Rhodiola

A perennial of the Crassulaceae growing in rocky arctic and alpine ground; the thick rhizome is the part collected.

Recorded in Scandinavian and Russian folk practice, and later the subject of sustained Soviet-era research into physical and mental endurance.

Rosavins and salidroside are the marker compounds. The human literature is moderate in volume and mixed in quality, with variable extract standardisation across studies.

Traditional use documented. Marker compounds established. Human studies present but methodologically uneven.

Adaptogenic modulation of stress-response signalling is the pathway most often described.

• Adaptogenic activityStudied for a non-specific influence on the body's response to everyday stressors.
• HPA axis modulationStudied in relation to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal signalling cascade.

• Rosavin
• Salidroside
• Tyrosol

Often taken in the morning; some find it activating later in the day.

Contraindications

Bipolar spectrum conditions warrant professional guidance.

Drug interactions

Consider guidance alongside antidepressant medication.

Pregnancy

Not recommended.

Breastfeeding

Not recommended.

• Medication interaction. If you take prescription medication, speak with your healthcare provider before use.

1. 01 Rhodiola rosea: a systematic review of human studies. Various, Phytomedicine, 2020 — Systematic Review
2. 02 Adaptogens: a review of the concept and its evidentiary basis. Various, Pharmaceuticals, 2018 — Systematic Review

• Reading the research on adaptogens: what we know, and what we don'tThe word adaptogen carries more weight than the literature can yet support. Here is what the record actually shows.