Shilajit Glossary

Adaptogen

A plant or mineral substance that helps the body adapt to physical, chemical, or biological stress. Shilajit is classified as an adaptogen in both Ayurveda (where it is considered a rasayana) and modern ethnopharmacology. The term implies non-specific, bi-directional effects — supporting whichever physiological system is under stress. See Research Library.

Anupana (Sanskrit: अनुपान)

The carrier substance taken with an Ayurvedic medicine to improve absorption, palatability, or targeting. For shilajit, the classical anupanas are warm milk, warm water, or honey. The anupana is not decorative — Ayurveda specifies different carriers for different indications. See our warm-milk protocol.

API (Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India)

The official quality-standard reference for Ayurvedic medicines published by the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India. API specifies exact testing methods for fulvic acid content, heavy metal limits, and microbial contamination for shilajit. The spectrophotometric method for fulvic acid quantification that Eurofins uses on every Yeti Life batch comes from API Volume IV.

AYUSH

The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy — the Indian government body regulating traditional medicine. AYUSH licensing is needed for shilajit manufacture and sale in India. Pharmacopoeial standards (API) fall under AYUSH jurisdiction.

Biomarker

A measurable substance that shows a biological state, disease, or treatment effect. For shilajit, the authenticity biomarker is the dibenzo-alpha-pyrone chromoprotein complex (DBP). Its presence distinguishes authentic Himalayan shilajit from humic-acid powder or peat substitutes. First characterised by Ghosal et al. (1991). See Research Library → Ghosal 1991.

Chelation

The chemical process by which an organic molecule binds metal ions, forming a stable ring-like structure. Fulvic acid in shilajit is a potent chelator — this is how it improves trace-mineral absorption in the gut (binding to iron, magnesium, zinc) and why it can also bind some medications. This is why we recommend spacing shilajit 2 hours from prescription medications.

Collagen (Type I / Type III)

The two most abundant collagen types in skin, tendons, and bone. Type I provides tensile strength; Type III is more elastic. Das et al. (2024) documented significant upregulation of both types after 8 weeks of purified shilajit at 250 mg/day. This is the newest high-quality shilajit RCT. See Research Library → Das 2024.

Certificate of Analysis (COA)

A signed document from an independent analytical laboratory certifying the results of specific tests on a specific batch. For shilajit, a COA should specify: testing lab name, batch number, assay method, fulvic acid percentage, heavy metal results (lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, plus thallium from 2025 onward), and microbial contamination results. Without a batch-level COA, any purity claim is marketing, not evidence. Every Yeti Life batch publishes its COA at lab-results.

Dibenzo-alpha-pyrones (DBP / DBPs)

A class of polyphenolic compounds unique to authentic shilajit. Ghosal (1991) identified the DBP chromoprotein complex as the biochemical authenticity signature — its presence separates real Himalayan shilajit from humic-acid powder or coal-derived fulvic substances. DBPs are the fraction credited with shilajit's mitochondrial and neuroprotective effects. HPLC detection is the gold standard for verifying presence.

Eurofins

One of the largest independent analytical laboratory networks in the world, with pharmacopoeial accreditation across Europe, North America, and Asia. Eurofins is Yeti Life's contract testing lab for every batch. Each COA issued is cross-verifiable by the Analytical Report (A.R.) number printed on the certificate.

Fulvic acid

A group of low-molecular-weight organic acids formed by the decomposition of plant matter over centuries. Fulvic acid is the dominant bioactive fraction of shilajit — typically 60–80% of properly purified resin by the API pharmacopoeial spectrophotometric method. It is a potent antioxidant, chelator, and cellular-energy modulator. Yeti Life's current batch tests at 76.12% fulvic acid. See Fulvic Acid Benefits.

HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography)

An analytical technique that separates, identifies, and quantifies compounds in a mixture based on their differential interaction with a stationary phase. HPLC is the reference method for verifying fulvic acid content and DBP markers in shilajit. A brand reporting fulvic acid without specifying the measurement method (HPLC vs. UV-Vis colorimetric) is giving you an unauditable number.

Humic acid

Chemically related to fulvic acid but higher molecular weight and less bioavailable. Authentic shilajit contains both humic and fulvic acid fractions in a specific ratio. Plain humic acid powder (from soil or coal) is NOT shilajit — it lacks dibenzo-alpha-pyrones and mineral complexation that define real Himalayan shilajit. Many cheap "shilajit" products are actually humic acid powder.

Heavy metals (Pb, As, Hg, Cd, Tl)

Toxic metals that can contaminate raw shilajit from the surrounding geology. Standard testing panels check lead (Pb), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), and cadmium (Cd). In 2025, a Food and Chemical Toxicology paper identified thallium (Tl) contamination in a subset of Indian-market shilajit brands — thallium is not in the standard four-metal panel. Yeti Life added thallium to the Eurofins panel from January 2025 onward.

Mitochondria / Mitochondrial bioenergetics

The organelles inside every human cell responsible for converting food into usable energy (ATP). Shilajit's energy claims trace to mitochondrial support — Surapaneni et al. (2012) documented improved electron-transport chain function in chronic-fatigue models. The effect is attributed mainly to the DBP fraction acting as an electron carrier. See Shilajit, Mitochondria & ATP.

NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level)

The highest dose of a substance at which no harmful effects are observed in a toxicology study. Velmurugan et al. (2012) established NOAEL at 2 g/kg/day for purified shilajit in 91-day rat studies — far above human therapeutic ranges. This supports the wide safety margin Stohs (2014) described for properly purified material.

PrimaVie

A branded purified shilajit extract manufactured by Natreon Inc., tested to Eurofins-comparable pharmacopoeial standards. PrimaVie is the material used in Pandit (2016) — the primary testosterone RCT — as well as Keller (2019), Keller (2022), and Das (2024). Yeti Life batches are tested to the same API pharmacopoeial standards. References to "PrimaVie-standard" in shilajit literature mean "verified at the same quality level as the clinical-trial material".

Pharmacopoeia

An officially-published compendium of drug quality standards. The relevant pharmacopoeias for shilajit are the API (Indian), USP (United States), and EP (European). Each specifies testing methods, identity verification, and purity thresholds. "API-compliant" shilajit means tested against the methods and limits published in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India.

PubMed

The free public database of biomedical literature maintained by the US National Library of Medicine (NIH). Every clinical claim on theyetilife.com links to the PubMed entry for the study it cites (via the PMID — PubMed ID — a unique numeric identifier). If a shilajit brand makes a clinical claim without a PubMed-indexed source, that claim has no peer-reviewed evidence.

Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT)

A study design where participants are randomly allocated to receive either the test substance (shilajit) or a placebo, with outcomes measured under controlled conditions. Double-blind placebo-controlled RCTs are the strongest human evidence a supplement can have. Shilajit has 8 Tier A RCTs in its entire research base. See Research Library for all 8.

Rasayana (Sanskrit: रसायन)

A classical Ayurvedic classification for substances believed to promote longevity, vigour, and resistance to disease. Shilajit is considered one of the most important rasayanas — classical texts describe it as "conqueror of rocks" (shilajatu) and list it among the eight principal rejuvenatory substances. Modern adaptogen research overlaps significantly with the rasayana concept.

Resin (vs. Powder vs. Capsule)

Shilajit resin is the raw, tar-like form after purification — the closest thing to how classical Ayurveda uses it. Powder is the dried, ground form; it's easier to dose but typically cheaper source material. Capsules are the powder encapsulated; convenient but usually diluted with fillers. Resin is the highest-integrity form and the basis of Yeti Life's product line. See Resin vs. Capsules vs. Powder.

Shodhana (Sanskrit: शोधन)

The classical Ayurvedic purification process. For shilajit, it involves dissolving the raw resin in water, filtering out impurities, and evaporating to concentrate the purified material. Agarwal et al. (2007) documents shodhana in detail and notes why raw, unprocessed shilajit cannot be safely consumed — it carries geologic heavy-metal contamination that shodhana specifically removes. Every Yeti Life batch undergoes traditional shodhana before Eurofins testing.

Thallium (Tl)

A toxic heavy metal not included in the standard four-metal pharmacopoeia panel (Pb, As, Hg, Cd). The 2025 Food and Chemical Toxicology paper documented thallium contamination in a subset of Indian-market shilajit brands. This is now a category-wide quality concern. Yeti Life added thallium to the Eurofins panel starting January 2025.

Tier A / B / C / D (Evidence Tiers)

Our evidence hierarchy. Tier A = human randomised controlled trial. Tier B = systematic review, market survey, or non-randomised human study. Tier C = animal or in vitro mechanistic study. Tier D = foundational chemistry, method, or authoritative review. We never cite a Tier C animal study to support a human outcome claim — that's the most common form of supplement-industry dishonesty. Full policy in Editorial Policy.

Testosterone

The primary androgenic sex hormone in men, also present at lower levels in women. The shilajit-testosterone evidence base consists of two RCTs: Pandit (2016, +20.4% in healthy men) and Biswas (2010, +28% in infertile men). Replicated independent findings at 500 mg/day purified shilajit over 90 days. See Shilajit for Testosterone.

YMYL (Your Money or Your Life)

Google's designation for content that can materially affect a reader's health, finances, or safety. Shilajit sits squarely in YMYL territory. Google's Quality Rater Guidelines hold YMYL content to a much higher evidence, authorship, and transparency bar than general content. Our Editorial Policy documents how we hold ourselves to that bar.