What is Rhodiola rosea? Rhodiola rosea L., also known as "golden root" or "roseroot" belongs to the plant family Crassulaceae. Rhodiola rosea grows primarily in dry sandy ground at high altitudes in the arctic areas of Europe and Asia.2 The plant reaches a height of 12 to 30 inches (70cm) and produces yellow blossoms.

For centuries, Rhodiola rosea has been used in the traditional medicine of china, Scandinavia, and other countries. Between 1725 and 1960, various medicinal applications of R. rosea appeared in the scientific literature of Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, the Soviet Union, and Iceland. Since 1960, more than 180 pharmacological, phytochemical, and clinical studies have been published.

Traditional folk medicine used Rhodiola rosea to increase physical endurance, work productivity, longevity, resistance to high altitude sickness, and to treat fatigue, depression, anemia, impotence, gastrointestinal ailments, infections, and nervous system disorders. In mountain villages of Siberia, a bouquet of roots is still given to couples prior to marriage to enhance fertility and assure the birth of healthy children.

In Middle Asia, Rhodiola rosea tea was the most effective treatment for cold and flu during severe Asian winters. Mongolian doctors prescribed it for tuberculosis and cancer. For centuries, only family members knew where to harvest 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.

In another study, Rhodiola rosea has been shown to increase lifespan of fruit flies.

This is the first double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of Rhodiola rosea in patients diagnosed with depression. Patients given the Swedish-made Rhodiola rosea extract showed significant improvements in depression compared to those given placebo.

The trial, published in the Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, utilized a proprietary Rhodiola rosea root extract called SHR-5, a standardized extract used in a product produced by the Swedish Herbal Institute in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The 6-week trial was conducted on 89 subjects, aged 18 to 70, who were assessed with clinically significant depression according to two different standard measurements used in psychiatry. Patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The first group received 2 tablets once daily (340 mg/day) of SHR-5, the second group received 2 tablets twice daily (680 mg/day) of SHR-5, and the third group was given 2 placebo tablets once daily. (Placebos were identical in appearance to the treatment tablets and contained 170 mg lactose.)

There were no statistically significant differences in the average depression scale scores among the subjects in the three groups before the herb extract or placebos were given. Following treatment, both groups given SHR-5 experienced statistically significant declines in average scores compared to placebo. The placebo group did not show statistically significant decreases in scores by the end of the trial.

At both dosage levels of SHR-5, people experienced statistically significant improvements in insomnia, emotional instability, and levels of somatization (the conversion of anxiety into physical symptoms), compared to insignificant changes in the placebo group.