Rhodiola is a very popular herb, also known as arctic root or golden root. Its scientific name is Rhodiola Rosea, grown in cold, mountainous regions of Europe and Asia since ancient times for treating different health concerns like anxiety, fatigue, and depression.
Its roots are known as adaptogens, which contain more than 140 active ingredients including the two most potent rosavin and salidroside. They help your body adapt to stress when consumed.
Today, this herb is popular as a dietary supplement for its many health benefits.
Here are some scientifically proven health benefits of Rhodiola Rosea.
- Help in Relieving Stress
Rhodiola’s roots are known as an adaptogen, a natural substance that increases your body’s resistance to stress in non-specific ways. Adaptogens help you handle stressful situations better.
Rhodiola also improves symptoms of burnout which is caused by chronic stress. In a study, it was found that the people who had stress-related burnout, took 400 mg of Rhodiola daily for 12 weeks. And they showed visible improvement in various symptoms like stress and depression related to burnout.
- It May help with fatigue
Rhodiola has adaptogenic properties, that help in relieving fatigue. Fatigue causes stress, anxiety, and inadequate sleep, which result in physical and mental tiredness.
In a study, 100 people with chronic fatigue symptoms took 400 mg of Rhodiola every day for 8 weeks and they had shown significant improvements in:
- Stress
- Fatigue
- Quality of life
- Mood
- Concentration
These improvements were shown only 1 week of taking Rhodiola and continued to improve through the final week of the study.
- Reduce Symptoms of Depression
Today, Depression is a very common but serious illness that affects your performance and mental health. The people who are going through depression, a chemical named neurotransmitter becomes unbalanced, to correct these chemical imbalances, health professionals commonly prescribe antidepressants.
Rhodiola Rosea also has antidepressant properties that help in balancing the neurotransmitters in your brain.
- May Help in Improving Brain Function
For proper functioning of our brain, we need to do exercise, take adequate nutrition, and a good night’s sleep, these help in keeping our brain running strong.
Besides these, you can also add some supplements to your daily diet including Rhodiola.
According to a study, it was found that Rhodiola may improve learning and memory function.
In an animal study, just a single dose of Rhodiola increased memory and worked as an antidepressant.
The expert suggested that Rhodiola could become a good substance to increase cognition and counteract mood disorders in people.
However, researchers called for more research to fill the gap between experimental results and clinical applications.
- May Improve Physical Activity
Rhodiola helps in reducing physical and mental fatigue and improves sports performance and antioxidant activity.
An animal study found that Rhodiola could improve muscle power and strength performance in rats.
In other studies, it was found that ingesting Rhodiola reduced reaction time and total response time in young, healthy, and physically active men.
Another study found that Rhodiola supplement did not change oxygen uptake or muscle performance, and it didn’t enhance the immune system of athletes.
However, experts tell that Rhodiola may have the potential to increase physical activity or performance, but more research is needed to confirm the results.
- May Improve Diabetic Condition
Diabetic people commonly use insulin injections or medications to improve insulin sensitivity to better manage their high blood sugar levels.
An animal study tells Rhodiola may help improve weight management. A compound named salidroside found in Rhodiola has the potential to protect against diabetes and diabetic nephropathy in rats.
These studies were performed on animals, so their result can’t be generalized to humans.
If you are a diabetic person and thinking of taking Rhodiola supplements, speak with your dietitian or doctor first.
- Useful in Different Types of Cancer
Rhodiola may have anticancer properties, a component named Salidroside, found in Rhodiola helps in treating different types of cancer.
Different studies on animals have found that it may reduce the growth of colon, lung, gastric, and bladder cancer.
However, there is no specific human research available, until there is no such evidence will be, it can help treat cancer remains unknown.
How to take Rhodiola Rosea supplements?
Rhodiola supplements are available in capsules or tablets, also available as tea, but most people prefer to take it in the form of a pill because it ensures accurate dosing.
How to Choose the Quality Rhodiola supplements?
Rhodiola supplements are high at risk of adulteration or lower quality. To avoid this, look for those brands that ensure purity. You should also check the amount of the ingredients like 3 percent rosavin and 1 percent salidroside, this is the right and natural proportion of the Rhodiola root.
You can also check our website to shop for Rhodiola supplements.
What’s the right dosage and when to take it?
Taking Rhodiola supplement on an empty stomach is great but not before bedtime because it provides a stimulating effect.
According to different research, it is found that Rhodiola helps in improving symptoms of stress, fatigue, or depression when taken in doses ranging from 400-600 mg per day. You can take it in single or divided doses.
Side Effects of Rhodiola
All supplements, including Rhodiola, may have some side effects. It happens when it is impure or adulterated.
Researches find that Rhodiola is safe and well-tolerated but some clinical studies claim few serious side effects to Rhodiola. Rhodiola may also interact with other medications you may take or aggravate another medical condition. It is not tested on children, pregnant women, or other vulnerable groups yet.
So, whenever you buy Rhodiola supplement from a local store or any online supplement store, before consuming make sure, to check with a medical professional to be sure the supplement is safe for your particular health condition.
Final Words:
Rhodiola has been used for traditional medicinal purposes in Russia and Scandinavian countries for centuries.
Many studies tell that Rhodiola may help to improve physical activity like exercise and psychological stressors such as fatigue and depression. It may also protect against certain health conditions like depression, cancer, and diabetes.
Whenever you are thinking of taking Rhodiola supplement, make sure that they have undergone third-party testing to avoid the potential for adulteration, and talk with a healthcare professional first.
Conclusively, Rhodiola has many health benefits and it is considered safe with a low risk of side effects when it’s taken in the recommended dosages.
