Did You Know…that the rhodiola plant is an adaptogen that has the potential to not only prevent disease, but also increase lifespan?
Rhodiola, sometimes called Artic Root or Golden Root, is a yellow-flowered mountain plant that has been used for centuries by Scandinavians and Russians to reduce stress and fatigue, and boost memory and concentration.
Now, recent studies are showing that an herbal extract of rhodiola may increase longevity, and researchers are currently investigating rhodiola’s capacity for treating and preventing disease.
Increase Longevity by 24%
Longevity researchers have discovered that dietary restriction is the most effective way to increase lifespan in laboratory animals. As a result, they’ve focused their efforts on finding compounds that can mimic this effect.
Researchers from UC Irvine tested rhodiola’s effect on the lifespan of multiple strains of male and female fruit flies and discovered that not only did it increase lifespan by 24%… but it did so by affecting molecular pathways unrelated to dietary restriction. Even better, the rhodiola extract kept physical performance from deteriorating as flies aged… and even lengthened the lives of old flies.
Here’s what lead researcher Mahtab Jafari had to say:
“… [R]hodiola actually increases lifespan on top of that of dietary restriction… Rhodiola can act even in individuals who are already long-lived and healthy. This is quite unlike resveratrol, which appears to only act in overfed or unhealthy individuals.”
Now, Jafari’s team is studying rhodiola’s ability to help kill cancer cells… improve the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease… and boost stem cell growth.
The Mental and Physical Benefits of Rhodiola
In addition to disease prevention and longevity, rhodiola is gaining increasing attention in the West as a highly effective adaptogenic herb that can help manage our immune, physiological, and neurological responses to stress.
The herb has a proven track record as a…
Memory booster
Stress reducer
Anxiety alleviator
Fatigue fighter
Energy elixir
Concentration cure
A 2002 review published in HerbalGram, the journal of the American Botanical Council, reported that numerous human and animal studies attest to rhodiola’s ability to reduce fatigue, lower stress, enhance immune system function, and even boost sexual energy. A 2011 analysis of 11 placebo-controlled human studies validated rhodiola’s favorable effects on physical and mental health conditions.
Rhodiola intensifies your sensitivity to neurons by making the blood-brain barrier more permeable. Dopamine and serotonin—the feel-good hormones responsible for mood—have a clear, unobstructed path on which to travel.
Rhodiola increases your energy by expanding the oxygen-carrying capacity of your red blood cells, which is especially beneficial in times of stress when we forget to take deep, complete breaths.
Rhodiola combats stress by balancing your endocrine system and monitoring the amount of cortisol released into your bloodstream.
Rhodiola helps you burn fat by activating the enzyme “hormone-sensitive lipase” which in turn helps the body access and burn through fat stores in your abdominal cells.
Supplementing with Rhodiola
UC Irvine researchers found that many commercial brands of rhodiola extract didn’t contain sufficient amounts of the active compounds rosavin and salidroside that impart the plant’s purported health benefits.
Experts recommend that you look for a high quality standardized extract of rhodiola that contains 2-3% rosavin and 0.8-1% salidroside. They advise taking 100 mg a day for 1 week, and then increasing the dose by 100 mg for the next 3 weeks until you reach 400 mg.
By Danica Collins
(Source: undergroundhealthreporter.com; November 6, 2016; http://tinyurl.com/oaef3ry)
