Rhodiola- the Vikings Ginseng
Adaptogens are a particularly favourite group of herbs for me- so we are going to go into more detail about one of them. This plant has been used in various cultures for centuries for its health benefits. But i will do a post soon on adaptogens in general.
History:
Rhodiola was an indispensable source of power to vikings who conquered the seas. They used it to reduce fatigue and assist with strength. It’s also been used by cosmonauts to boost their physical and mental performance on demanding space journeys. The Russians have researched the health benefits of it ever since the 1960´s. The Chinese emperors used it to try and extend life and it has been used in Sweden, Iceland, Ukraine, France, Greece and central Asia for centuries.
Rhodiola is a plant that grows in cold regions and at high altitudes in Europe and Asia. The roots and rhizomes of rhodiola have been used in traditional medicine. Due to the golden colour of its roots it is often referred to as “golden root”. But the name rhodiola comes from the Greek word for rose ‘rodon’ because when the root is dried, it is said to have the scent of roses.
Since the 1960s rhodiola has been one of the most researched plants thanks to the soviet union and was even included in the Russian pharmacopeia. It has been used in Siberia for centuries to help people deal with the harsh winters and symbolised health and fertility – it was even given to newlyweds before their wedding night. As it is said to have aphrodisiac properties and assist with preventing premature ejaculation.
The Mongols are reported to have used it to help with tuberculosis and during the long winter months. The Tibetan monks drank it to calm their minds before meditation and Sherpas used it to help with oxygenation of the blood during high altitude trails.
In Chinese medicine it is referred to as Hong jing tian and was used to support energy-Qi, the heart and spleen, mental function, cleanse the lungs, calm the nervous system and strengthen the immune system. It said to help move the blood and boost spleen and kidney Qi.
As it is a very astringent plant it was used traditionally also to help heal wounds, address diarrhoea and stop bleeding.
Reported properties:
Adaptogenic, Antiaging, Antiarrhythmic, Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antidepressant, Antidiabetic, Antihypertensive effect, Antihypoxic, Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant, Antiviral, Anxiolytic, Athletic performance enhancement, Cardioprotective, Central nervous system, Cognitive, CYP450 inhibitory, Hepatoprotective, Hypolipidemic, Immunomodulatory, Neuroprotective, P-glycoprotein inhibitory.
Rhodiola is considered to be an adaptogen due to its purported ability to reduce fatigue, increase energy, stamina, strength, and mental capacity, and increase resistance to chemical, biological, and physical stressors
Energetics: cool, dry
Taste: astringent and sweet.
It contributes to normal blood circulation, which is associated with brain performance and reactivity and contributes to optimal mental and cognitive activity.
Rhodiola gives endurance for sports performances. It is an adaptogen that protects during physical stress. It also helps maintain normal function of the circulatory system, in this way providing cells with oxygen and nutrients. It also decreases blood glucose and increase glutathione (a master antioxidant).
Key indications for use:
Debility, emaciation, cachexia, chronic immune deficiency
Fatigue, physical stress, convalescence, failure to thrive
During chemotherapy and radiotherapy for cancer
To improve physical performance and impotence
As a tonic in the elderly
To improve mental performance, concentration and memory, especially when under stress
Chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, post viral syndromes.
Safety:
When used orally and appropriately, short-term there are no reported safety concerns. There is some clinical research showing that taking rhodiola extract up to 300 mg twice daily has been used without adverse effects for up to 12 weeks.
Pregnancy and Lactation: Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.
Adverse effects: Orally: Dizziness, increased or decreased production of saliva.
Interactions:
Are more theoretical for lowering blood glucose (additive effect with other agents that do the same). So, it is considered safe- however if you are on medication due to its effects on the CytP450 its best to tell your dr, pharmacist or health practitioner before starting to make sure it won’t be a problem. Because depending on the importance of the medication its better to be safe than sorry.
Mechanisms of action:
Ok I’m going to nerd out here so ill put the more detailed information or those keen and then summaries it.
In addition to its multiplex stress-protective activity, Rhodiola rosea extracts have recently demonstrated its anti-aging, anti-inflammation, immunostimulating, DNA repair and anti-cancer effects in different model systems. Molecular mechanisms of Rhodiola rosea extracts’s action have been studied mainly along with one of its bioactive compounds, salidroside. Both Rhodiola rosea extracts and salidroside have contrast molecular mechanisms on cancer and normal physiological functions. For cancer, Rhodiola rosea extracts and salidroside inhibit the mTOR pathway and reduce angiogenesis through down-regulation of the expression of HIF-1α/HIF-2α. For normal physiological functions, Rhodiola rosea extracts and salidroside activate the mTOR pathway, stimulate paracrine function and promote neovascularization by inhibiting PHD3 and stabilizing HIF-1α proteins in skeletal muscles. In contrast to many natural compounds, salidroside is water-soluble and highly bioavailable via oral administration and concentrated in urine by kidney excretion.
In English please? It has been shown to reduce cancer growth by stopping MTOR activation but is smart enough to turn it on to cause growth in normal cells. It somehow can tell the difference and stimulate the action we want. How cool is that!
Rhodiola rosea extracts act as an adaptogen to provide nonspecific resistance to physical, chemical and biological stresses. The stress-protective effects of Rhodiola rosea extracts have been shown to be engaged with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and several key mediators of stress responses, such as heat shock proteins (HSP) stress-activated c-JUN N-terminal protein kinase 1(JNK1) , Forkhead box O (FOXO) transcription factor DAF-1, cortisol , nitric oxide and beta-endorphine . Xia et al reported that Rhodiola rosea extracts reduced the serum levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone and corticosterone via down-regulating the expression of c-FOS in the hypothalamus of rats subjected to stress.
In English again thanks? It modulates the stress pathway in our body to make us better able to handle stress whether that is physical stress, emotional/chemical stress on the body.
Rhodiola rosea extract also protected C2C12 myotubes from oxidative stress by increasing the expression of HSP70 and HSP72 and the release of neuropeptide Y (NPY). Salidroside as a predominant compound in Rhodiola rosea extracts protected against beta-amyloid (Abeta) peptide induced oxidative stress by inhibiting its mediated phosphorylation of JNK and p38 MAP kinase, but not ERK1/2, which suggested the usefulness of salidroside for treating or preventing neurodegenerative diseases.
Translation? It’s a great antioxidant and can protect against oxidative damage. This effect also makes it great for Alzheimer’s prevention.
It increase the expression of antioxidant enzymes (e.g. GPx) and activate the nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathways in rats to protect against bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats and to reverse ultraviolet B induced DNA damages in HaCaT cells , respectively.
Moreover, accumulating evidences have supported that chronic stress promote cancer progression in many experimental models. Based on these results, the unique property of Rhodiola rosea extracts for enhancing resistance to general stresses deserves its further investigation in both anti-aging and cancer prevention.
Rhodiola rosea extracts increased total CD3+ and memory CD4+ T cell pools, but decreased the number and function of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells in a mouse model of caecal ligation and puncture-induced sepsis
Translation again? It helps modulate our immune system so it can attack what it needs to.
Specific components to the plant:
More nerd talk first
The applicable part of rhodiola is the root. Rhodiola contains over 30 compounds including phenlyethanoids, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, cyanoglycosides, monoterpenes, and triterpenes. The phenylpropanoid glycoside called salidroside, rhodioloside, or rhodosine is thought to be responsible for many of the stimulant or "adaptogenic" effects of rhodiola. Other constituents isolated from rhodiola include rhodioniside, rhodioloside A-E, rhodiolin, rosin, rosavin, rosarin, rosiridin, rosiridol, rhodalgin, acetylrhodalgin, and lotaustralin. The constituent rosavin is specific to Rhodiola rosea and distinguishes it from other species in the Rhodiola genus. Rhodiola also contains the tannins gallic acid and caffeic acid, as well as chlorogenic acid and flavonoids such as catechins and proanthocyanidins. The amounts of active constituents in rhodiola can vary significantly depending on the source of plant material and plant material collection period.
What does that mean? Well, there are lots of compounds in the plant that give it the actions we see, and the quality and amounts vary depending on the quality of the plant.
Effects of the plant
Adaptogenic effects: Animal studies are reported to show protection from stressors such as cold and radiation, increased work capacity, decreased fatigue, and improved learning and memory.
Antiaging effects: : Preliminary evidence from animal research suggests that rhodiola may increase life span by reducing oxidative stress. Also, salidroside, a constituent of rhodiola, protects human fibroblast cells from premature aging by modulating oxidative status.
Antiarrhythmic effects: Rhodiola extracts demonstrate antiarrhythmic properties and protection against reperfusion injury after ischemia. These effects can be abolished by naloxone infusion, suggesting that the mechanism might involve an increase in endogenous opioids.
Antibacterial effects: Rhodiola extract has antimicrobial activity. Extracts inhibit Staphylococcus aureus in vitro. When administered to pneumonia patients in combination with standard antibiotic therapy, rhodiola appears to reduce the duration of the acute phase of the disease by about 2 days compared to treatment with standard antibiotic therapy alone.
Anticancer effects: Rhodiola seems to have anticancer activity. In vitro, rhodiola extracts inhibit prostate and liver cancer cell lines. Rhodiola extract also reduces experimentally induced mutations, possibly by increasing the efficiency of intracellular DNA repair mechanisms. In animals, rhodiola extract decreases tumor regrowth and metastases in rats with Pliss lymphosarcoma following partial hepatectomy. Rhodiola extracts also demonstrate myeloprotective effects against cyclophosphamide toxicity.
In vitro, the rhodiola constituent salidroside appears to inhibit the growth of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer cell lines, as well as other human cancer cell lines, by inducing cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis.
Antidepressant effects: Animal research suggests that rhodiola may improve mood by regulating the activity of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Compounds isolated from rhodiola roots appear to inhibit monoamine oxidase A in vitro. Active compounds that have been associated with the antidepressant effects of rhodiola include rhodioloside, salidroside, and tyrosol. It has been shown to be as effective as the antidepressant Sertraline.
Antidiabetic effects: Rhodiola might have beneficial effects in diabetes patients. In animal models of diabetes, a rhodiola extract decreases blood glucose and has antioxidant effects demonstrated by reduced lipid peroxidation and increased levels of reduced glutathione. Extracts of rhodiola, used alone or in combination with cranberry, also significantly inhibit alpha-glucosidase activity. The rhodiola component salidroside has been shown to stimulate glucose uptake in muscle cells by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and increasing the phosphorylation of AMPK and ACC in vitro.
Antihypertensive effect: In vitro, the ethanol and water extracts of rhodiola inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme activity .
Antihypoxic effects: The rhodiola constituent salidroside has been found to protect neuronal pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells against hypoxia/re-oxygenation injury in vitro . Other in vitro evidence suggests that salidroside reduces erythroblasts apoptosis caused by the hormone erythropoietin, which is released by the kidneys when tissue oxygen levels are decreased, and protects erythroblasts against hydrogen peroxide, which accumulates in cells in response to oxygen deprivation . In addition, salidroside appears to protect endothelial cells against apoptosis induced by cobalt chloride, a hypoxia-mimicking agent, possibly via antioxidant effects .
Anti-inflammatory effects: Some evidence suggests that rhodiola extract has an anti-inflammatory effect and can decrease C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Healthy volunteers, who took a specific rhodiola extract (Rhodax, Phoenix Labs) for several days before and after exhausting exercise, had lower C-reactive protein levels compared to people who took placebo . The clinical significance of this finding is not known. Evidence from animal research also shows that rhodiola extract inhibits various enzymes related to inflammation, including cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and phospholipase A2 (PLA2) .
Antioxidant effects: Most preliminary evidence suggests that rhodiola extract has antioxidant effects, which may be higher than other adaptogens such as Indian gooseberry or Siberian ginseng . In vitro evidence suggests that rhodiola root extract protects keratinocytes against oxidative stress . Rhodiola root extract also appears to protect erythrocytes against hypochlorous acid-induced oxidative damage by protecting against glutathione (GSH) depletion, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) inactivation, and hemolysis . Animal research suggests that rhodiola extract increases reduced glutathione levels in the liver of diabetic mice . It also appears to protect against streptozotocin-induced neuronal damage in rats by increasing malondialdehyde (MDA) and reducing glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione (GSH) levels in rats . Other laboratory evidence conducted in fruit flies suggests that rhodiola extract protects against oxidative stress by decreasing endogenous superoxide levels . However, some in vitro evidence suggests that rhodiola root extract protects against oxidative stress without activating antioxidant defenses .
The rhodiola constituent salidroside decreases apoptosis of neuroblastoma cells exposed to hydrogen peroxide in vitro, suggesting that it might protect against neurodegenerative diseases associated with oxidative stress . Also, salidroside protects against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP(+))-induced apoptosis in pheochromocytoma cells in vitro by inhibiting the nitric oxide pathway . Evidence from animal research suggests that salidroside protects against acetaminophen-induced liver toxicity by preventing and alleviating intracellular GSH depletion and oxidative damage .
Antiviral effects: Laboratory research suggests that salidroside, a constituent of rhodiola, possesses antiviral activities against coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) in vitro and in animals . Also, flavonols isolated from rhodiola appear to have anti-influenza viral activity in vitro .
Anxiolytic effects: In mice, rhodiola extract significantly induced anxiolytic-like effects .
Athletic performance enhancement effects: For improving athletic performance, rhodiola is theorized to improve adenosine triphosphate (ATP) turnover in muscle . However, a study in healthy athletes found no effect on muscle ATP during exhausting exercise . Rhodiola extract has also been shown to reduce C-reactive protein and creatinine kinase levels following exhausting exercise, suggesting that it may protect muscle tissue from exercise-induced damage . Animal research suggests that rhodiola may protect against oxidative stress induced by exercises such as swimming and increase glycogen content during exhaustive exercises, which may improve athletic performance .
Cardioprotective effects: Rhodiola extracts might prevent stress-induced cardiac damage by preventing rises in cardiac catecholamines and cyclic-AMP. Animal research suggests that rhodiola extract reduces the incidence of ischemic/reperfusion ventricular arrhythmias during 10-minute ischemia and 10-minute reperfusion in rats with postinfarction cardiosclerosis . The rhodiola constituent salidroside appears to inhibit myocardial apoptosis in rats with induced acute myocardial infarction by increasing phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt) and decreasing activation of caspase-3 . Also, salidroside appears to decrease cardiomyocyte injury following ischemia/reperfusion in vitro by increasing protein O-linked N-acetylglucosamine levels .
Central nervous system effects: Rhodiola appears to have significant central nervous system activity. In animal models, a rhodiola extract containing 3% rosavin and 1% salidroside has antidepressant, anxiolytic, and stimulant effects . There is some interest in using rhodiola for symptoms of hypothyroidism, due to its antidepressant, antioxidant, and fatigue-reducing effects; however, this theory has not been tested in humans . In animal models, the salidroside constituent also has sedative effects . Rhodiola extracts also demonstrate potential for improving learning and memory .
Cognitive effects: A single dose of rhodiola before maze training facilitated some aspects of learning and memory in animals . However, rhodiola does not appear to protect against electroconvulsive shock-impaired learning and memory in an animal model .
Hepatoprotective effects: Rhodiola extracts and the rhodiola constituent salidroside have demonstrated hepatoprotective effects against drugs such as doxorubicin and acetaminophen in animals.
Hypolipidemic effects: The rhodiola constituents rhodionin and rhodiosin have been shown to inhibit lipase activity in vitro, with IC50 values of 0.093 mM and 0.133 mM, respectively . In animal research, these compounds also suppressed postprandial elevations in triglyceride levels .
Immunomodulatory effects: In humans with bladder cancer, rhodiola extract has been shown to improve parameters of leukocyte integrins and T cell immunity . Also, taking a combination of dried ethanol/water extracts from maral root, rhodiola root, Siberian ginseng root, and schisandra fruit (AdMax) increased numbers of CD3, CD4, CD5, and CD8 T cell subclasses, as well as IgG and IgM, in patients who completed chemotherapy .
Neuroprotective effects: Rhodiola root extract appears to inhibit the activity of monoamine oxidase B (MAOB) in vitro, which suggests that it may have protective effects against MAOB-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's . Animal research suggests that rhodiola extract protects against cognitive deficits and neuronal injury caused by intracerebroventricular streptozotocin in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease. This effect has been attributed to the antioxidant activity or rhodiola .
Alzheimers: Salidroside, a constituent of rhodiola, appears to protect against beta-amyloid-induced oxidative stress in human neuroblastoma cells, suggesting that it may help prevent or treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease .
Menopausal symptoms: Preliminary clinical research in patients experiencing menopausal symptoms shows that taking a combination product (Menopause Relief EP, EuroPharma USA) containing rhodiola extract 400 mg and black cohosh extract 13 mg daily for 12 weeks improves psychological symptoms of menopause when compared with placebo or black cohosh alone . It is unclear if these findings are due to rhodiola, black cohosh, or the combination.
Pre-mature ejaculation: Preliminary clinical research in adults with lifelong premature ejaculation shows that taking a specific combination product (EndEP) containing rhodiola 200 mg, folic acid 200 mcg, zinc 10 mg, and biotin 50 mcg once daily for 90 days increases time to ejaculation by about 29 seconds and improves control of ejaculation in about 60% of participants when compared to baseline. These improvements disappear within 90 days of discontinuing treatment. The validity of these findings is limited by the lack of a control group. But would not be a bad place to start if your partner suffers from this.
References:
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Pkhaladze L, Davidova N, Khomasuridze A, Shengelia R, Panossian AG. Actaea racemosa L. is more effective in combination with Rhodiola rosea L. for relief of menopausal symptoms: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2020;13(5):102. View abstract.