Guide · Last updated: November 2026

Shilajit during pregnancy and breastfeeding

During pregnancy and breastfeeding you should not take Shilajit without talking to a doctor first, and if in doubt, leave it out. There is not a single controlled study in pregnant or breastfeeding women, but there is a case report of a pregnant woman with high blood pressure and low potassium after months of taking mumijo. On top of that, every natural resin carries unavoidable traces of heavy metals.

Contents

Many women ask, at the latest when the test turns positive, which of their habits are still fine. For Shilajit the answer is unusually clear, even though the evidence is thin, or precisely because of it. This page explains why it is not recommended, what the sources actually show and what to do if you have already taken Shilajit. Several of the official sources are German, because Germany's food control authorities have published the most useful product testing so far.

At a glance

Situation	Evidence	Recommendation
Pregnancy	no studies, one case report with high blood pressure	not without medical advice, if in doubt leave it out
Breastfeeding	no data on transfer into breast milk	not without medical advice
Trying to conceive	no studies in women	discuss with your doctor first
Taken before the positive test	no data	stop and mention it at your next appointment

This assessment is not specific to Shilajit. For food supplements with thin evidence, it is the standard during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Why Shilajit is not recommended

There are no safety data

There are no controlled studies of Shilajit in pregnant or breastfeeding women. That is true of many natural products, because studies in pregnant women are rarely carried out for ethical reasons. Missing data do not mean something is harmless, though. They mean nobody knows.

The general research is narrow too. The few human studies on Shilajit are small, short and used standardised extracts, as the article on Shilajit safety sums up. Nothing can be derived from them for the particularly sensitive time of pregnancy and breastfeeding.

A case report with high blood pressure

The only published human finding for this stage of life is the case report by Stavropoulos et al., 2018. It describes a 37-year-old pregnant woman with persistently high blood pressure and low potassium who had taken mumijo for six months. The doctors classified the picture as a liquorice-like syndrome, treated her with potassium and had her stop the product.

A single case does not prove a link for all pregnant women. But high blood pressure in pregnancy is a condition doctors take very seriously. A signal in that direction is enough to advise caution. Which blood values stood out in the report is covered in the article on Shilajit and blood values.

Traces of heavy metals are unavoidable

Shilajit forms in contact with rock. Traces of geogenic elements such as lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic are therefore present in every resin, including well cleaned ones. Regulation (EU) 2023/915 sets maximum levels for food supplements:

Element	EU maximum level for food supplements
Lead	3.0 mg/kg
Cadmium	1.0 mg/kg
Mercury	0.10 mg/kg
Arsenic	no general maximum level

These limits apply to all adults, not specifically to pregnant women. Lead and mercury are considered especially critical in pregnancy because they can reach the unborn child. That is why authorities advise keeping intake from all sources as low as possible during this time. A product without proven benefit that adds further traces fits poorly into that. How to read measured values is explained in the article on Shilajit and heavy metals.

Goods of variable quality

In 2026 the German state food laboratory CVUA Stuttgart found raised mineral oil levels in a sample of twelve products, and for three samples a well founded suspicion that they contained little or no Shilajit at all. The German consumer advice centre Verbraucherzentrale also points out that humic acids can bind medicines in the gut. Many women take iron, iodine or folic acid during pregnancy, sometimes prescribed medication as well. How much such binding matters in an individual case has not been studied.

What about breastfeeding?

Nobody has measured whether components of Shilajit pass into breast milk, or in what amounts. That removes the basis for naming a safe amount for breastfeeding mothers. The same recommendation therefore applies as in pregnancy: not without medical advice, and if in doubt, leave it out.

For questions about medicines in pregnancy and breastfeeding, the German pharmacovigilance centre Embryotox at Charité Berlin is a well known reference. For food supplements such as Shilajit, your obstetrician, midwife or pharmacist is the right person to ask.

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You took Shilajit and are pregnant?

This happens often, because a pregnancy is frequently only noticed after a few weeks. Here is what to do:

Stop taking it. Based on current knowledge, continuing brings no advantage.
Write down the details. Product, daily amount, how long you took it and, if available, the batch number.
Mention it at your next appointment. Your doctor can judge whether, for example, a blood pressure check makes sense.
Watch for warning signs. With headaches, vision problems, sudden swelling or feeling very unwell, contact your practice at once, or emergency services (112 in the EU) in an emergency.

Taking it briefly before a positive test is, based on current knowledge, no reason to panic. Data that prove or rule out a risk simply do not exist.

Shilajit and trying to conceive

Advertising claims about fertility circulate around Shilajit. In the EU no health claim for this is authorised under Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. There are no studies in women trying to conceive. The few studies in men are presented neutrally in the article on Shilajit for men.

If you want to become pregnant, discuss every food supplement with your doctor beforehand. What is known for women overall is covered under Shilajit for women.

After breastfeeding

Once pregnancy and breastfeeding are over and you are healthy, the general guidance applies. Our plan for healthy adults is 400 mg a day for 50 days, then 10 days rest, described under Shilajit dosage. Anyone who takes medication regularly or has a chronic condition should check with a doctor first. Our batch HM-SH-25-BLY-1159 was tested by a food laboratory in Germany accredited for heavy metals and microbiology; all values are on the lab values page and in the batch datasheet. The 20 g jar is available in the shop for €34.00.

More topics around Shilajit are in the guide section.

Food supplements are not a substitute for a balanced and varied diet.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take Shilajit while pregnant?

Not without medical advice. There are no safety data from studies in pregnant women, and a published case report describes high blood pressure and low potassium in a pregnant woman after six months of mumijo. The usual caution with food supplements that have thin evidence applies here in particular: if in doubt, leave it out.

Can I take Shilajit while breastfeeding?

The same applies: not without medical advice. Whether components of Shilajit pass into breast milk, and in what amounts, has not been studied. Without those data, no safe amount for breastfeeding mothers can be given.

I took Shilajit and then found out I am pregnant. What now?

No need to panic, but stop taking it and mention it at your next prenatal appointment. Note the product, the daily amount and how long you took it. With headaches, vision problems, sudden swelling or feeling very unwell, contact your practice at once, or emergency services (112 in the EU) in an emergency.

Does Shilajit help when trying to conceive?

There is no authorised health claim for that in the EU, neither for women nor for men. There are no studies in women trying to conceive. If you want to become pregnant, discuss every food supplement with your doctor first, because a pregnancy is often only noticed after a few weeks.

Why do heavy metals matter during pregnancy?

Shilajit forms in contact with rock and therefore always contains traces of geogenic elements such as lead or arsenic. Lead and mercury in particular are a concern for the unborn child, which is why authorities advise keeping intake as low as possible during pregnancy. A product that adds further traces and has no proven benefit fits poorly into that time.