Shilajit During Pregnancy & Breastfeeding: Why We Advise Against It
In short: We advise against shilajit during pregnancy and breastfeeding – no ifs or buts. There is not a single safety study on shilajit in pregnant or breastfeeding women, and possible contaminants such as heavy metals weigh particularly heavily in this phase of life. Discuss every food supplement during this time with your doctor or midwife.
Important: No health claims are authorised for shilajit/mumijo in the EU (Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006). This article reports neutrally on the state of research and makes no claims of effect.
The short answer – and why we give it so plainly
Yes, we sell shilajit. And that is exactly why we say it here unambiguously: during pregnancy and breastfeeding, shilajit does not belong in your routine. A seller who tells you otherwise in this phase of life is putting its revenue above your safety. This article therefore deliberately contains no product recommendation – it is only meant to answer a question that regularly reaches us.
The question is understandable: many women start taking shilajit long before planning a family and are reluctant to interrupt their routines. On top of that, the internet is full of contradictory statements – from blanket scaremongering to careless recommendations from forums and social media. Neither helps. What does help is an honest look at the data – and that look is a short one, because there simply are no data.
Why there are no safety data
For ethical reasons, pregnant and breastfeeding women are practically never included in studies on food supplements – and that applies to shilajit as well. The few human studies that exist were conducted on healthy men: for example, a placebo-controlled study over 90 days with men between 45 and 55 (Pandit et al., 2016, Andrologia), or an 8-week study with physically active men (Keller et al., 2019, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition). The safety review by Stohs (2014, Phytotherapy Research) likewise makes no reliable statements about pregnancy and breastfeeding.
This means: it has not been proven that shilajit causes harm during pregnancy – but neither has it been proven in any way that it is safe. For a dispensable product in a phase of life that deserves particular protection, the conclusion is clear: do without.
For comparison, it is worth considering what genuine safety evidence for this phase of life would require: systematic observational data across many documented pregnancies, data on the transfer of constituents across the placenta and into breast milk, a defined and consistent product composition – and ideally registry data of the kind kept for medicines. None of this exists for shilajit, and given the low commercial incentives for research, that is not likely to change in the foreseeable future. The question "Is shilajit safe during pregnancy?" will therefore remain unanswered for years to come – and an open safety question is not something you answer on your own child in this phase of life.
The specific points of concern
- Missing safety data: No studies on pregnant or breastfeeding women, no data on the transfer of constituents into the placenta or breast milk.
- Contamination risk: According to the German consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale), shilajit products repeatedly stand out for elevated heavy metal levels. Lead is particularly critical for the unborn child and the infant – and even a laboratory certificate only reduces this risk; it does not close the fundamental data gap.
- Natural mineral content: Shilajit naturally contains iron and other minerals. But nutrient supply during pregnancy belongs under medical supervision – iron, where needed, is supplemented in a targeted and controlled way, not via a natural resin with variable composition.
- Unresearched questions: On hormonal and metabolic aspects during pregnancy and breastfeeding, there simply is no research.
Why "natural" does not mean "safe"
The most common counter-argument we receive goes: "But shilajit is a pure natural product – and has been used for centuries." Both are true, and neither is a safety argument for pregnancy. Natural products are complex mixtures of substances with fluctuating composition; that is exactly what makes them so difficult to assess without studies. And traditional use took place in regions and eras in which the course of pregnancies was not systematically documented – nothing can be derived from it for today's risk assessment.
The reverse conclusion "no harm has been reported, after all" does not hold either: where nobody looks systematically, no connections are recorded. For medicines there are pregnancy registries and reporting systems – for food supplements such as shilajit there is nothing comparable. An absence of warnings here is simply an absence of data. In a phase of life in which you are deciding for two, the precautionary principle is therefore not excessive caution but the only rational way to deal with the unknown.
Our recommendation by situation
| Situation | Our recommendation |
|---|---|
| Trying to conceive / pregnancy planned | Stop taking it early and discuss it with your doctor – we cover this in detail in the article Shilajit When Trying to Conceive |
| Pregnancy | Do not take it |
| Breastfeeding | Do not take it – nothing is known about transfer into breast milk |
| After weaning | If interested, discuss restarting with your doctor, especially if you take medication (see Shilajit and Medication) |
What expert bodies say about supplements during pregnancy
Independently of shilajit, the professional baseline in Germany is this: during pregnancy, folic acid and iodine are specifically recommended, other nutrients only where a need has been medically established – and freely combined food supplements without consultation are advised against. For mumijo/shilajit, the consumer advice centre additionally points to the thin body of research and recurring heavy metal findings. No authority and no professional society recommends shilajit during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Be particularly sceptical of social media content that markets shilajit specifically to pregnant or breastfeeding women – for instance as a "mineral source for two". Such statements have neither a scientific nor a legal basis. Your mineral needs in this phase belong in the hands of your gynaecologist or midwife, who can determine blood values and supplement in a targeted way – not in those of a resin product with a naturally fluctuating composition.
You are pregnant and have already taken shilajit?
No reason to panic. Here is how to proceed calmly:
- Stop taking it immediately.
- Raise the topic openly at your next antenatal appointment – take the product label and, if available, the certificate of analysis (COA) with you.
- If the product comes from a tested source with a heavy metal analysis, that is reassuring; with cheap products without a certificate, your doctor can assess the next steps.
- Do not anxiously monitor yourself – the amounts taken are usually in the milligram range.
Frequently asked questions about shilajit during pregnancy and breastfeeding
May I take shilajit if I want to become pregnant?
We recommend stopping already in the planning phase and discussing it with your doctor – that way you avoid taking it in the first weeks of pregnancy, before the pregnancy is known.
Is breastfeeding less critical than pregnancy?
No. There are no data on the transfer of shilajit constituents into breast milk – the uncertainty is the same, so the same recommendation applies: do without.
Is there a "pregnancy-safe" shilajit?
No. No purification process and no laboratory certificate changes anything about the lack of safety research for this phase of life. Marketing promises to that effect would be a warning sign about the seller.
What alternatives do I have during pregnancy?
The medically recommended standard supplements: folic acid and iodine, other nutrients (such as iron or vitamin D) only where a need has been medically established. Your gynaecologist or midwife will advise you individually.
My partner takes shilajit – is that a problem for the pregnancy?
For intake by your partner, there are no indications of a risk to your pregnancy. If you are trying to conceive together, it is still worth looking at the research and its limits – see our article on trying to conceive.
I unknowingly took shilajit in early pregnancy – should I be worried?
Based on current knowledge, there is no cause for alarm, especially since the usual amounts are in the milligram range. Stop taking the product and mention it at your next antenatal appointment – as a rule, that is all that is needed.
Where can I find neutral information on the safety of shilajit?
Our article Shilajit Side Effects gives an overview of side effects and contraindications, and the pillar article Shilajit Effects takes a sober look at the research. You will find further answers in our FAQ.
Sources & further reading
- Stohs, S. J. (2014): Safety and efficacy of shilajit (mumie, moomiyo). Phytotherapy Research. PubMed
- Pandit, S. et al. (2016): Clinical evaluation of purified Shilajit on testosterone levels in healthy volunteers. Andrologia. PubMed
- Verbraucherzentrale (German consumer advice centre): Mumijo – was steckt dahinter? verbraucherzentrale.de
This article is for neutral information purposes and does not replace medical advice. Food supplements are no substitute for a balanced, varied diet and a healthy lifestyle. If you have a medical condition, take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before use.
Redaktion shilajitkaufen.com – We write to a fixed editorial standard: studies reported neutrally, no healing claims, sources under every article. More about our quality criteria: Lab Tests & Quality.