BENEFITS OF RHODIOLA
✓ Reduces stress
✓ An anti-fatigue plant
✓ Helps reduce symptoms of depression
✓ Increases physical and sexual performance
What is rhodiola?
Rhodiola, also known as rhodiola, rose-root, or golden root, is a small plant with green-yellow flowers that grows in rocky areas. It belongs to the Crassulaceae family, known for its fleshy leaves.
It is native to Scandinavia and grows in cold regions: the Arctic, Iceland, the Central Asian steppes, Siberia, Alaska. You can also find it in France, in the mountain ranges of the Alps and the Pyrenees.
It is a perennial plant, capable of withstanding extreme temperatures (down to -40°C) and growing up to 3,000 meters in altitude. It is found in the wild, but some countries also cultivate it.
Rhodiola is actually a category of plants. The variety rhodiola rosea is the one with the most medicinal properties. It has been used for over 3,000 years by Siberians and Scandinavians as a tonic plant. Like maca, rhodiola is part of plants considered adaptogenic, meaning it increases the body’s resistance to stress it may encounter.
It is a plant that helps overcome fatigue, particularly that linked to stress. It reduces symptoms of stress and overwork, such as insomnia, anxiety attacks, or mood swings.
It helps alleviate the effects of burnout and is an excellent natural anti-depressant. Finally, it helps to improve physical performance and endurance, especially for athletes and mountaineers. As it increases endurance in the cold and helps avoid altitude sickness, climbers and hikers greatly appreciate it. They can use it as a natural boost.
Its active compounds, particularly salidrosides, rosavins, rosarins, and rosins, are responsible for its adaptogenic capabilities and the virtues attributed to it. One does not directly consume the flower, but the root, either infused in hot water or in powdered form as a capsule.
Nutritional composition of rhodiola
- 12 amino acids
- 20 vitamins and minerals
- Active compounds: salidrosides, rosavins, rosarins, and rosins
- Antioxidants
Buy rhodiola: our selection
We recommend the rhodiola rosea from Natura Force. It is standardized to 5% rosavins and 2% salidrosides, its main active components. The capsules containing the concentrated extract are 100% plant-based.
Natura Force is a small French brand created by Thierry Sestrieres in 2015, after a trip to South America where he discovered the traditional use of superfoods such as maca in Peru or guarana in Brazil
❤ What we love : The high concentration of active ingredients and the quality/price ratio.
★ Natura Force Rating (Trusted Shops): 4.7/5
☞ Quantity: 120 capsules / 1 month treatment
✔ Discount code -10% : DARWIN
The benefits of rhodiola
🧘🏻♀️ Reduces stress
Adaptogenic plants like rhodiola help the body to overcome stress and its symptoms. Fatigue, anxiety, stomach aches… Several studies confirm the effectiveness of rhodiola in cases of stress.
In 2012, researchers from the Chipping Norton Health Center administered 400 mg of rhodiola to 101 people living stressful lives for four weeks. The symptoms of stress reported by the patients decreased in just three days, and continued to improve with ongoing treatment.
Rhodiola is also effective in cases of burnout. This study conducted by German and Austrian researchers involving 118 patients suffering from burnout shows that rhodiola is effective in alleviating its symptoms, including depression.
⚡️ An anti-fatigue plant
In Sweden, it is said that the Vikings owe their legendary strength and vigor to the consumption of rhodiola. In Siberia, a popular belief is that rhodiola is given to newlyweds… So they can have beautiful and robust children!
Scientific research has confirmed these traditional claims by attributing anti-fatigue properties to rhodiola.
This study conducted in 2009 by Uppsala University in Sweden compared the effectiveness of rhodiola on fatigue, depression, and attention among 60 people. Researchers showed that a 576 mg extract of rhodiola rosea was more effective than a placebo on these symptoms in the subjects studied.
🙏 Helps reduce symptoms of depression
Depression is a common illness in our societies: 20% of adults in France will experience it at least once in their lives.
This is explained by a neurological reaction: depression occurs when there is an imbalance in the neurotransmitters located in the brain. Usually, doctors prescribe antidepressants to rebalance these neurotransmitters, but it turns out that rhodiola also possesses this rebalancing power.
This study conducted in 2007 by the neurology department of Yerevan University in Armenia lasted six weeks. 89 people suffering from mild to moderate depression were treated with rhodiola or a placebo (symptoms: insomnia, somatization, emotional instability). While those who took the placebo saw no improvement, those who consumed rhodiola saw their condition improve.
🔥 Increases physical and sexual performance
Populations in cold regions, from Alaska to Siberia, traditionally use rhodiola to enhance their endurance and vigor. It is also said to have beneficial effects on libido.
In Ukraine, Prince Danila Galitsky, who lived in the 12th century, is still a legend due to his amorous exploits, which are attributed to rhodiola!
Regarding the improvement of endurance, the scientific community remains divided. Some studies show its effectiveness, while others prove it is useless in exertion.
Nevertheless, we can mention this recent Italian study which shows that a four-week course of rhodiola rosea in 14 individuals improves the body’s resistance to physical exertion and enhances recovery.
In terms of sexual performance, while it is a plant traditionally found in “love potions“, scientific research still needs to substantiate these claims.
A Russian study reported by the American Botanical Council did show the effectiveness of rhodiola in cases of erectile dysfunction. Of the 35 subjects suffering from it, 26 who consumed rhodiola saw a significant improvement in their sexual performance.
How to consume rhodiola?
Consuming the root of rhodiola rosea
While the Inuit consumed the flowers as a decoction or ate them raw to treat tuberculosis, or added the fleshy leaves to their recipes, it is the root of rhodiola rosea that is consumed for its therapeutic effects.
The root of rhodiola is referred to as “rose” because of its slight rose fragrance. It can be found whole, in which case it is grated to make infusions or powder. It is available at herbalists, dried, as a powder or in cut root pieces. However, rhodiola is more commonly found today in capsule form.
In cases of mild depression, rhodiola can be combined with St. John’s wort, another “solar” plant that treats seasonal depression or mood swings. Rhodiola is often paired with magnesium, a mineral known for its anti-fatigue and anti-stress properties.
Rhodiola and saffron
Certain dietary supplements aimed at improving emotional balance feature a combination of Rhodiola and saffron. Saffron is a spice obtained by drying the stigmas (pistil tips) of flowers called crocus. The Rhodiola/saffron synergy is believed to reduce symptoms of depression and promote good adaptation to emotional stress.
Sustainable consumption: favor organic and European Rhodiola
✓ It is advisable to buy organic Rhodiola to enjoy all the benefits of the plant without pesticide or chemical herbicide residues. Similarly, this ensures that the plant is not ionized, a common process in conventional agriculture to ensure preservation but whose health risks are unknown. Rhodiola can be found in organic stores or health food stores, herbalists, or on specialized websites.
✓ Although it grows in the French mountain ranges, its harvesting is prohibited. Due to its slow growth, reproduction is difficult, and it is among the endangered plants. The Rhodiola found on the market generally comes from Eastern European countries.
Rhodiola dosage
⏳ It is better to consume Rhodiola in the morning and at noon, as its anti-fatigue properties can cause slight sleep disorders if consumed at night. It can be taken as a course, for example before a sustained physical or intellectual effort.
⏳ It can also be taken for a seasonal course, to prevent the infamous winter depression, boost the immune system, and avoid burnout.
💊 In capsule form: 300 to 600 mg (refer to the manufacturer’s instructions)
🍵 As an infusion: 300 to 600 mg
It is advisable to consult a healthcare professional before starting a course, and not to exceed two months of treatment to avoid dependency.
Contraindications and side effects
- In case of excitement or sleep disorders, it is advisable to reduce the doses or stop the treatment.
- Rhodiola is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women.
- In case of diabetes or kidney problems, it is imperative to seek advice from your doctor before consuming Rhodiola.
- If stress persists after a month of treatment, and especially in case of depression, make an appointment with a specialist who will prescribe a more suitable remedy.
History, culture, and market of Rhodiola
While Nordic peoples have been using this plant since 3000 BC, it was Russian doctors who first studied its composition in the 1960s and scientifically verified its virtues.
Due to the Cold War, and because works written in Russian are not always included in international databases, scientific studies on Rhodiola remained unknown in the Western world. It is only in the last decade that the virtues of Rhodiola have been rediscovered, even though it grows in many countries in the northern hemisphere.
In the Soviet era, it was included in the physical preparation of cosmonauts and athletes. It may well be thanks to it that the legendary performances of Soviet athletes and gymnasts at the 1970s and 1980s Olympics can be credited!
Today, the root of Rhodiola rosea is gaining repute again in Western medicine and addresses several ailments affecting our populations: depression, fatigue, stress… Thus, Rhodiola is found in many dietary supplements and anti-stress or anti-fatigue medications available commercially.
Compiled by Pauline Petit and Charlotte Jean
Sources and scientific studies
Darbinyan V, Aslanyan G, Amroyan E, Gabrielyan E, Malmström C, Panossian A, 2007. Clinical trial of Rhodiola rosea L. extract SHR-5 in the treatment of mild to moderate depression.
Olsson EM, von Schéele B, Panossian AG, 2009. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the standardized extract shr-5 of the roots of Rhodiola rosea in the treatment of subjects with stress-related fatigue.
Siegfried Kasper and Angelika Dienel, 2017. Multicenter, open-label, exploratory clinical trial with Rhodiola rosea extract in patients suffering from burnout symptoms.
Edwards D, Heufelder A, Zimmermann A, 2012. Therapeutic effects and safety of Rhodiola rosea extract WS® 1375 in subjects with life-stress symptoms — results of an open-label study.
Richard P. Brown, M.D., Patricia L. Gerbarg, M.D., and Zakir Ramazanov, 2002. Rhodiola rosea: A Phytomedicinal Overview.
