15 Dec Rhodiola Rosea
Who does not want to have better mood, stronger libido, and stronger nervous system, feel stronger, resist to infections and tolerate stress better and live longer?
If you don’t want at least one of those qualities, you probably don’t need to read the rest of the article…
For all others, let me introduce you to the “queen” of the herbs Rhodiola Rosea. To be more exact, the root of the herb possesses the multitude of the medicinal qualities outlined earlier. If I ever get stranded on the deserted island and I have only one supplement to take, it’d be Rhodiola Rosea!
Rhodiola root (Rhodiola Rosea, Arctic Root, Golden Root) was first discovered in Russia, where the locals of Siberia were known to possess a strong health and survive severe climate conditions. It was later been used in the traditional medicine of many countries including Russia, Scandinavia and Middle Asia.
Since 1969 Rhodiola has been included in the list of official Russian medicine. It is regarded as a tonic and stimulant and used to increase physical endurance, attention span, memory, work productivity and resistance to high altitude sickness.
Other indications include fatigue, anemia, impotence, infections (including cold and influenza), nervous system disorders (mild depression and stress), headache and to enhance longevity and fertility.
Rhodiola has multiple key ingredients that are responsible for the myriad of therapeutic properties (rosavins and salidroside are among the most important). The particular ratio of those components (3:1) gives the most therapeutic efficacy. The interesting thing is that not all types of Rodiola are the same and the most balanced and therapeutic species from all existing Rodiolas appears to be Rodeola Rosea. Different parts of the plant (leaves, flowers, stems and roots) have different proportions of the therapeutic components. Many studies were done to find which part is the richest in the medicinal qualities and the roots invariably come as a winner.
The main indication for use of Rhodiola is adaptogenic, tonic and antioxidant effect.
General indications: Rhodiola Rosea extract is classified as an adaptogen due to its ability to increase your body’s resistance to a variety of chemical, biological, and physical sources of stress. It is commonly recommended to people who are faced with large amounts of physical and/or mental stress. Sounds like any person leaving in New York or any large city.
Detoxification: Several studies have shown that Rhodiola Rosea can help to detoxify our body by increasing protein synthesis and removing ammonia from the blood. It also increases blood supply to the muscles and the brain, and therefore proven to improve athletic performance.
Brian support: Due to its ability to supply blood to the brain many people use Rhodiola Rosea during times of studying and taking exams. Rhodiola rosea also improves the brain’s ability to deal with stress by increasing serotonin in the brain (hypothalamus and midbrain), increasing endorphins, moderating the release of opioid peptides that occur as a part of dealing with stress response, and protecting the brain and heart by reducing the stress related production of stress initiating hormone (corticotrophin releasing factor).
Rhodiola is a wonderful herb for mental focus and brain activity. The results, observed in several clinical studies demonstrate enhanced mental performance, learning, attention span, and memory. It has been widely used as an antidepressant, working alone or adjunctively with other antidepressants and some patients find it more effective than prescription antidepressants like SSRI’s or St. John’s Wort.
Rhodiola’s indications: Fatigue, Physical stress, Debility, Increase of concentration, mental performance and memory, Failure to thrive, Impotence and infertility, Convalescence, Chronic immune deficiency, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Recovery from viral infections, Tonic for the elderly
Athletic performance: Rhodiola Rosea is able to increase physical work capacity. It improves strength, recovery time, endurance, and coordination. Clinical studies discovered Rhodiola to be more effective than Siberian ginseng at enhancing adaptation to physical stress.
Fertility: Rhodiola has been shown great results in enhancing fertility in women, even among those that have failed to conceive with standard fertility drugs; It also improves sexual performance in men with erectile dysfunction and/or premature ejaculation. It also enhances thyroid and adrenal function without causing hyperfunction of those organs.
Heart Function: Rhodiola is a very effective anti-arrhythmia/tachycardia agent. It also increases the energy efficiency and energy reserves of the heart by balancing the heart’s nerve inputs (sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems).
Remember, if you have time and money for only one herb, make it Rodeola Rosea. Keep in mind, the quality of herbs can vary immensely from one manufacturer to another. I use and trust MediHerb as a source of my herbs. This Australian company does vigorous quality control to test efficacy and purity of the herbal sources and I get consistent results when I use their product.
Feel free to call our office with any questions about this article or to get the best quality Rodeola Rosea.
Stay Healthy Wealthy & Wise,
Elena Klimenko, MD
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