RHODIOLA ROSEA EXTRACT
Rhodiola rosea (also known as Golden Root, Roseroot and Arctic root) is a perennial that grows in the wild in the mountains of Siberia, Central Europe and North America. The plant is found only in a severe alpine climate and grows very slow. Its underground parts (rhizomes with roots) are used as medicinal raw material. Due to its slow growing pattern it can take up to a decade before the raw roots are suitable for medicinal use. The plant has been categorized as an adaptogen by Russian researchers in the early 50s due to its reported ability to increase resistance and support the adaptation of the body and its inner workings to a variety of chemical, biological, and physical stressors.
Roseroot has traditionally been used widely in Russia and Asia. Traditional folk medicine used R. rosea to increase physical endurance, work productivity, longevity, resistance to altitude sickness and to treat fatigue, depression, anaemia, impotence, gastro-intestinal ailments, infections and disorders of the nervous system. In some mountain villages in Siberia, a bouquet of the roots is still given to couples prior to marriage to enhance fertility and assure the birth of healthy children. In Central Asia, R. rosea tea was the most effective treatment for colds and flu during severe winters. Mongolian doctors prescribed it for tuberculosis and cancer. For centuries only family members knew where to gather the wild ‘golden roots’ and the methods of extraction. Siberians secretly transported the herb down ancient trails to the Caucasian mountains where it was traded for Georgian wines, fruits, garlic and honey. Chinese emperors sent expeditions to Siberia to bring back the ‘Golden root’ for medicinal preparations.
It is still very popular in traditional medical systems in Eastern Europe and Asia, with a lasting reputation for stimulating the nervous system, fighting depression, enhancing work performance, improving sleep, eliminating fatigue, improve learning abilities and preventing stress-induced cardiac damage. The active components found in the roots have also shown anti-fatigue, anti-inflammatory, liver-protecting and anti-tumor activity.
Clinical studies, undertaken since the early 50s, have proved the plants’ reputation. Rhodiola extract was shown to be beneficial in conditions such as nervous exhaustion, chronic fatigue, various types of neuroses, anorexia, irritability, chronic headaches, insomnia, and attention deficit. It is currently regarded as one of the most active adaptogens and it is specially recommended for sportsmen, hard-working people, convalescents and elderly people.
Based on the documented pharmacological effects and its safe use, the commercial interest for Rhodiola-based products has quickly increased worldwide. The slow development of the plant and the growing demand from the herbal ‘industry’ has resulted in a rapid diminution of its natural sites. To protect the wild-growing plant and to meet the demands of the phyto-pharmaceutical industry entrepreneurs in Poland, Sweden, Finland and parts of the former Soviet-Union have started cultivating it. However, it proved not to be easy to obtain raw material of a uniform high quality from cultivated plants.
The yield and quality of the raw material is strongly affected by climatic and soil conditions. Plants grown in e.g. central Poland were characterized by a higher weight of the roots but these roots contained a lower content of rosavin and salidroside (the main active components) when compared with those grown in southern Poland (a mountain area). Post-production of the raw material (stabilisation and extraction methods) also distinctly affected the quality of the obtained extracts.
Research showed that plants grown at high altitude had the highest level of active pharmacological components (rosavin and salidroside). E.g. the amount of salidroside varied between 125 – 1860 mg per 100 grams (lowlands vs. highlands). The highest content of active pharmacological components was found in 5-year old plants, grown at high altitude. The post-processing of the raw roots is an important factor: research showed that drying should be done either at room temperature ( 20C ) or at 80C to minimize the loss of the salidroside and rosavin content.
Several extracts are produced and sold in the form of capsules and tablets. Dried raw roots from a wild plant, however, are vastly superior to the processed and standardized derivatives that can be found in drugstores.
Studies and research
The effects of Rhodiola have been studied in particular in Russia, where since the early 50s several projects were started, all with the goal to find and utilize natural ‘super-foods’ that would give the Russian people (in particular the military and the Olympic athletes) an unbeatable advantage compared to their peers. Rhodiola extracts were given to the Russian cosmonauts to increase their resistance to stress, e.g. Sometimes unorthodox and unethical methods were used, to get results quickly.
The effect of Rhodiola on mental work capacity
This was studied using a proofreading test in healthy students. The students took a 5 minute proofreading test before and then 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 24 hours after taking either a Rhodiola preparation (either 10 drops of Rhodiola extract or 2.5 mg of salidroside) or a placebo.
One hour after the administration of the Rhodiola extract the number of mistakes (per 1,000 characters corrected) dropped by 56% compared to the control group. These effects persisted for four hours, after which the number of errors increased but to a lesser degree than in the control group. The number of characters read was 5 -7 % higher than in the control group.
The conclusion was that a single dose of a Rhodiola preparation already improves mental work capacity. It appears that mainly the quality of mental work is being affected. These figures are similar to those obtained for other adaptogens like Ginseng and Eleutherococcus (aka Siberian Ginseng).
The effect of Rhodiola on stress
Research has shown that Rhodiola can reduce stress dramatically, thereby increasing mental performance. One such study investigated whether low-dose (170 mg/day) supplementation with Rhodiola counters the well-known fatigue and stress experienced by physicians on night duty. In this double-blind, crossover study, researchers measured Rhodiola’s effect on five different measures of mental acuity: associative thinking, short-term memory, calculation, concentration, and speed of audiovisual perception. They found statistically significant improvements in the 56 young, healthy physicians after just two weeks of supplementation. No side effects were reported.
Another study explored Rhodiola’s benefits during a university examination period. In this double-blind trial at Volgograd Medical Academy, 60 foreign students were divided into experimental and placebo groups. The group consuming 100 mg of a Rhodiola extract p/day for 20 days experienced significant improvements in physical work capacity, coordination, and general well-being, along with less mental fatigue and situational anxiety. The ability of these students to learn the Russian language increased by 61% compared to the placebo group, while their relative fatigue levels dropped by 30%. The supplemented students also scored higher on final exams.
Rhodiola is beneficial for other forms of stress as well. A study published in Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry found that Rhodiola helped to protect rats from the usual effects of noise-induced stress. Several negative alterations occurred in the livers of the placebo rats when they were subjected to noise levels of greater than 95 decibels, whereas no such alterations were observed in rats that received Rhodiola.
One of the great things about Rhodiola is that it is both calming and stimulating. Usually an herb or drug works only in one direction. Valium, for example, calms your brain but also makes it dull. Rhodiola, in contrast, calms the emotional system and yet is activating and energizing the brain’s cognitive functions. Rhodiola gets rid of the stress that often interferes with concentration and focus, but leaves your mind sharp and able to perform at its peak.
Download free report on Rhodiola Rosea made by Dr. Zakir Ramazanov called: Rhodiola Rosea - Russia's Best Kept Secret To Health & Longevity(PDF)
ORDER RHODIOLA EXTRACT NOW!
We offer freeze-dried rhodiola extract received from the roots of wildgrown Rhodiola plant. This rhodiola extract contains large level of rosavins and other adaptogenic substances found in rhodiola roots. The extract is a water soluble powder available in 100g stand-up pouches.
Minimum order of our rhodiola extract is 1kg (10 x 100g bags). But minimum order means a total weight of orders made on chagatrade.ru. This should not be necessarily just one product. For example, you can purchase 2 bags of Leusea extract, 2 bags of rhodiola extract and 6 bags of chaga extract or other combinations. Please send us a message if this is the case and we'll calculate the total amount of your order.
 |
Rhodeola Rosea roots extract in powder (100g)
Daily use: 0,5g (or less) of the powder dissolved in 200ml of water. Drink two times a day or before intense physical work or sporting event (for athletes). |
| *Price includes delivery by UPS international express courier. | |