Amount of Evidence: High Potential Benefits: Very High Safety: Very High
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is Rhodiola Rosea?
Rhodiola rosea is an adaptogenic herb and a popular nootropic, most often taken to reduce fatigue, stress, and anxiety. While these are the primary benefits of this medicinal plant, Rhodiola also appears to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Potential benefits
It is important to note that all of the potential benefits mentioned below are dose-dependent. Counter-intuitively, taking a smaller amount of the adaptogen sometimes provides more benefits than a higher dose would. We will discuss the best dosing protocol later in this article.
Major benefits
Reduced fatigue – There is a very high amount of evidence to support a decrease in fatigue after taking a high dose of rhodiola rosea or taking regular doses for a longer period (typically a few weeks or more).
Improved cognition – This effect may have to do with decreased fatigue and increased overall well-being.
Minor benefits
Increased well-being – While this effect is not as significant as the reduction in fatigue, rhodiola is still proven to at least slightly increase happiness and well-being. There are anecdotal reports of people who noticed tremendous benefits in this area after they started supplementing with the adaptogen.
Reduced stress – A minor reduction in stress was noted in a few studies. Unfortunately, the evidence is not strong enough for us to know yet.
Reduced depression – While the evidence is mixed, there appears to be a slight reduction in depression.
Decreased CRP (C-reactive protein) – This effect is minor but consistent in all 2 studies where CRP was observed.
Reduced muscle damage – Specifically, levels of creatine kinase appear to be lower after exercise in those who take rhodiola.
Reduced rating of perceived exertion (RPE) – This effect likely applies to longer exercise sessions but may not apply to high-intensity exercise (such as sprinting and weight lifting). While the evidence is limited, the studies we have available noted a reduction in RPE.
Increased focus and attention – This effect is correlated with the reduction in fatigue.
Reduced pain – This effect was only noticed in one study so far and it is minor. Rhodiola may, however, reduce physical pain.
Antioxidant effects – The herb is shown to increase total antioxidant capacity (TAC).
Reduced anxiety – A minor reduction was found in people who suffer from stress-related anxiety and/or burnout.
Improved sleep quality – This effect was noted in people with mild anxiety. Symptoms of sleep deprivation were also decreased in those people.
Unproven benefits
The effect of rhodiola rosea on these parameters is either not sufficiently researched or the science shows little to no efficacy in these areas.
VO2 max – Rhodiola doesn’t seem to have any effect on VO2 max, at least that is in healthy individuals.
Power output – Only one study has shown an increase in power output on a cycle ergometer test.
Blood pressure – No meaningful effect was ever noted.
Heart rate – Rhodiola does not directly influence your heart rate.
Weight loss – The herb doesn’t directly help you lose weight.
Libido – Only a tiny improvement was noted in people suffering from burnout and there is only one study to support this.
Social functioning – A benefit was noted in people with burnout and chronic fatigue syndrome. For people who do not experience these, there is likely no effect in that regard.
Muscle soreness – The herb does not seem to reduce muscle soreness. There is only one study so far directly exploring the connection. In the study, there appears to be no benefit.
Fat loss – Rhodiola does not help you lose fat.
Testosterone – Rhodiola was never shown to impact testosterone in any way.
Growth hormone – One study found a minor decrease in GH after an exercise session but only for a short while.
Insomnia – Only one study noted a reduction in symptoms of insomnia in mildly depressed people.
Cortisol – A mild reduction was noticed in 2 studies but one study found no effect.
Possible side effects
These side effects are dose-dependent and the risk for them increases (most often linearly but sometimes exponentially) as the dose is increased. Some of the side effects are relevant only at very high doses.
Difficulty sleeping – This is because rhodiola is mildly stimulating. The side effect can be prevented by taking the herb in the morning.
Serotonin syndrome – It is best to avoid Rhodiola if you are on SSRIs as this combination could lead to serotonin syndrome. Rhodiola alone should never cause this side effect.
Irritability – Some people report this effect.
Stomach upset – This is a rare side effect and mostly occurs if you take rhodiola on an empty stomach.
Dry mouth – There is nothing dangerous about this effect, it may just be unpleasant. Fortunately, most people do not experience dry mouth when taking rhodiola rosea.
False labeling – Some products may be labeled as rhodiola rosea but since the supplement is not well-regulated, they may contain additives or sometimes not even have rhodiola rosea in them. Around 75% of the products on the market have lower levels of rosavin (the main compound responsible for most of the effects) than are found in the herb. One study was looking at UK sellers of rhodiola and found that 23% of the products have no detectable rosavin, which would mean that they contain no rhodiola at all.
Jitteriness – This potential side effect is similar to that of caffeine but much less notable.
Who should not take Rhodiola?
You should probably avoid taking rhodiola rosea if you:
don’t experience symptoms of fatigue (since reducing fatigue is by far the main benefit of Rhodiola)
take MAOIs (rhodiola rosea itself inhibits MAO-A and likely MAO-B as well so it may not go well with other monoamine oxidase inhibitors)
are pregnant (we simply don’t know yet if Rhodiola Rosea is safe for pregnant women)
are going through a manic phase of bipolar disorder (however, rhodiola rosea may be useful during the depressive phase of bipolar)
Who will benefit the most?
You should consider taking rhodiola if you:
experience fatigue on a regular basis
wish to optimize your brain function
are a serious athlete who wishes to optimize exercise performance
Forms of rhodiola rosea
The form of rhodiola doesn’t matter nearly as much as the quality of the supplement you are buying. Since many brands sell supplements that either have a lower rosavin content than they should or no rosavin at all, this is the most important thing to look out for. The rosavin and salidroside content are what matters the most.
How much Rhodiola should you take?
Most of the studies that were done on rhodiola rosea use extracts (such as SHR-5) in doses of 300-700 mg.
Counter-intuitively, the higher end of this range doesn’t seem to provide more benefits. There is a good case to be made that taking lower doses (such as the stated 300 mg) is superior. Even if you didn’t derive maximum benefits from lower doses, there is also a lower chance of developing potential tolerance to rhodiola or experiencing the side effects, such as irritation and difficulty sleeping.
Therefore, 300 mg daily appears to be the best amount to take.
This dosing applies to root extracts with 3% rosavin and 1% salidroside, which is what you will find in most rhodiola rosea supplements. If you are taking more or less potent extracts, you can adjust the dose accordingly.
While you could safely take higher doses than 300 mg, this amount should give you most of the benefits, and taking more than that is unnecessary. There is a bell curve response where taking more than the 700 mg mentioned leads to less notable effects than a lower dose. We do not yet know if you develop a tolerance for rhodiola rosea over time but there is a good reason to believe so since the herb acts as a hormetic stressor. For this reason, it is best to cycle the supplement and not take it every once in a while. For example, you can take it on weekdays and not take it during the weekend.
Best time to take rhodiola rosea
Rhodiola is best taken in the morning on an empty stomach.
Interactions with other supplements
Ginkgo biloba This combination can lead to improvements in psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) and low to moderate working memory accuracy.
Saffron Taking these two together can support mood and well-being.
MAOIs Rhodiola rosea itself inhibits MAO-A and likely MAO-B as well so it may not go well with other monoamine oxidase inhibitors.
SSRIs It is best to avoid Rhodiola if you are on SSRIs as this combination could lead to serotonin syndrome.
St. John’s Wort This herb acts as a monoamine oxidase inhibitor as well. Many people notice a synergistic effect of the two but combining them can lead to unwanted side effects.
Where to buy rhodiola rosea
Be very careful when choosing the brand you buy rhodiola rosea from. Around 75% of the brands sell extracts with a lower amount of rhodiola’s active compounds (rosavin and salidroside) than the amount used in the studies, which is usually over 3% rosavin and 1% salidroside.
Also, one study found that in the UK, over 20% of rhodiola supplements do not contain any rosavin, indicating that there is no rhodiola rosea in them.
Amazon seems to be the best option for ordering rhodiola rosea supplements in most countries. They offer some very affordable products that are backed by many positive reviews. Also, you can choose from a wide range of brands there without having to spend time searching through other markets on the Internet.
One thing to pay attention to if you decide to buy rhodiola rosea in capsule form is that some brands display the dosage per serving and not per pill or capsule. Therefore, you may accidentally buy something less potent than you intended. Do not fall for this marketing trick.
FAQ
We do not yet know if you develop a tolerance for rhodiola rosea over time but there is a good reason to believe so since the herb acts as a hormetic stressor. For this reason, it is best to cycle the supplement and not take it every once in a while. For example, you can take it on weekdays and not take it during the weekend.
It is a lot better to take the supplement in the morning since rhodiola can act as a mild stimulant.
The root extracts can lose potency over time.
Keep the supplement in a cold, dark, and dry place and it should remain just as potent for a few months or even years.
In the short term, rhodiola rosea starts working 20-30 minutes after you ingest it. In the long term, you can expect to start noticing benefits after as little as 2 weeks of taking the herb.
The half-life of rhodiola is around 1 hour. After it gets absorbed, you can expect the effects to last for around 4-6 hours.
Most of the studies on rhodiola rosea use extracts in doses of 300-700 mg.
Counter-intuitively, the higher end of this range doesn’t seem to provide more benefits. There is a good case to be made that taking lower doses (such as the stated 300 mg) is superior. Even if you didn’t derive maximum benefits from lower doses, there is also a lower chance of developing potential tolerance to rhodiola or experiencing the side effects, such as irritation and difficulty sleeping.
While you could safely take higher doses, this amount should give you most of the benefits, and taking more than that is unnecessary. There actually is a bell curve response where taking more than the 700 mg mentioned leads to less notable effects than a lower dose.
No, it doesn’t. The herb does not interfere with fasting in any notable way.
References
Most of the information provided in this guide is based on scientific research that can be found and verified in the PubMed medical library. We excluded from consideration studies that are either confounded or have a high conflict of interest.
Anecdotal evidence (from reports on Reddit, YouTube, and other sources) is also taken into account unless it contradicts scientific research.
