Rhodiola rosea (commonly golden root,
rose root, roseroot, western roseroot, Aaron’s rod, Arctic root, king’s crown, lignum rhodium, orpin rose) Hongjingtian, Racine d’Or, Racine Dorée, Racine de Rhadiola, Rhodiola rosea, Rhodiole, Rhodiole Rougeâtre, Rodia Riza, Rosenroot, Rosewort, Sedum rhodiola, Sedum rosea, Siberian Golden Root, Siberian Rhodiola Rosea, Snowdown Rose
“is a perennial flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae. It grows in cold regions of the world, including much of the Arctic, the mountains of Central Asia, scattered in eastern North America from Baffin Island to the mountains of North Carolina, and mountainous parts of Europe, such as the Alps, Pyrenees, Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains, Scandinavia, Iceland, Great Britain and Ireland. It grows on sea cliffs and on mountains at altitudes up to 2280 meters.
Rhodiola rosea is from 5 to 40 centimetres (2.0 to 15.7 in) tall, fleshy, and has several stems growing from a short, scaly rootstock. Flowers have 4 sepals and 4 petals, yellow to greenish yellow in color sometimes tipped with red, about 1 to 3.5 millimetres (0.039 to 0.138 in) long, and blooming in summer.
The first time that R. rosea is described was from Dioscorides in De Materia Medica”
Note of caution:
Adverse reactions: Two subjects on 200 mg of R. rosea over a 4-week period each experienced a minor and serious headache, one subject on placebo over a 2-day treatment period experienced a minor headache and another had insomnia. Another subject on placebo experienced hypersalivation . There appear to be few side effects associated with R. rosea supplementation; those identified are of a mild nature. *see research link PMC3541197/
Do not use in addition to normal anti-depressants or MAO inhibitors. It might cause interactions. *see research link 25413939
Having no addictive potential, Rhodiola rosea is a mild stimulant, so should be taken in the morning to avoid sleep problems. It may induce temporary vivid dreams and mild nausea. It also binds with the estrogen receptor, so women with a personal or family history of estrogen-sensitive breast cancer should exercise caution in using Rhodiola rosea *see research link PMC3660126/
Anti-inflammatory *see research link PMC3652169/
Antioxidant * see link 19705137
Stops nicotine withdrawal symptoms and prevents relapse (Excerpt from research:” Results show that both affective and somatic signs induced by nicotine withdrawal are abolished by administration of Rhodiola rosea L. extract. “) *see research link 19939867 & 22921986 & 24264566
Anti- Cocaine craving properties.. (Excerpt from research:” The results obtained in this study demonstrate that RHO is capable of decreasing the rewarding effects of cocaine, since both acquisition and expression of a cocaine-induced CPP were impaired by RHO ( Rhodiola rosea L), though only with specific doses of this compound “) *see research link PMC3794542/
Reduces morphine dependence (Excerpt from research:” Results showed that Rhodiola rosea L. extract significantly reduced the expression of morphine tolerance “) *see research link 20142299/
Improves endurance capacity and/or physical performance (Excerpt from research:” Three out of six parameters of endurance capacity (time to exhaustion, O2 uptake and CO2 output) significantly improved (p
Reduces mental fatigue ( excerpt from research:” Subjects were randomized into 2 groups to receive either 100 mg R. rosea once per day or identical placebo for 20 days. Significant improvements were observed in hand-eye coordination (p
Improves overall mood , reduces anxiety & stress (excerpt from research:” Relative to the controls, the experimental group demonstrated a significant reduction in self-reported, anxiety, stress, anger, confusion and depression at 14 days and a significant improvements in total mood “) *see research link 26502953 , 18307390
Moderate anti-depressive action compared to normal anti-depressiva, but a lot less side effects (excerpt from research:” present findings suggest that R. rosea may possess modest antidepressant effects in some patients with mild to moderate MDD “major depressive disorder “. “) *see research link PMC4385215/ , PMC4297663/ , /27013349 , 17990195
Anticancer against colon cancer, breast cancer & some bladder cancer cell lines (Excerpt from research:” The present study investigated the anticancer effects of salidroside on colon cancer cells, indicating a novel strategy for colon cancer treatment. In conclusion, salidroside can inhibit proliferation, arrest cell cycle, decrease the migration and invasion of the colon cancer SW1116 cells. “) *see research link PMC4348934/, 25814002, PMC3144985/
Improves sensitive skin, topically applied (excerpt from research:” Clinical effectiveness was measured by reduction of transepidermal water loss, positive perceptions of improvements in skin dryness and skin comfort sensation, and reduction of discomfort sensation after stinging test. “) *see research link /18482014
Neuro-protective *see research link PMC4117113/ , PMC3652169/
Cardio-protective (Except from research:” . Rhodiola rosea was found to prevent stress-induced cardiac damage. “) *see research link 7756969
Improves premature ejaculation in men * see research link PMC5038509/
Anti-diabetes (Excerpt:” Rhodiola-water extract at 75 mg/kg significantly lowered the plasma glucose concentration “) *see link PMC3897963/
Extends lifespan of Drosophila fruitflies *see research link /PMC3660385/
Research on Rhodiola rosea: