PRIMARY USES:

Energy, Stress, Mental Performance, Physical Performance, Stamina and Endurance, Depression, Oxygen Uptake

PROPERTIES:

Adaptogenic

Adrenal Tonic

Mood Enhancing

Anti-Depressant

INDICATIONS:

Rhodiola rosea, also known as golden root, arctic root or roseroot, has been used for centuries in traditional Russian and Scandinavian medicine to increase physical endurance, work productivity, longevity, resistance to high altitude sickness, and to treat fatigue, depression, anemia, impotence, infertility, gastrointestinal complaints, infections and nervous system disorders. Numerous studies have proved Rhodiola to be a powerful adaptogen that increases ones resistance to chemical, biological, and physical stressors and protects the body from breakdown due to chronic  stress. Rhodiola stimulates the activity of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in the cerebral cortex, brain stem and hypothalamus, and increases the permeability of the blood brain barrier to precursors of dopamine and serotonin. This enhances the effects of these neurotransmitters on the brain and improves cognitive functions (thinking, analyzing, evaluating, calculating and planning), learning, attention span, and memory and work productivity. Rhodiola also relieves fatigue and normalizes mood in depressed individuals, and has antioxidant properties that help protect the nervous system from oxidative damage. By stimulating cognitive function, improving resistance to stress and fighting free radicals, Rhodiola can have immediate effects on cognitive function and memory and can also provide long-term support to help preserve future brain functions.

A study involving 56 healthy male and female physicians working the night shift (age 24-35) were given 170 mg of Rhodiola extract for 6 weeks. Their mental performance was evaluated using tests to determine speed of visual and auditory perception, attention capacity, and short-term memory. A significant improvement in mental performance tests was observed in the treatment group during the first two-week period. Another double-blind, placebo controlled study involving 60 foreign students at a Russian high school showed that supplementation by the students with Rhodiola resulted in a decrease of mental fatigue and situational anxiety and an increase in physical work capacity, coordination, kinesthetic sensitivity, and general well-being.

For athletes or anyone seeking to enhance physical performance, Rhodiola has been shown to improve strength, endurance, cardiovascular measures, coordination and recovery time. In one study, 42 master level competitive skiers were given either Rhodiola rosea extract or a placebo 30-60 minutes before a 20 km race on skies that involved carrying a rifle and shooting targets at stops. The athletes receiving Rhodiola showed a significant increase in shooting accuracy, less arm tremor, better coordination, and their heart rates returned to normal more quickly.

Rhodiola has also been found to have cardio protective and anticancer benefits and can increase fertility in both men and women.

In 1986 it was discovered that the chemical composition that sets Rhodiola rosea apart from other species of Rhodiola are three cinnamyl alcohol-vicianosides identified as rosavin, rosin and rosarin. The term rosavins is used to include all three of these chemical compounds. Rosavins are kown as the marker compound that differentiates true Rhodiola rosea extract from other Rhodiola species.

CONTRA-INDICATIONS AND CAUTIONS:

Pregnancy; Nursing

COMPLIMENTARY FORMULAS & SINGLE HERBS:

Ginseng Master (Ginseng formula for energy)

Ginkgo (to increase memory and cerebral circulation)

St Johns Wort (for depression)

TASTE:

Very astringent, slightly bitter

Liquid formula may contain small amounts of herbal precipitate (small particles) due to strength of preparation.