Rhodiola Review

What You Should Know

Rhodiola is a flowering plant native to the colder regions of Europe and the United States, and is considered an effective herb for treating depression and fatigue by some experts. Others have stated it may help improve physical performance for athletes and may be utilized by dieters because of these effects. It is sometimes marketed as a performance enhancing herb because of these claims. Finding the natural herb may be difficult due to where the herb is naturally present, but it is widely available in synthetic form, usually sold as an herbal supplement. Rhodiola is typically more expensive than other herbs, but obtaining its synthetic form is simpler.

Sometimes dieters seek energy supplements to keep up energy levels during a workout or just for an extra boost during the day, and natural supplements tend to be favored over synthetic supplements. Rhodiola is a naturally derived supplement, but the difficulty of obtaining the natural herb has led to it being produced synthetically. It does not appear to be major differences between the two, however. Some dieters may be turning to this supplement for a positive boost, but it may not deliver on these promises.

Ingredients

Rhodiola.

Product Features

Rhodiola is widely believed to help elevate mood and energy, and it is proven to help ease symptoms related to depression. There are fewer studies showing it may be a viable energy supplement, however. One study, conducted by the Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy in Leuven, Belgium, concluded that daily, excessive intake of Rhodiola increased the participants’ abilities to perform physical tasks. Other studies have contradicted these findings, however, and it is unclear if Rhodiola will increase exercise performance. Advocates of Rhodiola supplements say it will boost performance if used in ample amounts, which was discovered in the first study. Experts criticize this and question the safety of using Rhodiola in excess. Further testing will be needed to see if it safe and does promote a legitimate effect on exercise performance.

The only provable effects are how it improves depression and related symptoms, according to several studies. The chemicals in Rhodiola, including rosavin and rosin, are believed to help elevate mood.

Advantages

• One study shows that Rhodiola helped improve physical performance.
• It may also help improve depression and fatigue.

Disadvantages

• Other studies contradict the findings that discovered Rhodiola helped improve performance, but these included the herb in small dosages.
• It can be commonly bought in synthetic form, obtaining the natural herb is a bit difficult.
• May be expensive.

Conclusion

Rhodiola may be a natural supplement rumored to contain performance enhancing chemicals, but currently only one study has proven this ability. There is evidence it may improve concentration, but it requires higher dosages and these dosages have not been proven as safe or reliable methods. Seeking natural ingredients to treat certain issues is key, but it is also important that these ingredients are safe.