Health Hotline Magazine | February 2024

In one study, when 200 mg of rhodiola was taken twice daily for four weeks by stressed-out subjects, results showed that it alleviated their stress to a “clinically relevant degree”—with some seeing results and improvements after just three days. Improvements in stress symptoms continued to be observed after just one week and upon completion of the four-week study. Physicians working night shifts also benefited from rhodiola supplementation, according to the findings of another study. The subjects—56 male and female physicians—were given tests to determine the effect that working late nights had on overall fatigue, short-term memory, ability to concentrate, and speed of audio-visual perception. The result of the two-week, double-blind study showed that daily supplementation with 170 mg of a standardized rhodiola extract helped with mental weariness, improved performance on work-related tasks by 20 percent, and led to a significant improvement in fatigue scores. Ramp Up Mental Performance Rhodiola has been widely used to improve cognition and mental performance in cultures across the globe. In fact, in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), rhodiola and its constituents are used to replenish qi (vital energy), activate blood circulation, unblock blood vessels, and enhance mental function. In Europe, rhodiola is also defined by the European Food Safety Authority as some thing that “contributes to optimal mental and cognitive activity.”

Putting it to the test, so to speak, a group of 50 adults were treated with 200 mg of rhodio la extract two times a day for 12 weeks and subjected to neuropsychological tests prior to supplementation, after six weeks, and after 12 weeks of supplementation. When it came to reaction times, attention tasks, dual tasks, and divided attention tasks, all subjects improved after taking rhodiola. The findings concluded, “The re sults of this pilot study show an improvement of mental speed and moreover, suggest improved mental resources.” Furthermore, animal models have shown that compared to a control, rhodi ola has a positive effect on learning and memory, largely through its antioxi dant and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as its ability to improve coronary blood flow and cerebral [brain] energy metabolism. Target Depression & Anxiety

Rhodiola is also a natural approach to help combat depression—it is often rec ommended by functional medicine doctors as an effective natural alternative to antidepressant medications. In one placebo-controlled study of 128 mild to moderately depressed patients, 150 mg of rhodiola daily was associated with “significantly improved depression” in about 66 percent of the patients compared to the placebo group. Rhodiola has also been found to be beneficial for depression related to perimenopause, with improvements in mood, energy, mental sharpness, and memory. Another study evaluated the impact of rhodiola extract on self-reported anxiety, stress, and other mood symptoms. Mildly anxious participants took 200 mg of rhodiola twice daily. After two weeks, the experimental group saw a significant reduction in anxiety, stress, anger, confusion, and depression, and improvements in total mood. Lastly, a separate study found that supplementing with 360 mg of rhodiola daily for 10 weeks led to significant im provement in symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

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