Does Shilajit increase sperm count?
Published Updated Rebecca Stubbins
Reviewed by Sarah Law, Naturopathic Nutritionist
Short answer: one small clinical study found that a purified Shilajit extract was associated with higher sperm count, motility and testosterone in men who already had a diagnosed low sperm count (oligospermia), but the evidence is limited to that single trial, and Shilajit is not a substitute for medical investigation of infertility. If you are trying to conceive and sperm count is a genuine concern, that is a conversation for a GP or fertility specialist first.
What follows is what the research actually measured, what it does not show, and where Shilajit's better-supported role, testosterone, fits into the picture.
- One study, not a broad evidence base. The main human data point is a 90-day trial in men with oligospermia (low sperm count), published in the journal Andrologia in 2010 [1].
- The study measured a clinical population, not healthy men in general. A result in men already diagnosed with a low sperm count does not automatically apply to men with a normal count.
- Shilajit's better-supported human effect is on testosterone. A separate randomised, placebo-controlled trial found a significant rise in total testosterone in healthy men aged 45 to 55 [2]; we cover that evidence on its own in our testosterone article.
- The proposed mechanism is antioxidant, not hormone replacement. Fulvic acid and trace minerals in purified Shilajit are studied for antioxidant activity, one of several factors linked to sperm cell damage.
- Purity is the precondition, not a detail. The research and safety data apply to purified, standardised extract, not raw resin; see our guide to UK Shilajit regulation and safety.
Does Shilajit Increase Sperm Count?
Possibly, in a specific population, based on limited evidence. The clearest data point is a 90-day clinical study in men diagnosed with oligospermia (clinically low sperm count), in which a purified Shilajit extract taken twice daily was followed by increases in sperm count, motility and total testosterone compared with the men's own starting values [1]. That is a real, published finding, and it is also a single study in a specific clinical group, which is why it belongs in the "worth knowing about" category rather than the "settled answer" category.
Search interest in this question includes close variants: whether Shilajit increases sperm volume, improves sperm quality, or helps with male fertility generally. The honest position on all of them is the same: the research is early, it comes from a small number of trials, and none of it has been repeated widely enough to call it established.
What the 2010 Study Actually Found
The trial, published in Andrologia, evaluated the spermatogenic activity of processed Shilajit in men with oligospermia [1]. Participants took a standardised dose of purified Shilajit for 90 days. By the end of the study, the group showed improvements in sperm count, motility and serum testosterone compared with baseline.
Three limits matter here. First, the study population already had a diagnosed low sperm count, so the result describes a clinical group, not healthy men browsing a supplement aisle. Second, 90 days is roughly one full sperm production cycle (spermatogenesis takes about 74 days), which is why shorter trials of fertility-adjacent ingredients tend to show little, and why anyone trying this would need to think in months, not weeks. Third, this is one trial; a finding becomes reliable evidence once it has been repeated independently, and that has not happened yet for Shilajit and sperm parameters specifically.
Why Testosterone Keeps Coming Up in This Conversation
Shilajit's best-supported human effect is on testosterone, not directly on sperm count. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial gave 250mg of purified Shilajit twice daily for 90 days to healthy men aged 45 to 55 and found a statistically significant rise in total testosterone (P < 0.05), with no adverse effect on the safety markers measured [2]. Testosterone plays a role in sperm production, so a testosterone effect is a plausible piece of the explanation, but a rise in testosterone and a rise in sperm count are two different measurements, and the 2010 trial recorded both separately rather than assuming one from the other. We go through the testosterone evidence on its own terms in this article.
The Proposed Mechanism: Antioxidant Support
Purified Shilajit supplies fulvic acid and trace minerals, compounds studied for antioxidant activity. Oxidative stress is one of several recognised contributors to sperm membrane damage and reduced motility, so an antioxidant mechanism is a biologically plausible part of the explanation for the 2010 result. That is a mechanism, not a guarantee: oxidative stress is only one factor among several, including underlying medical conditions, lifestyle, heat exposure and certain medications, that affect sperm parameters, and Shilajit has not been studied against those other causes.
| Study | Population | Duration and dose | What it measured |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biswas et al., 2010, Andrologia [1] | Men with oligospermia (diagnosed low sperm count) | 90 days, purified Shilajit twice daily | Sperm count, motility and serum testosterone vs baseline |
| Pandit et al., 2016, Andrologia [2] | Healthy men aged 45 to 55 | 90 days, 250mg purified Shilajit twice daily | Total testosterone vs placebo (randomised, double-blind) |
What This Means If You Are Trying to Conceive
Low sperm count and infertility are medical conditions with many possible causes, from hormonal imbalance to varicocele to infection, and they need proper investigation rather than a supplement guess. If sperm count or fertility is a genuine concern, the sequence that makes sense is: see a GP, get a semen analysis and the relevant bloodwork, and discuss the findings with a fertility specialist if needed. A food supplement is not evaluated or labelled as a solution for any of those underlying causes, and nothing in this article should be read as a substitute for that process.
Where a supplement can reasonably fit is alongside that process, not instead of it, and ideally with your doctor aware of what you are taking.
Purity and Timeframe, If You Choose to Try It
The research above used purified, standardised Shilajit extract, not raw or unregulated resin, which carries its own contamination risks (covered in full in our UK Shilajit safety guide). Our own Shilajit Capsules use 600mg of MEET Shilajeet® extract per serving, standardised to 60% fulvic acid and third-party tested for heavy metals, matching the type of material used in the clinical literature above. Based on the 90-day trial design, any realistic assessment of an effect on sperm parameters would need at least two to three months of consistent daily use, in line with the natural sperm production cycle, not a short trial.
Where This Sits Under UK and US Supplement Rules
Neither the UK nor the US allows a food or dietary supplement to be marketed with a disease-specific claim, and infertility and oligospermia are both medical conditions, so no compliant shilajit listing in either market will say it resolves either one. In the UK, food supplements are regulated under the Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003 and the retained EU Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation, which only permits claims from an authorised list; no claim about sperm count or fertility appears on that list. In the US, dietary supplements fall under DSHEA, which allows general wellbeing statements but not claims to address a diagnosed disease such as infertility, and the FDA has separately warned about unapproved Ayurvedic products and heavy metal contamination in the wider category Shilajit belongs to. The research summarised above is published clinical evidence, not a marketing claim attached to any specific brand, and that distinction is the reason this article discusses the trials directly rather than asserting an outcome.
Our Shilajit Capsules use 600mg of MEET Shilajeet® per capsule, standardised to 60% fulvic acid, third-party tested for heavy metals and made in the UK, covered by a 60-day money-back guarantee. Available in the UK from £28.76 on subscription (£31.95 one-time) and in the US from $43.34.
View product"Shilajit's effect on sperm count has one small clinical trial behind it, in men who already had a diagnosed low count. That is worth knowing about, but it is not a reason to delay seeing a doctor if fertility is a real concern. I would consider it, if at all, as one part of a wider plan a doctor is already aware of, not as the plan itself."
Sarah Law, Naturopathic Nutritionist | Optimised Female
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Shilajit increase sperm volume?
The main human trial measured sperm count and motility, not ejaculate volume specifically, so there is no direct published evidence on volume. A volume-specific effect would need its own study before it could be stated as a finding.
Does Shilajit improve sperm quality?
The 2010 trial in men with oligospermia reported improvements in sperm count and motility, two components of what is generally meant by sperm quality, alongside a rise in testosterone [1]. It is one study in a clinical population, so "improves" should be read as "was associated with improvement in this trial" rather than as a guaranteed outcome for everyone.
Is Shilajit good for male fertility?
It may be a reasonable adjunct for some men, based on limited evidence, but it is not a fertility solution on its own and it does not replace medical investigation of infertility. Male fertility has many possible causes, and Shilajit has only been studied against a small part of that picture.
How long does Shilajit take to affect sperm count?
The published trial ran for 90 days, which lines up with the roughly 74-day sperm production cycle. Anything shorter than about two to three months of consistent use would not be expected to show a comparable effect, based on that study design.
Is raw Shilajit resin safe to use for this?
No. The research behind the sperm and testosterone findings used purified, standardised extract, not raw resin. Raw resin carries contamination risks, including heavy metals, that make it unsuitable regardless of the fertility question. See our UK Shilajit safety guide for the detail.
Who should avoid Shilajit if trying to conceive?
The same exclusions apply as for any use: people with haemochromatosis or iron overload, gout, those on blood pressure medication, and pregnant or breastfeeding women. Our full list is in who should avoid taking Shilajit. If you are trying to conceive, add your GP to that list before starting anything new.
Does the dose used in the research matter?
Yes. Both trials cited above used a purified, standardised extract at a specific, stated dose, taken twice daily for 90 days. A different extract, a different standardisation percentage, or a shorter period is not the same intervention, and the results cannot be assumed to carry over. If you are comparing products, check the standardised fulvic acid percentage and the daily amount stated on the label against what was actually studied.
References
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