Research review
Ashwagandha and shilajit: what the evidence says about taking them together
Ashwagandha and shilajit are both marketed toward aging men on a 'vitality' positioning, but they're separately studied and no trial has tested them together. Shilajit's own testosterone trial and ashwagandha's own extract trial in a similar population both raised hormone levels without necessarily changing how people said they felt.
Ashwagandha and shilajit are both marketed to aging men on a "vitality" positioning, but no trial has tested them together. Each has its own separate research: a shilajit trial in men aged 45-55 raised testosterone and DHEAS, and a similarly designed ashwagandha extract trial in overweight men aged 40-70 raised the same hormones — but found no significant difference in how fatigued or energetic people actually felt.
What the evidence doesn't support
It doesn't support a claim that ashwagandha and shilajit work better together than either alone — that combination has never been tested. It doesn't support assuming a hormone change (testosterone or DHEAS going up on a lab test) means a person feels more energetic, since the ashwagandha trial below measured both and found the hormone change without a matching change in reported fatigue or vigor. And it doesn't support any specific dose for a combined product, since neither ingredient's trials included the other.
What the trials found
A 90-day, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial gave healthy men aged 45-55 purified shilajit at 250 mg twice daily (500 mg/day). Versus placebo, total testosterone, free testosterone and DHEAS all rose significantly, while the pituitary hormones that regulate testosterone production stayed in a normal range. A separate 8-week trial in 63 recreationally active young men tested a branded shilajit extract at 250 mg/day or 500 mg/day against placebo, then put everyone through a fatiguing leg workout: in the half of participants with above-average baseline strength, the 500 mg/day group retained more strength after the workout than the lower dose or placebo, while 250 mg/day didn't outperform placebo.
Ashwagandha's closest comparison trial ran a similar design in a similar population. A 16-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study gave overweight men aged 40-70 with mild fatigue a low-dose standardized extract (21 mg of withanolide glycosides a day) or placebo. DHEA-S rose 18% more and testosterone 14.7% more with ashwagandha than placebo — but self-reported fatigue, vigor and psychological wellbeing improved similarly in both groups, meaning the hormone changes didn't translate into a measurable edge on how people said they felt.
No trial has tested shilajit and ashwagandha given together, at any dose, in any population. Both showing up in "men's vitality" products together is a marketing pattern built on two separate, hormone-focused literatures — not a tested combination.
| Ingredient | Best evidence | Population | Dose in that trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shilajit | Raised testosterone, free testosterone and DHEAS vs placebo | Men aged 45-55 | 500 mg/day, 90 days |
| Ashwagandha | Raised DHEA-S and testosterone vs placebo; no difference in fatigue or vigor | Overweight men aged 40-70 with mild fatigue (n=57) | 21 mg withanolide glycosides/day extract, 8-16 weeks |
| Both together | No trial exists | — | — |
Questions people ask
Can you take shilajit and ashwagandha together?
There's no trial of the combination, so there's no research describing an added effect. Both have their own established side-effect profiles and cautions on their own — checking with a doctor or pharmacist before combining any two supplements is reasonable, especially if you take other medication.
Which is better, ashwagandha or shilajit?
This page doesn't rank one over the other. As a description of the evidence: shilajit's testosterone trial and its strength-retention trial both used a purified or branded extract at a stated milligram dose; ashwagandha's comparable trial used a low-dose standardized extract and found a hormone change without a matching change in how people felt. Neither is evidence for what a whole-root-powder ashwagandha capsule does at a different dose and form.
When to talk to a doctor
Persistent fatigue or symptoms of low testosterone are worth bringing to a doctor for proper testing rather than addressing with a supplement pairing first. Neither shilajit nor ashwagandha is a treatment for a diagnosed hormonal condition, and nothing in the evidence above supports using either, alone or combined, as a substitute for medical evaluation.
Related reading: what is ashwagandha, ashwagandha dosage, and ashwagandha interactions.
Sources
- Clinical evaluation of purified Shilajit on testosterone levels in healthy volunteers In a 90-day placebo-controlled trial of men aged 45-55, 500 mg/day of purified shilajit raised total testosterone, free testosterone and DHEAS versus placebo; the abstract doesn't state how many men were enrolled.
- The effects of Shilajit supplementation on fatigue-induced decreases in muscular strength and serum hydroxyproline levels In a 63-man, 8-week trial, 500 mg/day of a branded shilajit extract reduced the amount of strength lost after a fatiguing leg workout, in the stronger half of participants, versus placebo; 250 mg/day did not differ from placebo.
- A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study Examining the Hormonal and Vitality Effects of Ashwagandha ( Withania somnifera) in Aging, Overweight Males In 57 overweight men aged 40-70, a low-dose standardized extract (21 mg withanolide glycosides/day) raised DHEA-S and testosterone versus placebo but did not improve fatigue or vigor.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.