Rhodiola rosea, commonly known as Golden Root, is a truly remarkable plant that grows in some of the most inhospitable regions of the world. It is often compared to Ginseng in that the powdered root when ingested acts as an adaptogen on the body. To put it simply, an adaptogen contains the broadest spectrum of healing agents known but these healing agents seem to “know” when they are needed by the body.

The effects of Golden Root on the body are many but it primarily acts as an anti-stress agent. It is now generally thought that many of the most common diseases are caused by stress. The increasing popularity of stress-reducing methods and medicines attests to this theory - yoga, tai chi, pilates, life coaching, sedatives such as Valium - the list is endless.

Stress affects everybody at one time or another and often go unnoticed if the onset if gradual. The body has natural defences against stress, but at the cost of incerased energy use. This phase can cause a host of problems from simple tiredness to premature aging, and can lead to exhaustion, when the body can no longer maintain this energy output. Golden Root helps the body to cope with stress by increasing blood supplies to the brain and the muscles and by increasing the synthesis of protein. These effects may sound fairly minor, but is this anti-stress action that can protect against mental disease such as depression and anxiety, and against physical disease such as heart attacks and cancer.

Many people suffering from depression, tiredness and fatigue (that generally washed-out feeling), constant niggling illnesses, irritability, mood swings, sleeplessness, and a host of other symptoms associated with a general dissatisfaction with life will find relief by taking Golden Root supplements. In addition to the effects mentioned above, Golden Root enhances mood, eliminates fatigue, increases resistance to infection, and normalises the enery levels of the body, thus helping to regularise sleeping patterns.

Stress can also affect sexual function, which is why Golden Root, usually in combination with other herbs, is often used to help restore normal functions. Golden Root is a truly wonderful herb; by relieving tension and treating stress its effects on the body also include increased athletic performance and endurance, the promotion of healthy neurotransmitter activity in the brain, the relief of panic attacks, improvement in memory and learning, treatment of many types of cancer, and breakdown of stored fat in the body.

It is important to look for Rhiodiola rosea Extract having a minimum 3% rosavins and 0.8% salidrosides. Golden Root is fast becoming one the most-studied and researched herb. No side effects have yet been observed and there are no known drug or herbal interactions associated with Rhodiola rosea. There are many well documented trial results posted in the internet, including a very recent one that increased the lifespan of fruit flies fed a diet of Golden Root!

Read about how to improve immune system in this blog post.