Women’s Health Update

by Tori Hudson, ND

Rhodiola Rosea: An

Important Adaptogen

Rhodiola rosea, or “golden root,” has been used in Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and Asia for centuries. While it is not a well-known herb in the West, its traditional use in foreign folk medicine has been to increase physical endurance, productivity, longevity, resistance to high altitude sickness, fatigue, depression, anemia, impotence, gastrointestinal ailments, infections and disorders of the nervous system.¹ The roots were used as bouquets to enhance fertility in young Siberian couples prior to their marriage. The tea was used for colds and flus during the hard winters in Asian. This herb was highly coveted in trade for fine wines, fruit, and honey. The Vikings used the herb to enhance their physical strength and endurance.

All of this folklore first led to investigations of its phytochemistry in the early 1960s that identified adaptogenic compounds in the roots of the plant. These adaptogens, as well as the later discovered antioxidant and stimulating compounds in R . rosea, are responsible for its medicinal properties.

Active Constituents

The root of R. rosea has six distinct groups of chemical compounds:

• phenylpropanoids: rosavin, rosin, rosarin

• phenylethanol derivatives: salidroside (rhodioloside), tyrosol

• flavonoids: rodiolin, rodionin, rodiosin, acetylrodalgin, tricin

• monoterpernes: rosiridol, rosaridin

• triterpenes: daucosterol, beta-sitosterol

• phenolic acids: chlorogenic and hydroxycinnamic, gallic acids

Rosavin is the constituent currently selected for standardization of extracts.²

Mechanism of Action

The properties of R. rosea have been attributed primarily to its influence on the levels and activity of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in the brain. It may be that the plant inhibits the breakdown of these chemicals and facilitates the neurotransmitter transport within the brain.³ In addition to these effects on the central nervous system, rhodiola has been reported to increase the chemicals that provide energy to the muscle of the heart and to prevent the depletion of adrenal catecholamines induced by acute stress.⁴

Central Nervous System Effects.

Historically, rhodiola was observed to act in humans as a tonic, increase attention span, memory, and work performance. Two human studies were able to show that individuals with fatigue, irritability, insomnia and decline in work capacity responded favorably to a rhodiola extract dose of 50 mg three times a day.^5,6

In one of those studies of 128 patients aged 17 through 55, rhodiola alleviated fatigue, irritability, distractibility, headache, and weakness in 64% of the cases.¹ In a study of students, physicians and scientists, rhodiola was given for 2 to 3 weeks beginning several days before intense intellectual work such as final exams.² The extract improved the amount and quality of work and prevented decrease performance due to fatigue. Using rhodiola during final exams appears to be beneficial as well. Medical students took a rhodiola extract for 20 days and had significant improvements in mental fatigue, general well-being, final exam grades, and physical fitness.⁷

Case studies have reported that Rhodiola rosea can help with depressive syndromes, memory loss, anxiety, cognitive dysfunction and menopause related symptoms.

Cardioprotective Effects and Effects of Work Capacity

Several studies have shown that rhodiola increased physical work capacity and significantly shortened the recovery time between bouts of intense exercise. In one study, work capacity was increased by 9% and the pulse slowed to normal much more quickly.⁸ Biathlon athletes given rhodiola also have shown statistically significant increased shooting accuracy, less arm tremor, and better coordination. Improved recovery time, strength, endurance, and cardiovascular measures were also significantly better in those who took rhodiola. While it is uncertain as to what is responsible for these effects, animal studies suggest that rhodiola increases essential energy metabolites in the muscle and brain cells. It may also increase metabolism of fats.

Endocrine System

Animal studies looking at the effect of rhodiola on thyroid function, adrenal function, and ovarian egg maturation has raised interest in rhodiola for endocrine problems in humans. Forty women suffering from amenorrhea were given 100 mg of rhodiola twice daily for 2 weeks or an injection for 10 days. In some women, the regimen was repeated 2 to 4 times. Normal menses were restored in 25 women, 11 of whom became pregnant.⁹ Physicians have reported cases of women who had failed to conceive with standard fertility drugs, who then became pregnant within several months of beginning R. rosea extract. For men, 26 out of 35 with erectile dysfunction and/or premature ejaculation responded to R. rosea (150 to 200 mg/day for 3 months) with significantly improved sexual function.¹⁰

Modern research is probably best and most simply understood with a summary overview of the effects of rhodiola on different systems. Much of this research is still only published in foreign languages, but details of these studies can be obtained from an excellent overview article on R. rosea.¹¹ The research summarized in this article reviews the effects on the central nervous system, the capacity for physical work, adaptogenic and neuroendocrine effects, cardioprotection, and antioxidant and anticarcinogenic effects.

Side Effects, Toxicity, and Contraindications

R. rosea has a very low level of toxicity in animal studies. The toxic dose is calculated in humans to be about 235 gm or 235,000 mg for a 70 kg man. The typical daily dose for chronic administration is 360 to 600 mg per day when standardized for 1% rosavin, 180 to 300 mg when standardized for 2% rosavin, or 100 to 170 mg when standardized for 2.6% rosavin. This provides a large margin of safety. Overall, there are very few side effects with rhodiola. Some anxious individuals may be overactivated and become agitated. R. rosea may also interfere with sleep in some individuals and should be taken early in the day. It should be avoided in individuals with bipolar disorder who have a history of manic episodes when given antidepressants or stimulants, and should be used with caution in general in those with bipolar disorder. If use is desired just prior to an academic exam or an athletic competition, the suggested dose is three times the dose for daily consumption for one dose. Information on safety issues is not available for use during pregnancy and lactation, and it should therefore be avoided.

Conclusion

Rhodiola rosea is a very versatile plant with ability to affect the nervous, cardiovascular, endocrine, immune, and musculoskeletal systems. Whether it’s emotional stress, increased pressures and workloads, increase in physical work, or athletic training, it’s reassuring to have a simple plant with such diverse effects. Most individuals will see an improvement in their mood, energy level, mental capacity, memory, stamina, and/or endurance within 4 to 8 weeks. This herb is easily compatible with other natural therapies for these same conditions with no evidence of problematic interactions with other herbs, nutrients or medications.

Notes

1. Petkov V, Yonkov D, Mosharoff A, et al. Effects of alcohol aqueous extract from Rhodiola rosea L. roots on learning and memory. Acta Physiol Pharmacol Bulg. 1986;12:3–16.

2. Boon-Niermeijer E, van den Berg A, Wikman G, Wiegant F. Phyto-adaptogens protect against environmental stress-induced death of embryos from the freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis. Phytomedicine. 2000;7:389–399.

3. Stancheva S, Mosharrof A. Effect of the extract of Rhodiola rosea L. on the content of the brain biogenic monamines. Med Physiol. 1987;40:85–87.

4. Maslova L, Kondrat’ev B, Maslov L, Lishmanov I. The cardioprotective and antiadrenergic activity of an extract of Rhodiola rosea in stress. [In Russian.] Eksp Klin Farmakol. 1994;57:61–63.

5. Krasik E, Morozova E, Petrova K, et al. Therapy of asthenic conditions: clinical perspectives of application of Rhodiola rosea extract. In: Proceedings Modern problems in psycho-pharmacology. Kemerovo-City, Russia: Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences; 1970:298–330.

6. Krasik E, Petrova K, Rogulina G, et al. New data on the therapy of asthenic conditions(clinical prospects for the use of Rhodiola extract). Proceedings of All-Russia Conference: Urgent Problems in Psychopharmacology. May 26–29. Sverdlovsk, Russia: Sverdlovsk Press; 1970:15–17.

7. 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-% 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.

8. Saratikov A, Krasnov E. Chapter III: Stimulative properties of Rhodiola roseas. In: Saratikov A, Krasnov E, editors. Rhodiola Rosea Is a Valuable Medicinal Plant (Golden Root). Tomsk, Russia: Tomsk State University; 1987:69–90.

9. Gerasimova H. Effect of Rhodiola rosea extract on ovarian functional activity. Proc of Scientific Conference on Endocrinology and Gynecology. Sverdlovsk, Russia. 1970 Sept 15–16. Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. pp. 46–48.

10. Saratikov A, Krasnov E. Chapter VIII: Clinical studies of Rhodiola. In: Saratikov A, Krasnov E, eds. Rhodiola Rosea Is a Valuable Medicinal Plant (Golden Root). Tomsk, Russia: Tomsk State University Press; 1987:216–227.

1. Brown R, Gerbarg P, Ramazanov Z. Rhodiola rosea; a phytomedicinal overview. HerbalGram. 2002;56:40–52.

Dr. Tori Hudson graduated from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine (NCNM) in 1984 and has served the college in many capacities over the last 25 years. She is currently a clinical professor at NCNM and Bastyr University; has been in practice for 25 years; and is the medical director of the clinic A Woman’s Time in Portland, OR, and director of research and development for Vitanica, a supplement company for women. She is also a nationally recognized author, speaker, educator, researcher, and clinician.