Rhodiola rosea's therapeutic uses
Rhodiola rosea, commonly known as roseroot or golden root, is a natural herb recognized for its therapeutic uses, particularly as an adaptogen. Traditionally used in regions such as Iceland, Russia, and Eastern Europe, it is purported to combat fatigue, enhance mental function, and improve sports performance. The herb has gained attention for its potential applications in treating conditions like depression, anxiety, altitude sickness, and sexual dysfunction in both men and women.
Research has indicated that Rhodiola may help maintain mental acuity under stressful conditions, with some studies showing modest benefits in mental function and fatigue reduction. Furthermore, it has been explored for its potential protective effects on the liver and its ability to inhibit cancer cell growth in preliminary laboratory studies. While many individuals report no adverse effects, comprehensive safety data is lacking, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and pregnant women. Overall, while Rhodiola rosea shows promise in various therapeutic roles, further studies in diverse settings are necessary to substantiate these claims and ensure safety.
Rhodiola rosea's therapeutic uses
DEFINITION: Natural plant product used to treat specific health conditions.
PRINCIPAL PROPOSED USES: Adaptogen, enhancement of mental function, fatigue, improvement of sports performance
OTHER PROPOSED USES: Altitude sickness, depression, anxiety, female sexual function, liver protection, male sexual function, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cognitive function
Overview
The herb Rhodiola rosea, sometimes called roseroot, golden root, or arctic root, has been used traditionally in Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, as well as Eastern Europe and Asia as a “tonic herb” said to fight fatigue, aid convalescence from illness, prevent infections and enhance sexual function. In 2011, the European Medicines Agency approved its use for stress-related symptoms. In the twentieth century, Soviet physicians classified rhodiola as an adaptogen. This invented term refers to a hypothetical treatment described as follows: An adaptogen helps the body adapt to stresses of various kinds, whether heat, cold, exertion, trauma, sleep deprivation, toxic exposure, radiation, infection, or psychological stress. Furthermore, an adaptogen supposedly causes no side effects, treats a wide variety of illnesses, and helps return an organism toward balance no matter what may have gone wrong.
Perhaps the only indisputable example of an adaptogen is a healthful lifestyle. By eating right, exercising regularly, and generally living a life of balance and moderation, individuals can increase their physical fitness and ability to resist illnesses of all types. Multivitamin/multimineral supplements could offer similarly general benefits, at least in people whose diets are deficient in basic nutrients. Whether there are any herbs that offer adaptogenic benefits, however, remains unproven (and somewhat unlikely). Nonetheless, advocates of the adaptogen concept believe that rhodiola (as well as ginseng, ashwagandha, reishi, suma, and several other herbs) have this property.
Therapeutic Dosages
Rhodiola extracts are standardized to their content of salidroside (also called rhodioloside). A typical dosage of 170 to 185 milligrams (mg) daily supplies 4.5 mg of salidroside. When rhodiola is used as a one-time treatment, two to three times this dose is often used. Most published studies involved a single proprietary product. It is not clear that the results of these studies apply to products using different rhodiola sources or different methods of extraction.
Most rhodiola supplements are available in 100 to 500 mg tablets, with usual recommendations advising 200 mg twice daily. Using more than 600 mg in one day is unsafe.
Therapeutic Uses
Rhodiola is marketed as the new ginseng, which is said to fight fatigue, enhance mental function, increase general wellness, improve sports performance, and enhance sex drive in both men and women. A few double-blind studies involving a single proprietary product support the first two of these uses, finding that the use of a particular rhodiola extract by people in stressful, fatiguing circumstances may help maintain normal mental function.
Scientific Evidence
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of fifty-six physicians on night duty evaluated the potential benefits of rhodiola for maintaining mental acuity. Participants received either a placebo or rhodiola extract (170 mg daily) for two weeks. The results showed that participants taking rhodiola retained a higher level of mental function as measured by tests, such as mental arithmetic.
Another double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the one-time use of the same rhodiola extract (at a dose of 370 mg or 555 mg) in 161 male military cadets undergoing sleep deprivation and stress. The results showed that rhodiola was more effective than placebo at fighting the effects of fatigue.
Finally, a third double-blind, placebo-controlled study examined the effects of a low dose of this rhodiola extract (100 mg daily for twenty days) in forty international students undergoing examinations (presumably a highly stressful situation). The results showed modest benefits in some measurements of fatigue and mental function and no significant benefit in others. The study authors considered the outcome relatively unimpressive and blamed this on the dose chosen.
While these results are impressive overall, they were all performed in former Soviet republics, and studies from these sources must be viewed with caution. For reasons that are unclear, double-blind studies performed in the former Soviet Union (or China) almost always find the tested treatment effective. This consistent pattern of excessively positive results has made outside observers highly skeptical. For this reason, only if confirmation is obtained in a more reliable setting can rhodiola be considered to have real supporting evidence behind it.
One small double-blind trial performed in Belgium found evidence that using a different rhodiola extract at a dose of 200 mg one hour before endurance exercise may improve performance. However, another study failed to find benefits from combining cordyceps and rhodiola. Other evidence indicates that 200 and 300 mg may benefit athletic performance, but most studies fail to find this correlation.
Weak evidence hints that rhodiola might help prevent altitude sickness and might aid in cancer chemotherapy (by protecting the liver). Preliminary laboratory studies found that rhodiola inhibits the growth of cancer cells in the lung, bladder, and colon, but animal and human studies are needed.
Rhodiola has also been studied as a treatment for depression and anxiety. In a randomized trial, eighty-nine people with mild to moderate depression received rhodiola extract 340 mg, rhodiola extract 680 mg, or a placebo for six weeks. Those in both rhodiola groups experienced an improvement in most of their depression symptoms, whereas those in the placebo group experienced no such benefit. Other studies investigating the cognitive enhancements of rhodiola may provide some evidence of improved concentration for individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In an animal study, only one dose of rhodiola improved concentration, mood, cognitive function, and age-related deficits in mice.
Safety Issues
There are no known or suspected safety risks with rhodiola, and in clinical trials, no severe adverse effects have been reported. However, comprehensive safety studies have not been performed. Safety in young children, pregnant or nursing women, and people with severe liver or kidney disease has not been established. Additionally, taking rhodiola for more than twelve weeks is not advisable. It is possible that common anti-anxiety medication taken with rhodiola may cause irregular heartbeat, but further study is required.
Bibliography
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