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Shilajit Has Potent Curative Properties: Here’s How You Can Verify Its Authenticity

Shilajit Has Potent Curative Properties: Here’s How You Can Verify Its Authenticity

Shilajit is widely used in Ayurvedic remedies to cure a variety of conditions ranging from viral infections to anaemia. Learn how to spot a fake product.

Written by Editorial Team |Published : September 25, 2021 8:00 PM IST

Shilajit, also recognised as mineral pitch, is a sticky element collected from the Himalayas and used in traditional Ayurvedic remedies. Shilajit has some remarkable properties. This extraordinary substance is a fantastic anti-ageing agent, which also helps improve strength and vitality. In addition, it effectively enhances brain functioning, prevents iron-deficient anaemia, and has antiviral properties. Also, it is flushed with fulvic and humic acids. Therefore, its demand has grown multifold in the past few years due to its medicinal properties for the human body. However, with the growing demand for Shilajit, the number of genuine products obtained in the market rapidly deteriorates.

Authentic and genuine Shilajit is challenging to collect. It is pretty rare and is seen only at particular places. But being a potent material that shows unbelievable results, its trade is large. Multiple cases of fake or adulterated Shilajit being sold are being reported. This is unfortunate because this mineral is beneficial only if utilised in unadulterated form. But the good news is that there are several ways to test its authenticity, some of which are very easy and can be instantly performed at home using basic things. Here is a guide that you can use to test the purity of Shilajit.

Stay away from powders and pills

Genuine Shilajit raisins are found to be sticky, black in appearance and are tar-like. Do not purchase it in a powdered form or as a pill. Both of these forms of Shilajit are contaminated with fillers and binders.

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Temperature test

This is one of the simplest ways to verify whether the Shilajit is genuine or not. It is very sensitive to shifts in temperature. Therefore, hot Shilajit becomes sticky and clings to your fingers when the external temperature is high. However, when the outside temperature shifts to low, Shilajit feels dense and cracks and breaks. Authentic Shilajit alters its texture in response to the change in outside temperature.

Water solubility test

Authentic Shilajit will quickly melt in a glass of water. So take a little piece of Shilajit and put it in water. If the water becomes dark brown or reddish black without debris, it is authentic shilajit. However, if the Shilajit is processed with fillers, there will be a powdery debris at the bottom of the glass, and the water will feel sandy.

Alcohol test

Genuine Shilajit does not disappear in alcohol. Therefore, upon adding Shilajit to alcohol, it will produce tiny lumps. However, if the piece of Shilajit disappears in alcohol, it has additives added to it.

Flame test

To test the pureness of thick Shilajit, the flame test is the most dependable. When genuine Shilajit is put on fire, it does not burn. But, upon warming at greater temperatures, pure Shilajit will produce droplets and change into ash. In case the Shilajit is contaminated or has adulterations, it will burst into flames.

Colour and odour test

Pure Shilajit is originally dark in appearance and is very seldom white. The lighter the Shilajit's colour, the more confident you can be it has impurities added to it.

Shilajit has a sharp pungent smell as it is created due to breaking down plant material and minerals. Therefore, it is not authentic if it does not exhibit a distinct herbal, sour, smokey, and tar-like smell.

Since these tests can confirm the authenticity of Shilajit after you buy it, it is always better to ensure you make your purchase from reliable sources.

(This article is authored by Mr. Shrawan Daga, Founder, Krishna's Herbal & Ayurveda)