We say we hate BS, and it’s true for the area of life we’re thinking of when we say it. But in the health and wellness industry, there is a surplus of it. And for good reason. A seemingly insatiable demand. We don’t know it’s BS at first, of course. We’re just vulnerable to it because of how our beautiful self-aware brains evolved.
Another Human Evolution vs Information Environment Mismatch
Optimism bias[1] is our tendency to over-estimate the likelihood of positive outcomes for ourselves, while considering a plan. It made sense (unconsciously) for a pre-neolithic human. Over-estimating hunting and foraging opportunities, while underestimating their risks, increased the frequency and likelihood of finding food for our family, community, and self.
Our baked-in cognitive biases, formed though evolution for our survival, worked. We made it! But biogenetic adaptations that once made facing danger more rewarding doesn’t always align with our modern information environment. Sometimes they leave us vulnerable to marketers and influencers. The health, wellness and supplements industries are uniquely positioned to exploit some of our cognitive bias-based vulnerabilities. And they do.
The antidote to cognitive bias exploitation is for you to consult unbiased third parties and reporting with a high information quality standard, empirical data, and scientific consensus. My purpose here is to give you that, in context. To draw my highly educated, high-achieving, pro-knowledge reader in to the scientific research sources with a creative recipe, of data seasoned with humanities, serving one purpose: Add meaning and personal interest to the data.
Don’t trust influencers. Don’t even trust me. Trust scientific consensus. Inform your gut.
Follow The Footnotes
For rhodiola rosea (just rhodiola hereafter) I found 1.6M potentially relevant research papers, filtered to 1,438 as closely relevant, 61 of which I analyzed for this issue. Only 17 qualified as content-relevant footnotes:
Human clinical/intervention studies (6)
Reviews and syntheses (4)
Preclinical or mechanistic studies (3)
Case reports (2)
Regulatory/guidance documents (2)
Product quality/safety studies (1)
Endurance Is A Hero’s Helper
The hero’s journey, according to Joseph Campbell who wrote the definitive book on it, isn’t a 180 degree arc. It’s a complete circle. Take rhodiola as you descend towards the metaphorical abyss, to help you endure the ordeal. It won’t make you feel like a hero. But it might reduce some of the fatigue a hero-candidate must endure on their journey, to return with the boons of surviving unexpected encounters in the underworld.
A hero’s journey, for the happiness of pursuit.
A Rose With Many Names and Multiple Roles
Rhodiola is a tough little flower that loves tough climates. “Rosea” comes from its rose-like scent and color. By any other name (Golden Root, Arctic Root, King's Crown, Aaron's Rod among others), it’s an adaptogenic herb that’s easily misunderstood and sometimes a bit mis-marketed.
Rhodiola rosea flower
Adaptogens generally cover a broad, complex spectrum of functional pathways including the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis. Which help reduce the negative impacts of biochemical stress. But translating its broad mechanisms and numerous potential benefits to a narrow outcome in some compelling marketing copy makes it vulnerable to borderline BS.
On the other hand, if we’re honest with ourselves, “maybe, kind of, sometimes, if…”, however accurate, doesn’t compel us tap the checkout button. A little optimism bias has its place after all. And the risks of over-estimating potential benefits are sometimes refundable.
Adaptogenic complexity continues with rhodiola’s mildly stimulating effect, without being a stimulant.[9] [10] My dear reader and I would both need a high dose of rhodiola to endure reporting all of its many and various complexities.
Lore & Locations
Traditional Scandinavian and Russian folk medicine used rhodiola to combat fatigue (or combat combat fatigue). It aided vikings it in their vast, violent conquests. Mongol hordes used it to heal battle wounds. Soviet military researchers studied it and gave it to commandos and cosmonauts. [2] [7]
Today, about 95% of rhodiola for supplement manufacturing comes from the Altai Mountains spanning Central Asia (Kazakhstan and its bordering countries). [2] While global demand has outpaced wild harvestability, Rhodiola’s environmental requirements make large scale cultivation a challenge. Even so, commercial cultivation is growing, including in Alaska.
Biochemistry
Rhodiola’s effective complexity is rooted in its complex biochemistry. The flower’s roots contain over 140 compounds. Yet the nutraceutical industry concentrates on only a few: rosavin, rosin, rosarin (rosavins) and salidroside, aka rhodioloside. [2] [7]
Manufacturing Method Matters
The extraction solvent determines what exactly is in your powder or capsule. 70% ethanol extraction yields more rosavins, while a 40% ethanol extraction pulls out more salidroside.[2] A recent analysis of U.S. supplements found massive discrepancies between label claims and actual rosavin/salidroside content, not to mention heavy metals in all tested products. [8]
How Rhodiola Works
Rhodiola acts on multiple systems simultaneously as a kind of shock-absorber of biochemical stress.
Mechanisms of Rhodiola Rosea
Stress-response signaling (HPA axis)
Rhodiola may modulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, with one trial showing it reduced the cortisol awakening response in patients with burnout. [9] [10]Monoamine signaling
In vitro studies show that Rhodiola extracts and constituents like rosiridin inhibit monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B, enzymes that break down neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. [11]Cellular stress response
Preclinical models suggest salidroside influences oxidative stress and inflammatory signaling, though this hasn’t been proven to prevent human aging or neurodegeneration. [2] [10]Fatigue-linked cognitive enhancement
Rather than acting as a direct stimulant, Rhodiola appears to improve attention and mental performance primarily by reducing the underlying burden of fatigue. [9] [10]
Rhodiola’s Benefits
Stress-related fatigue, burnout mitigation
In a 28-day trial, 576 mg/day of SHR-5 extract improved burnout symptoms and attention in adults with fatigue syndrome compared to a placebo.[9]Mental and physical stamina
Systematic reviews note positive signals for alleviating mental fatigue and enhancing physical performance, though many studies have methodological flaws. [3] [12]Subjective stress and mood
A 14-day study (400 mg/day) found improvements in self-reported stress, anxiety, and mood, though it lacked a placebo control and showed no cognitive test improvements. [13]
Rhodiola’s Risks
Rhodiola is generally well-tolerated but warnings about pharmaceutical interactions should be heeded. [2] [14]
Combining Rhodiola with SSRIs or other serotonergic drugs can increase the risk of serotonin syndrome. Case studies note restlessness and tremors when combined with paroxetine. [2] [6]
Its activating properties can potentially trigger manic or hypomanic episodes in individuals with bipolar disorder. [14]
Short-term use can cause dizziness, headache, dry mouth, excessive saliva, or insomnia if taken late in the day. [2] [14]
Safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding is not established, so why take a chance? [2] [14]
Recommendations
Learning from history and scientific consensus is fascinating, yes? But direct anecdotal evidence, “social proof”, also carries a lot of decision-making water for most of us. Because I don’t have much personal experience with rhodiola, I’m asking for yours. Please share it in a comment (web), or reply (email). Would you?
Next week our top cognitive enhancers series continues, returning to direct cognitive enhancers. From the bottom up, next up, Bacopa monnieri.
Sunday inspo: The body is mastered by movement. The mind is mastered by stillness.
Which Topics Interest You Most?
Until next time, eat fresh foods and stay active Beautiful Self-aware Brain!
🫶🏽
Footnotes:
[1] Tali Sharot, The optimism bias, Current Biology, Volume 21, Issue 23, 2011.
Pages R941-R945, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2011.10.030.
[2] European Medicines Agency. Assessment report on Rhodiola rosea L., rhizoma et radix. EMA/HMPC/24186/2023. 2024.https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-report/final-assessment-report-rhodiola-rosea-l-rhizoma-et-radix-revision-1_en.pdf
[3] Ishaque S, et al. Rhodiola rosea for physical and mental fatigue: a systematic review. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2012;12:70.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22643043/
[4] Mao JJ, et al. Rhodiola rosea versus sertraline for major depressive disorder: A randomized placebo-controlled trial. Phytomedicine. 2015;22(3):394-399.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25837277/
[5] Bystritsky A, et al. A Pilot Study of Rhodiola rosea (Rhodax) for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). J Altern Complement Med.2008;14(2):175-180.
[6] Maniscalco I, et al. The interaction of Rhodiola rosea and antidepressants. A case report.Neuropsychiatrie. 2015;29(1):36-38. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25413939/
[7] Panossian A, Wikman G, Sarris J. Rosenroot (Rhodiola rosea): traditional use, chemical composition, pharmacology and clinical efficacy. Phytomedicine. 2010;17(7):481-493. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20378318/
[8] Porwollik S, Jafari M. The quality and safety of Rhodiola rosea supplements on the U.S. market: An analysis of biomarkers, heavy metals, and pesticide residues. PLOS One. 2026;21(1):e0341070. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12810810/
[9] Olsson EM, von Schéele B, Panossian AG. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the standardised extract shr-5 of the roots of Rhodiola rosea in the treatment of subjects with stress-related fatigue. Planta Med. 2009;75(2):105-112. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19016404/
[10] Panossian A, et al. Effects of Adaptogens on the Central Nervous System and the Molecular Mechanisms Associated with Their Stress-Protective Activity. Pharmaceuticals. 2010;3(1):188-224. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3991026/
[11] van Diermen D, et al. Monoamine oxidase inhibition by Rhodiola rosea L. roots. J Ethnopharmacol. 2009;122(2):397-401. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19168123/
[12] Hung SK, Perry R, Ernst E. The effectiveness and efficacy of Rhodiola rosea L.: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Phytomedicine. 2011;18(4):235-244. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21036578/
[13] Cropley M, Banks AP, Boyle J. The Effects of Rhodiola rosea L. Extract on Anxiety, Stress, Cognition and Other Mood Symptoms. Phytother Res. 2015;29(12):1934-1939. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26502953/
[14] National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Rhodiola: Usefulness and Safety. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/rhodiola
[15] Whig R, et al. Mania Associated With Rhodiola Rosea: An Adaptogen With Antidepressant Effects. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2022;24(2):21cr02980. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35303403/
[16] Schötz K, et al. Plasma levels of rosiridin after oral administration of a Rhodiola rosea extracts in rats. Planta Med. 2015;81(16). https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0035-1565789
[17] Liu C, et al. Synergistic Effect of Rhodiola rosea and Caffeine Supplementation on the Improvement of Muscle Strength and Muscular Endurance: A Pilot Study for Rats, Resistance Exercise-Untrained and -Trained Volunteers. Nutrients. 2023;15(3):582. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9919529/
[18] Yun H, et al. Combined effects of Rhodiola rosea and caffeine supplementation on aerobic endurance and muscle explosiveness: a synergistic approach. Front Nutr. 2024;11:1335950. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10965693/