At high and cold altitudes, the landscape is often devoid of life. High winds and dramatic temperature changes make cold, mountainous regions inhospitable to all but the hardiest, most resilient of plant species.

Rhodiola rosea is one such species.

Known as “roseroot” or simply as Rhodiola, this succulent plant grows at the high altitudes of the cold, mountainous regions in the Arctic, as well as in Scandinavia, Britain, Asia (particularly Siberia), and parts of North America. Rhodiola is sometimes referred to as a stonecrop because it grows in rocky crevices or sea cliffs, thriving in dry, sandy soil where other plants would wither.

What is Rhodiola extract?

Rhodiola’s unique capacity to withstand harsh and inhospitable conditions aligns with its ability to support our own resiliency in the face of physical and mental stressors.* 

Although the research on botanicals is ever evolving, Rhodiola has a longstanding history of use for promoting resilience against mental and physical fatigue,* and it was reportedly consumed by the Vikings to confer strength and endurance during their conquests. 

Today, Rhodiola extracts are used to promote mental focus, support a healthy stress response, enhance productivity, and benefit a healthy mood.1* 

How does Rhodiola function in the body?

Rhodiola is one of several well-documented plant adaptogens – agents that promote the body’s adaptability in the face of stressful situations.*

The term adaptogen dates to 1947 and is often attributed to the Russian scientist Nikolai Lazarev, who studied the ability of various plants – including eleuthero – to enhance the body’s adaptation response to stress and mitigate its damaging effects.* 

Stress can have a wide range of effects – good and bad – on the body. During the body’s “fight or flight” stress response, the adrenal glands release hormones called catecholamines – including epinephrine (also called adrenaline), norepinephrine, and dopamine – to mobilize our body’s resources and protect us from danger. Whereas occasional stress can be a motivating factor and even enhance our performance, prolonged exposure to stress (chronic stress) can take its toll on multiple body systems and lead to feelings of exhaustion, irritability, difficulty sleeping, and an overall decline in performance – both mentally and physically.

Rhodiola contains a wide range of antioxidant compounds that appear to support the central nervous system by influencing the release of catecholamines and neurotransmitters during times of stress, including serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.*2,3

At least 140 different phytochemicals have been identified as Rhodiola constituents, with the specific ones believed to be responsible for its stress-adapting activity being salidroside (rhodioloside), rosavin, rosin, rosarin, rhodiolin, rosiridin, and tyrosol.*1

What is Rhodiola extract helpful for? 

The benefits of Rhodiola rosea extract include promoting:

  • Resilience in the face of stress*
  • Mood and mental focus*
  • Mental and physical fatigue*
  • Enhanced resistance to external stressors*
  • Productivity and work performance*
  • Irritability and sleep disturbances*

Support for cognition and fatigue* – Several human clinical studies found that Rhodiola supplementation is particularly beneficial for individuals prone to “burning the midnight oil,” including medical students and shift workers.4,5

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study followed 56 healthy physicians – women and men ages 25-35 – who worked night shifts. Over the course of three 14-day periods, mental performance was measured using a variety of tests that examined overall cognitive processing, including attention capacity, speed of visual and auditory perception, and short-term memory to generate a “Fatigue Index.” Compared to placebo, Rhodiola supplementation in daily amounts of 170 mg was found to significantly improve the “Fatigue Index” and enhance the physicians’ mental performance.*4

Another randomized, placebo-controlled trial, investigating the effects of 100 mg of Rhodiola daily for 20 days on 40 medical students during final exams, reported a 30-percent decrease in self-reported fatigue compared to a 21-percent average increase in fatigue in the placebo group.*5 Participants also reported improvements in physical fitness, mood stability, and feelings of well-being, as well as an increased motivation to study and a reduced need for sleep.* The test scores of students taking Rhodiola also significantly improved, on average, with the placebo group averaging 3.20 out of 4.0, whereas the Rhodiola treatment group averaged 3.47.

Mood and emotional balance support* – In addition to the mood enhancing benefits noted in the studies above, several other clinical trials reported Rhodiola’s benefit for promoting a balanced mood and enhancing feelings of well-being.*6,7 A 2007 double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 91 participants found significant improvements in sleep disturbances and emotional stability with Rhodiola supplementation compared to placebo.*6

Strength and endurance support* ­– Sixteen human clinical trials have been conducted over the past two decades exploring the use of Rhodiola as an ergogenic aid to enhance performance.* One of these studies ‒ a double-blinded, placebo-controlled cycling trial ‒ found that 200 mg of Rhodiola taken 60 minutes before exercise prolonged time-to-exhaustion and improved time trial performance in recreational male and female athletes.*8 And while some studies have yielded mixed results, a systematic review concluded that Rhodiola taken prior to exercise enhances endurance capacity, particularly in recreationally active adults.*8

Side effects: Rhodiola rosea extract

While there are many Rhodiola extract benefits, side effects appear to be minimal. Because Rhodiola can have a stimulating or soothing effect on the nervous system depending on the amount taken, it is generally recommended to begin with a low amount and increase slowly to achieve the desired result. Individuals prone to over-excitation should be cautious with higher amounts, especially when beginning a daily regimen. 

Although Rhodiola rosea root extract side effects are uncommon with daily intakes of 100-300 mg, some clinical feedback appears to indicate that irritability or difficulty sleeping can occur with very high amounts of 1,500-2,000 mg daily or more.2

Does Rhodiola interact with prescription medications?

Although the information on Rhodiola drug interactions is limited, there are potential interactions with certain medications; therefore, an individual taking a prescription medication should consult with a health-care practitioner before adding it to a daily supplement regimen. 

Some potential Rhodiola rosea drug interactions include cardiac medications and antidepressants.9 Other possible Rhodiola rosea interactions include a potential additive effect when combined with stimulants due to Rhodiola’s potential energy-enhancing qualities, although a search in the Journal of Plant Interactions returned zero matches for Rhodiola.

What is Rhodiola extract made from? 

The Rhodiola extract in Thorne’s nutritional supplements is made from Rhodiola rosea root. 

Rhodiola is contained in several Thorne supplements, including as a standalone encapsulated extract that supports a healthy stress response and helps maintain balanced levels and activity of neurotransmitters in the brain.* Each capsule of Thorne’s Rhodiola delivers 100 mg of extract. 

Rhodiola is also an ingredient in Thorne’s Daily Greens Plus – a comprehensive and foundational supplement for healthy aging that has 28 powerhouse ingredients ‒ as well as in Thorne’s Emotion Balance Support, which combines multiple ingredients that support a good mood while promoting a calm, relaxed state of mind.*

Rhodiola: Resilient support for the modern world

In any biological system, the ability for a plant or animal to be resilient in the face of harsh or changing conditions is essential to its survival. But in our busy, modern world, we often overlook the many daily stressors we are exposed to, and we can overestimate our body’s ability to be resilient amid so many obstacles. 

Many individuals have become so used to stress that we might not perceive its adverse effects until our physical and mental elasticity has been stretched to the point of exhaustion. But the ability of our bodies and nervous systems to maintain resilience and adaptability is paramount to our quality of life and overall well-being. This is precisely where Rhodiola can be a vital plant ally to support our body and mind amidst life’s many stressful demands.

References

  1. Stojcheva EI, Quintela JC. The effectiveness of Rhodiola rosea L. preparations in alleviating various aspects of life-stress symptoms and stress-induced conditions – encouraging clinical evidence. Molecules 2022;27(12). doi:10.3390/molecules27123902
  2. Rhodiola rosea monograph. Altern Med Rev 2002;7(5):421-423.
  3. Head KA, Kelly GS. Nutrients and botanicals for treatment of stress: adrenal fatigue, neurotransmitter imbalance . . . and restless sleep. Altern Med Rev 2009;14(2):114-140.
  4. Darbinyan V, Kteyan A, Panossian A, et al. Rhodiola rosea in stress induced fatigue – a double blind cross-over study of a standardized extract SHR-5 with a repeated low-dose regimen on the mental performance of healthy physicians during night duty. Phytomedicine 2000;7(5):365-371.
  5. Spasov A, Wikman G, Mandrikov V, et al. A double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of the stimulating and adaptogenic effect of Rhodiola rosea SHR-5 extract on the fatigue of students caused by stress during an examination period with a repeated low-dose regimen. Phytomedicine 2000;7(2):85-89.
  6. Darbinyan V, Aslanyan G, Amroyan E, et al. Clinical trial of Rhodiola rosea L. extract SHR-5. . . . Nord J Psychiatry 2007;61(5):343-348. doi:10.1080/08039480701643290
  7. Amsterdam JD, Panossian AG. Rhodiola rosea L. . . . Phytomedicine 2016;23(7):770-783. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2016.02.009
  8. Tinsley GM, Jagim AR, Potter GDM, et al. Rhodiola rosea as an adaptogen to enhance exercise performance: a review of the literature. Br J Nutr 2024;131(3):461. doi:10.1017/S0007114523001988
  9. Marciano M, Vizniak N. Rhodiola rosea. Evidence Informed Botanical Medicine. 2nd ed. Professional Health Systems; 2020.