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Rhodiola rosea

 Science-Backed Health Benefits

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What is it?

Rhodiola Rosea is a popular plant in traditional medical systems in the Nordic countries, Eastern Europe, and Asia. It belongs to the family of Crassulaceae with notoriety for stimulating physical endurance, attention span, memory, and work productivity . The genus Rhodiola contains more than 100 different species, and at least 20 of these are used in traditional Asian medicine . However, the most of all animal and human studies have been conducted on RR, so whether other species confer the same health benefits is unknown .Research studies on the RR root phytochemistry have revealed the presence of six distinct groups of chemical compounds: phenylpropanoids (rosavin, rosin, and rosarin), phenylethanol derivatives (salidroside and tyrosol), flavonoids (rhodiolin, rhodionin, rodiosin, acetylrodalgin, and tricin), monoterpernes (rosiridol and rosaridin), triterpenes (daucosterol and beta-sitosterol), and phenolic acids (chlorogenic, hydroxycinnamic, and gallic acids) Rhodiola rosea L., also known as “golden root” or “roseroot,” belongs to the plant family Crassulaceae. RR grows primarily in dry sandy ground at high altitudes in the arctic areas of Europe and Asia. The plant reaches a height of 12–30 inches (70 cm) and produces yellow blossoms. It is a perennial with a thick rhizome and fragrant when cut. The Greek physician, Dioscorides, first recorded medicinal applications of rodia riza in CE 77 in De Materia Medica. The traditional use of RR as a tonic in Siberian and Russian medicine stimulated extensive research leading to identification of RR as an adaptogen—a substance that nonspecifically increases the resistance of an organism and does not disturb normal biological parameters.

Rhodiola show increased levels of beta-endorphin in the brain. Beta-endorphin is the stress-relieving, feel-good, analgesic peptide

Benefits of Rhodiola

The main effects of genus Rhodiola described are adaptogenic, that means “natural herbal products that are nontoxic in normal doses produce a nonspecific response and have a normalizing physiologic influence,” and stress protective. Moreover, Rhodiola has been described as an antioxidant, antitumor, antidepressive, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, and immunostimulating agent. Many other benefits from the use of RR have been found, including its ability to regulate blood sugar levels for diabetics and to activate the lipolytic processes. Although detailed molecular mechanism of the lipid-lowering and antiinflammation effects of salidroside are to be identified, in vivo studies on high-fat diet–fed LDLr−/−mice demonstrated that this RR compound reduced serum lipid levels and decreased atherosclerotic plaque formation. A number of studies have shown that RR increased physical work capacity and dramatically shortened the recovery time between bouts of high-intensity exercise.

Rhodiola seems to reduce anxiety and various stress symptoms, particularly fatigue, while simultaneously improving cognitive and physical performance in stressful situations.

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Benefits

The main effects of genus Rhodiola described are adaptogenic, that means “natural herbal products that are nontoxic in normal doses produce a nonspecific response and have a normalizing physiologic influence,” and stress protective. Moreover, Rhodiola has been described as an antioxidant, antitumor, antidepressive, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, and immunostimulating agent.

Antioxidant

Synthesizing proteins involved in stress resistance

Antitumor

Enhancing physical and mental resilience and performance in times of stress.

Antidepressive

Reduce anxiety and various stress symptoms.

Sources

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