Rhodiola rosea, also known as golden root, is an adaptogenic herb traditionally used to combat fatigue and enhance physical and mental performance. While not specifically a weight loss supplement, emerging research suggests that its adaptogenic properties may indirectly support healthy weight management. This article explores the science behind Rhodiola rosea and its potential role in weight loss.
What is Rhodiola Rosea?
Rhodiola rosea is a medicinal plant that has been used for centuries worldwide to treat various ailments. It thrives in cold, mountainous regions of Europe, Asia, and North America. It is considered an adaptogen due to its beneficial anti-stress and anti-fatigue properties, which may have a positive influence on athletic performance.
Adaptogens are active ingredients in plants that help the body resist stressors, whether they be physical, chemical, or biological. Adaptogens must meet three criteria:
- Help the body cope with stress
- Assist the body with maintaining balance (homeostasis)
- Be non-toxic when taken in normal doses and not harmful to normal body functions
The benefits of adaptogens are derived from active compounds in the plants that structurally resemble catecholamines, hormones produced by the brain, nerve tissues, and adrenal glands that influence nervous system activity. The adaptogenic effects of Rhodiola rosea may be attributed to the compounds rosavin and salidroside, which may positively benefit athletic performance, energy, and stress levels. In particular, salidroside influences the central nervous system to reduce damage and protect cells. While salidroside exists in many Rhodiola species, rosavin is unique to the Rhodiola rosea plant.
How Rhodiola Rosea May Support Weight Loss
Rhodiola rosea has been found in multiple studies to increase the oxygen-carrying capacity of our body's red blood cells. Rhodiola in Kailua-Kona has been shown to help regulate our body's immune, neurological and physiological response to stress, which allow us to survive tough weather and environmental challenges as well as to help us adjust mentally during trying times.
Read also: The Benefits of Ashwagandha and Rhodiola
While Rhodiola rosea is not a magic pill for weight loss, its effects on metabolism, stress reduction, and energy levels may indirectly support a healthier body composition. Adaptogens from traditional medicine systems like Rhodiola may not directly “burn fat". However, adaptogens have gained significant attention for weight management because they may work for weight loss in a smarter, more sustainable way -- by improving the body’s resilience to stress, boosting energy and exercise performance, and helping regulate hormones, blood sugar, and metabolism.
Enhancing Metabolism
One of the most compelling reasons Rhodiola is linked to weight loss is its potential effect on metabolism. Unless you're one of the lucky few who don't have to worry about belly rolls, rhodiola offers a big benefit in that it helps the body burn stored fat as fuel. Rosavin stimulates an enzyme called lipase. The hormone-sensitive compound has the ability to break down fat stored in the belly area. Studies indicate that Rhodiola can activate an enzyme called hormone-sensitive lipase, which is responsible for breaking down stored fat. Additionally, Rhodiola has been shown to enhance endurance and reduce perceived exertion during physical activity.
Reduction of visceral belly fat
Visceral fat is a type of body fat located inside the abdomen, adjacent to or surrounding your internal organs. A 2013 study in rodents found that Rhodiola in a mixture with citrus aurantium (bitter orange) helped reduce visceral white adipose tissue in rats experiencing diet-induced obesity. The herbal combination also increased levels of hypothalamic norepinephrine and frontal cortex dopamine, chemicals able to influence biological processes promoting weight loss.
Improved weight-related muscle dysfunction
When you’re experiencing obesity, your muscles may not function as well as they should to allow you to make the most of your workouts. To address this weight-related muscle dysfunction, researchers in a 2021 rodent study looked at the benefits of Rhodiola supplementation. They found the herb helped prevent and improve muscle atrophy and muscle dysfunction among mice with obesity eating a high fat diet.
Exercise Performance and Energy Levels
Rhodiola supplementation has been said to increase energy, strength, mental capacity, and physical performance while attenuating symptoms of fatigue and stress. Rhodiola rosea is perhaps most notably known for its potential to improve energy levels by reducing fatigue and burnout. Fatigue represents a persistent, all-encompassing state of tiredness or lack of energy. It can result from various conditions, including excessive physical or mental exertion, sleep deprivation, poor diet, or health issues. Persistent fatigue can significantly impact your ability and desire to participate in activities that you typically enjoy.
Read also: MOTS-c and metabolic health
Animal studies suggest that Rhodiola rosea may improve athletic performance by affecting pathways involved in energy regulation, resulting in improved energy, reduced fatigue, and lessened inflammation. Moreover, Rhodiola rosea may influence exercise training and recovery through its adaptogenic effects that attenuate cellular stress. Evidence in humans shows improvements in different performance measures. One randomized controlled trial among active female college students discovered that supplementing with Rhodiola rosea improved anaerobic capacity and both average and peak power. Another study in young active women found that supplementing with Rhodiola rosea one hour before training reduced perceived exertion, improved performance, and resulted in a faster time trial.
Exercise plays a key role in weight loss, so this might be a way Rhodiola could help you lose weight.
A 2022 review of 10 studies on Rhodiola as an exercise supplement concluded that the current research quality for its effectiveness overall was low. However, there was evidence to suggest Rhodiola has the potential to:
- reduce muscle pain and injury and oxidative stress
- improve skeletal muscle damage and recovery during training
- improve explosive athletic power
Based on these findings, the authors of the review expect Rhodiola to become an effective athletic supplement in the future.
Managing Stress and Cortisol Levels
Chronic stress is one of the biggest roadblocks to weight loss. When we are stressed, our bodies release cortisol, a hormone that promotes fat storage, particularly around the abdominal area. Burnout is stress characterized by mental and physical exhaustion. It is a risk factor for depression, anxiety, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. And work-related burnout is associated with an increased risk of death. Some research supports that Rhodiola rosea may reduce stress, burnout, and anxiety and may positively affect mood and symptoms of anger, confusion, and depression.
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To understand this further, we look to the stress hormone, cortisol. As part of the circadian rhythm, cortisol levels are naturally higher in the morning to help you wake up and lower in the evening to prepare the body for sleep. In people experiencing stress or burnout, cortisol levels are higher than expected during awakening. Supplementing with Rhodiola rosea inhibits the response of cortisol to stress, decreasing morning cortisol levels. The effect of Rhodiola rosea on cortisol levels may provide additional benefits, as persistently elevated cortisol is a risk factor for the development of many age-related diseases, and significant cortisol fluctuations may contribute to cognitive impairment. Rhodiola has been extensively studied for its ability to balance cortisol levels and improve stress resilience.
Appetite Regulation
Another way Rhodiola may support weight management is through appetite regulation. When you're brain is more sensitive to dopamine, that also increases the pleasure in things like eating and sex, while reducing carb cravings and even addiction. Some studies suggest that Rhodiola can influence neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which play a role in mood and hunger control.
Rhodiola appears to regulate the interaction between stress and appetite, and although human evidence is lacking animal evidence suggests it can attenuate or otherwise abolish both binge eating and appetite suppression from stress.
Blood Sugar Balance
Balanced blood sugar levels are crucial for weight management. When blood sugar fluctuates dramatically, it can lead to energy crashes, increased hunger, and a higher likelihood of storing fat. Ginsenosides influence glucose metabolism, improving insulin sensitivity and helping stabilize blood sugar.
Improving Sleep Quality
One of the most overlooked aspects of weight management is sleep. Poor sleep quality can disrupt hormonal balance, leading to increased hunger, slower metabolism, and impaired recovery from exercise.
Rhodiola Rosea and Inflammation
Maintaining low levels of inflammation benefits longevity, as chronic inflammation is associated with cardiometabolic diseases. Long-term (28 to 30 days) ingestion of Rhodiola rosea may minimize inflammation, especially following exercise, which naturally causes some inflammation to promote muscle adaptation. One small study among untrained men in their early twenties noticed a less pronounced increase in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP)-a marker of inflammation-five hours after exercise in participants who had taken Rhodiola rosea for a month compared to those taking a placebo. And hsCRP levels returned to baseline faster among participants given Rhodiola rosea than those taking a placebo. Though acute inflammation promotes muscle growth, too much inflammation can be problematic, so having less inflammation can actually help you build muscle over the long term.
Rhodiola Rosea and Cognition
To date, research does not support the benefit of Rhodiola rosea on cognition, specifically cognitive processing, reaction time, and number of errors for a given task. However, Rhodiola rosea may encourage greater attention and precision due to its stimulant properties. One study found using Rhodiola rosea daily for a month reduced variability, reaction time, and omissions (not responding to a question when required)-all proxies for attention and focus.
Rhodiola rosea's impact on reducing stress
As part of the circadian rhythm, cortisol levels are naturally higher in the morning to help you wake up and lower in the evening to prepare the body for sleep. In people experiencing stress or burnout, cortisol levels are higher than expected during awakening. Supplementing with Rhodiola rosea inhibits the response of cortisol to stress, decreasing morning cortisol levels. The effect of Rhodiola rosea on cortisol levels may provide additional benefits, as persistently elevated cortisol is a risk factor for the development of many age-related diseases, and significant cortisol fluctuations may contribute to cognitive impairment.
Due to its effect on the body’s stress response, Rhodiola rosea may influence markers of heart health. However, evidence is limited and varying. Some studies show Rhodiola rosea reduces heart rate, while others do not.
Rhodiola Rosea and Weight Loss Studies
Preliminary in vitro and animal studies suggest Rhodiola rosea may potentially promote weight loss. Cell studies reveal that Rhodiola rosea prevents fat accumulation and may support the breakdown of stored fat for energy and use by the body. Animal studies show that a supplement combining Rhodiola rosea and another botanical extract, citrus aurantium, may decrease visceral fat, which is linked with cardiometabolic health.
In a clinical study conducted by the Georgian State Hospital, overweight patients were given rhodiola rosea extract for 90 days. At the end of the study, 92 percent of those patients had lost an average of 20 pounds and a whopping 11% decrease in body fat.
In normal-weight animals fed standard chow, acute administration of C aurantium (1-10 mg/kg) or R rosea (2-20 mg/kg) alone did not reduce deprivation-induced food intake, but C aurantium (5.6 mg/kg) + R rosea (20 mg/kg) produced a 10.5% feeding suppression. Animals maintained (13 weeks) on a high-fat diet (60% fat) were exposed to 10-day treatments of C aurantium (5.6 mg/kg) or R rosea (20 mg/kg) alone or in combination. Additional groups received vehicle (2% ethanol) or were pair fed to the C aurantium + R rosea group. Although high-fat diet intake and weight loss were not influenced, C aurantium + R rosea had a 30% decrease in visceral fat weight compared with the other treatments. Only the C aurantium group had an increased heart rate (+7%) compared with vehicle. In addition, C aurantium + R rosea administration resulted in an elevation (+15%) in hypothalamic norepinephrine and an elevation (+150%) in frontal cortex dopamine compared with the pair-fed group.
Choosing a Rhodiola Rosea Supplement
If you’re considering Rhodiola for its potential weight management benefits, it’s important to choose a high-quality supplement.
- Standardized Extracts: Look for tinctures with a clear Quantity of Crude Equivalent (QCE). A 1:4 ratio and 250mg/mL is considered strong, while 1:6 and 166mg/mL is milder.
- Source and Purity: Choose organic and sustainably grown Rhodiola from North American farmers you trust.
- Dosage: Most studies suggest that a dosage of 200-600 mg per day is effective for stress reduction and energy enhancement.
Dosage and Safety
Dosages up to 600 mg daily appear safe, with benefits reported within a range of dosages. Some research suggests doses of 200 mg an hour before exercise to improve endurance performance. Still, higher dosages may be warranted for reaping the benefits of Rhodiola rosea on athletic performance in particular. Variations in doses and research findings preclude a general recommendation for an ideal amount of Rhodiola rosea. Few adverse effects have been reported with Rhodiola rosea usage. However, Rhodiola could negatively interact with other substances or medications that act as stimulants.
The NCCIH states Rhodiola has been used safely in studies for up to 12 weeks. Common side effects noted are:
- dry mouth
- dizziness
- excessive saliva production
- headache
Some people may experience an allergy to Rhodiola. It may also have a stimulating effect or result in insomnia, feelings of anxiety, agitation, elevated blood pressure, or chest pain.
There’s also not a lot of information about using Rhodiola in pregnancy or during nursing.
Always talk to your medical provider before starting a new supplement.
When to Take Rhodiola Rosea
Rhodiola rosea is sometimes added to pre-workout or sleep supplements, or can be used on its own. If you take pre-workout or sleep supplements, check the label to see if it includes Rhodiola. Rhodiola rosea is best taken in the morning with food for energy benefits. For endurance performance, taking Rhodiola rosea an hour before exercise may help prolong time to exhaustion.