Rhodiola Rosea

Medical herbalist Dee Atkinson tells us why she loves rhodiola

‘I first came across rhodiola when I was in my early 20s and travelling in Ladakh in the far north of India. It is one of the herbs that sparked my interest in herbal medicine and has remained one of my favourite herbs ever since.

‘As I stepped off the bus into the main square in Ladakh, and started to look around for a room to rent, I felt breathless and tired. The guidebook had talked about the body needing time to adjust to the altitude, but I had just expected to breeze through. Luckily the family I was staying with were used to struggling travellers, who arrived and immediately felt the effects of altitude, and they had a local remedy on hand to dish out - rhodiola tea.

‘They told me the tea would give me energy and make ‘my blood feel better’. After a night’s sleep and three cups of tea I was back to normal, which was a big improvement on how the other travellers on the bus fared. It took most of them three days to recover.

Growing interest

‘I became even more interested in rhodiola when it was given to me some months later as a cold cure.
Rhodiola rosea (known commonly as golden root, or Aaron’s rod) is a plant that grows mainly in cold high altitude environments, such as the Arctic, the Rocky Mountains, Iceland and Scandinavia. It grows about 30 inches high and has bright yellow flowers. When it is harvested it has a lovely rose-like fragrance.

‘It is thought that the Greeks were the first to record the medicinal properties of rhodiola, who valued it for its ability to ‘give strength’. It has been traditionally used to fight fatigue, and improve energy. In cold, inhospitable climates such as Siberia, rhodiola has been used for centuries to help people cope with the climate and stressful life.

Active ingredients

‘Rhodiola is considered by herbalists to be an adaptogen meaning it has an ability to increase the body’s resistance. It is used to reduce fatigue, build up strength and energy. The active ingredients are thought to include rhodioloside, tyrosol, p-tyrosol, which work both together and with many other compounds to give the plant its healing powers. Scientific interest has been sparked by rhodiola recently and there has been a lot of research into its effects. More recently this has centred on its effect on longevity and stress resistance.

‘I use rhodiola in many of my prescriptions, especially when my patients are feeling below par. Adaptogens, or to give them their traditional name ‘tonics’, will support the bodies underlying energy reserves, lift mood and help the body to fight infection. I have used rhodiola to successfully treat stress, low mood, chronic fatigue and repeated infections. It is a herb that I simply wouldn’t want to be without.’

Dee Atkinson MCPP, Medical Herbalist, Napiers the Herbalists 

Rhodiola rosea can be found in Vitano - A traditional herbal medicinal product used for the temporary relief of symptoms associated with stress such as fatigue, exhaustion and mild anxiety based on tradtional use only.