Unusual Herbs: Rhodiola

You will probably not find rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) growing anywhere in the United States except Alaska. You probably will not find it growing the heat of the Mediterranean either. This herb thrives in the cold of the mountains in arctic regions from Scandinavia to Siberia, giving rise to one of its common names -- arctic root.

Rhodiola is also sometimes called golden root or pink root, due to the golden-pink color of its rhizomes. The plant is a perennial that grows to about 30 inches and produces yellow blooms. It was used for centuries in Russia as a general all-over body "feel-good" herb, which would enhance mental acuity and which also acted basically as a performance-enhancement herb. Two Russian researchers -- N.V. Lazarev, Ph.D., and Israel I. Brekhman, Ph.D. -- after World War II, investigated the possibility of using rhodiola to boost the performance of soldiers and Olympic athletes. (These two researchers, by the way, also coined the term "adaptogen." See my article on Herbal Medicine: What Some of Those Terms Actually Mean.) The Russians, however, were loath to reveal any information about rhodiola and its possible health benefits, believing that it gave their soldiers and Olympians a competitive advantage by improving their endurance. Eventually, however, a Soviet soldier named Zaher Ramazanov, who had used rhodiola while fighting in Afghanistan in 1979, brought rhodiola -- and its secrets -- to the United States. In the early 1990s, Ramazanov started importing the herb into the States, educating Americans to its advantages. He caught the attention of a Columbia psychiatrist Richard Brown, M.D., whose wife Patricia Gerbarg, M.D., had been suffering from Lyme disease, for which no other more conventional treatments had worked. The rhodiola treatment apparently did work, putting the herb on researchers' radar.

Various studies by both Russian and Belgian scientists have shown that rhodiola does help to improve a person's stamina and is quite effective at combating fatigue. Such studies were reinforced by other studies done by Sloan-Kettering in the United States, which also found that rhodiola helped to combat mental fatigue and improved physical endurance. [Refer to the reference below for more information on the Sloan-Kettering research results.]

Other studies have also shown that rhodiola is good for combating stress and depression. Apparently, the extracts from the root of rhodiola function as MAO (monoamine oxidases) inhibitors, thus reducing the body's adverse responses to stress and its tendency to succumb to depression. As a result, it is also good for treating insomnia.

Furthermore, it seems rhodiola can actually lower blood pressure, as indicated by a Chinese study. In addition, a Russian study showed that the herb can be used to fight arrhythmia, a potentially serious heart problem. Studies at Sloan-Ketttering also indicate that the herb can be good for the heart.

Finally, rhodiola shows promise as a cancer-fighting herb. For example, Russian researchers used rhodiola to treat patients with bladder cancer, a type of cancer that tends to recur. Patients treated with the herb experienced less recurrences than those who did not take the herb.

You can probably find rhodiola in various forms; e.g., tincture or extract, at your local health food store. (Simply follow the instructions on the package.) Generally no adverse side effects are associated with rhodiola; however, you might get the jitters, much as if you had drank too much coffee. Warnings: If you are suffering from bipolar disorder, you should definitely not take rhodiola. Also, if you are taking any type of prescription medications, such as blood pressure medicine, first consult your physician before taking rhodiola. (Remember: Always tell your primary healthcare professional about any herbal medications you are taking.) If you have any concerns, you should speak with your physician and/or a certified herbalist.

References:

Castleman, Michael. The New Healing Herbs. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Inc., 2009.

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Research: Rhodiola