Results should be compared against EU Commission Regulation 2023/915 limits — the most stringent publicly available standard. | All below EU limits ✓ |
| Is the laboratory accredited? | NABL, ISO 17025, or equivalent national accreditation. An unaccredited in-house test is not independent verification. | NABL · ISO 17025 ✓ |
| Is the origin specific? | "Himalayan" is not specific. A legitimate source names the region, altitude, and if possible the approximate geographic coordinates. | Himalayan · High-altitude · 3,000m+ ✓ |
These four criteria form the basis of the 72 Standard — the verification framework Element 72 Vitality applies to every product it sells.
How to use shilajit resin
The dose used in the peer-reviewed trials cited above is 200–300mg per day. A rice-grain portion of resin — using the included spatula — is approximately 300mg.
Dissolve in warm, not boiling, water or tea. Stir for 30 seconds. The fulvic acid matrix disperses fully. Drink in the morning before food. Cellular uptake is highest in a fasted state.
One 30g jar at 300mg per day lasts approximately 100 days — just over three months. The discipline the literature points to is consistency over 60–90 days of daily use, not high-dose or periodic consumption.
The UV violet glass jar used by Element 72 blocks light wavelengths below 380nm and above 780nm — the range that degrades organic compounds including fulvic acid. Standard clear or amber glass permits full-spectrum transmission. UV violet glass preserves potency for the full duration of the jar.