by QNL Staff, June 8th 2020
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Do You Feel Burned Out? Burn Back with this Amazing Boost

Everyone struggles with stress and occasional anxiety at times, but one incredible herb may help easily evaporate these feelings. A perennial flowering plant called Rhodiola rosea grows in the cold regions of Europe and Asia and has been used for centuries to support a healthy mood due to its “anti-burn-out" effects. Also known as arctic root or golden root, Rhodiola rosea contains over 140 active ingredients that can help to reduce and eliminate feelings of anxiety, fatigue, and stress.  

Rhodiola rosea is a well-known adaptogen, a substance that can help increase the resistance of your body to stress by “adapting” to what your body needs (such as increasing energy when you feel fatigued or elevating adrenaline when you are frightened). One eye-opening study investigated the impact of Rhodiola rosea on anxiety, stress, cognition, and overall mood symptoms. After only two weeks, the group of participants taking the Rhodiola rosea formula demonstrated a significant reduction in anxiety, stress, and anger and marked improvements in total mood.1 The adaptogenic qualities of this botanical may have helped alleviate stress and stress-related symptoms in these participants.2 

In addition, Rhodiola rosea extract may help decrease or eliminate symptoms of “burnout”, the mental exhaustion that comes after prolonged stress. One study evaluated the capacity of this botanical to defend the body against stress. The results were very promising with many of the Rhodiola-nourished participants demonstrating clear improvements in stress parameters over the course of the study.3 Because “burnout” can cause you to feel drained, unable to handle daily tasks, or overwhelmed, this study gives us a promising indicator for future research.  

All of these stress-reducing benefits are possible because Rhodiola rosea is a nootropic, a substance that can be taken to enhance memory or other cognitive functions. Nootropics can include botanical agents or nutritional supplements that can help support energy levels, mental focus, deep sleep, stress and anxiety control, memory, and healthy mood.4 Rhodiola rosea serves as a prominent nootropic in several ways, including fatigue and stress support and promoting better endurance.5  

The promising impact on stress is not all that Rhodiola rosea has to offer – there is also evidence that this valuable adaptogenic botanical can help boost brain function, support healthy exercise performance, and help manage blood sugar levels.6,7,8 When selecting a Rhodiola rosea supplement to add to your nutritional regimen, please be sure to look for a formula from a reputable, trusted company with strict quality standards. Then you can enjoy top quality Rhodiola and all its benefits.  

Resources

  1. 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. doi:10.1002/ptr.5486 
  2. Anghelescu IG, Edwards D, Seifritz E, Kasper S. Stress management and the role of Rhodiola rosea: a review. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract. 2018;22(4):242‐252. doi:10.1080/13651501.2017.1417442 
  3. Kasper, Siegfried, and Angelika Dienel. “Multicenter, Open-Label, Exploratory Clinical Trial with Rhodiola Rosea Extract in Patients Suffering from Burnout Symptoms.” Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, Dove Medical Press, 22 Mar. 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5370380/. 
  4. Brody, Barbara. “Nootropics (‘Smart Drugs’ or ‘Cognitive Enhancers’): What to Know.” WebMD, WebMD, 24 July 2019, www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/features/nootropics-smart-drugs-overview. 
  5. Weinreb, Sara. “Rhodiola Rosea: Everything You Need To Know About The Stress-Fighting, Sleep-Boosting Adaptogen.” Mindbodygreen, 21 Jan. 2020, www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/rhodiola-rosea-benefits-side-effects-of-this-adaptogen. 
  6. Spasov AA;Wikman GK;Mandrikov VB;Mironova IA;Neumoin VV; “A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study of the Stimulating and Adaptogenic Effect of Rhodiola Rosea SHR-5 Extract on the Fatigue of Students Caused by Stress During an Examination Period With a Repeated Low-Dose Regimen.” Phytomedicine : International Journal of Phytotherapy and Phytopharmacology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10839209/. 
  7. Noreen EE;Buckley JG;Lewis SL;Brandauer J;Stuempfle KJ; “The Effects of an Acute Dose of Rhodiola Rosea on Endurance Exercise Performance.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23443221/. 
  8. Niu, Chiang-Shan, et al. “Antihyperglycemic Action of Rhodiola-Aqeous Extract in type1-like Diabetic Rats.” BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, BioMed Central, 13 Jan. 2014, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3897963/.