Rhodiola Rosea

Rhodiola Rosea – The most potent and effective member of the Adaptogen plant group, Rhodiola Rosea helps your body adapt to chemical, physical, and environmental stresses. When the body is in a state of stress, it is believed that adaptogens increase the ability of the cell to create fuel and operate more efficiently. It can also enhance our body’s tolerance to stress by its potential to influence the production of key brain chemicals such as serotonin and norepinephrine as well as feel-good beta-endorphins. It provides both cognitive stimulation and emotional contentment – enhancing the healing process of the nervous system and contributing to long-term maintenance of brain function.

It can increase attention to detail-oriented tasks by increasing the bioelectrical activity of the brain - improving concentration, comprehension, and memorization. A number of studies have shown that rhodiola can dramatically reduce mental fatigue under stressful conditions. In one study, forty students were selected to receive either 50 mg Rhodiola extract or placebo twice daily for a period of 20 days. The students receiving the standardised extract demonstrated significant improvements in physical fitness, psychomotor function, mental performance, and general wellbeing. Subjects receiving the Rhodiola rosea extract also reported statistically significant reductions in mental fatigue, improved sleep patterns, a reduced need for sleep, greater mood stability, and a greater motivation to study. The average exam scores between students receiving the Rhodiola rosea extract and placebo were 3.47 and 3.20, respectively.

Rhodiola also can improve strength and resiliency during particularly exhaustive or strenuous physical tasks.

In one study, the energy-boosting effect of small and medium doses of rhodiola was observed in animals during a “swim test”—a physically challenging test in which a rodent is put into a beaker of water and observed to see how long it can keep its head above water. Rhodiola-treated rats were able to swim for 25% longer before becoming exhausted, compared with animals that did not receive rhodiola. The researchers concluded that rhodiola enhances exercise capacity by activating the synthesis or re-synthesis of Adenosine triphosate (ATP), a vital energy source, as well as increasing the level of enzymes, RNA, and proteins important to muscle recovery after exhaustion.

Rhodiola may even hold benefits for those challenged with elevated blood sugar or diabetes, - significantly decreasing blood glucose, and improving levels of glutathione and the activities of glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase in the liver.”