Latin Name

Rhodiola rosea

Common Names

Arctic root, Golden root, Roseroot

This unique herb grows at high altitudes in the arctic areas of Asia and Eastern Europe.

Historically the Vikings used rhodiola to enhance physical strength and the Sherpa people used it to climb at high altitudes including Mt. Everest.

The Russians have used rhodiola benefits extensively over the past 70 years mostly for improving work performance, insomnia, fatigue, depression, and increasing athletic endurance.

Rhodiola rosea is a remarkable herb that has a wide and varied history of uses. It is thought to strengthen the nervous system, fight depression, enhance immunity, elevate the capacity for exercise, enhance memory, aid weight reduction, increase sexual function and improve energy levels. It has long been known as a potent adaptogen. Adaptogen  are substances that increase the body’s overall resistance and help to normalize bodily functions.

Herbal Actions:

• Adaptogenic-A substance that increases the bodies resistance to physical ,environmental,emotional or biological stressors and promote normal ,physiological function.
• Anti-ageing – A (product or technique) designed to prevent the appearance of getting old
• Anti-cancer– Used in the prevention or treatment of cancer
• Anti-depressant– Substance that alleviates depression
• Anti-oxidant- Substance that inhibits oxidation
• Cardio protective- Substance that improves the force of contraction of the heart

Health Benefits :

Used for increasing energy, stamina, strength and mental capacity

● Called adaptogen to help the body adapt, resist physical, chemical, environmental stress

● Used for improving athletic performance, shortening recovery time after long workouts

● Treating corrupted cell growth

● Used for heart disorders such as irregular heartbeat, high cholesterol

● Enhancing immunity, cold, flu, lung infections

● Strengthening the nervous system

● Improving sexual function, for depression

● Helps with liver damage, diabetes

Used to treat the following:

Amenorrhea, asthenia, cancer, cardiac problems, colds and flu, debility (symptoms of asthenia), depression, enhancing thyroid and thymus gland function and immune system, fatigue, headaches, hypertension, improving hearing, improving sexual function. Increasing attention span, mental performance, alertness and memory, physical exercise ability, strength and mobility. Insomnia, maintaining energy levels, premature ejaculation, preventing stress-induced cardiac damage, protect the liver from environmental toxins, quicker muscle recovery, regulating blood sugar levels for diabetics, SAD (seasonal affected disorder), schizophrenia, sexual dysfunction (male), stress, weak erections.

Increase Your Energy and Athletic Performance:

Rhodiola can increase your stamina and endurance by increasing your red blood cell count.  Red blood cells (RBC) carry oxygen to muscles, and having a higher count can dramatically improve an athlete’s performance and delay fatigue.  Rhodiola benefits work by boosting EPO also known as erythropoetin which stimulates RBC production.

Another study performed on rats found that supplementing with rhodiola could increase endurance by allowing the animals to swim 25% longer.  The improvements happened because rhodiola was found to increase synthesis of ATP which is essential for cellular energy. Has been shown to significantly increase the size and concentration of peripheral red blood cells, and the concentration of hemoglobin and packed red cell volume. It also improved the quality of blood by increasing hemoglobin levels and the number of red blood cells which, by virtue of their effects on oxygen transport cells are considered to improve parameters of exercise physiology and performance.

But you don’t have to be an athlete to experience the benefits of rhodiola.  Whether you’re a stay at home mother , business executive,  student rhodiola or working in a highly stressful demanding job has been shown to increase workplace performance and the decrease the effects that a lack of sleep and rest can have on your body.

Lower Cortisol:

Rhodiola can calm your body when your system goes into a “fight or flight” mode from everyday stressors.  When the hormone cortisol stays high for a long period of time from emotional or physical stress it can cause your body to experience:

• lowered blood glucose response
• abdominal weight gain
• thyroid issues
• hormone imbalance
• decreased memory
• weakened immunity

By keeping cortisol levels balanced you are improving your health in multiple ways especially when it comes to anti-aging.  When cortisol levels are high for long periods it will cause you to age faster and can leave you exhausted.  One of the main reasons people turn to  like rhodiola is to help balance cortisol levels to slow the aging process and look and feel their best.

Beat Depression and Improve Brain Function:

Another amazing benefit of supplementing with rhodiola is it’s been shown to improve the health of your brain and fights depression.

Rhodiola increases the sensitivity of your neurons (cells of your brain and nervous system) including two neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine.  These two neurotransmitters are known for increasing focus, memory, pleasure, and improving mood.

Many doctors of functional medicine prescribe rhodiola as an effective alternative to anti-depressant medications.  This works because rhodiola increases dopamine sensitivity which has been shown to improve mood and also help fight food cravings and addictions.

Muscle Recovery:

Rhodiola rosea has been shown to shorten recovery time after prolonged workouts, to increase attention span, memory, strength, and anti-toxic action. Rhodiola rosea extract increases the level of enzymes, RNA, and proteins important to muscle recovery after exhaustive exercise. It also stimulates muscle energy status; glycogen synthesis in muscles and liver; muscle protein synthesis and anabolic activity.

Cardiac Problems:

Rhodiola has also been shown to be effective for cardiac problems caused or aggravated by stress. Its action for these conditions is in its ability to decrease the amount of catecholamines and corticosteroids released by the adrenal glands during stress. The abnormal presence of these stress hormones will subsequently raise blood pressure, cholesterol, potassium  levels and increase risk factors for heart disease. Rhodiola has been found to decrease harmful blood lipids and thus decrease the risk of heart disease. It also decreases the amount of cyclic-AMP (c-AMP) released into cardiac cells. Cyclic AMP is related to ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the body’s primary energy molecule. C-AMP acts as a ‘second messenger’ or liaison between the outer and inner environments of the cell. It assists in the uptake of more intracellular calcium into the heart thus promoting a greater potential for heart muscle contraction. Rhodiola thus regulates the heartbeat and counteracts heart arrhythmias.

Immune System:

Rhodiola both stimulates and protects the immune system by reinstating homeostasis (metabolic balance) in the body. It also increases the natural killer cells (NK) in the stomach and spleen. This action may be due to its ability to normalise hormones by modulating the release of glucocorticoid into the body.

Cancer:

Rhodiola has been shown to increase anti tumor activity by increasing the body’s resistance to toxins. A range of antioxidant compounds have been identified in Rhodiola rosea and related species and significant free-radical scavenging activity has been demonstrated for alcohol and water extracts of Rhodiola. Rhodiola rosea might be useful in conjunction with some pharmaceutical anti-tumour agents. According to the information from Russian researchers have found that the oral administration of Rhodiola inhibited tumor growths in rats by 39% and decreased metastasis by 50%. It improved urinary tissue and immunity in patients with bladder cancer.

References :

http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-rhodiola.html

Herbal medicines (3rd ed)by Barnes Anderson Phillipson