A Critical Review of Rhodiolife®’s Benefits for the Body and Mind

 The Origins of Rhodiolife®

Rhodiolife® is a standardised extract of the Rhodiola rosea plant, formulated by the nutraceutical company Nektium (1). Rhodiola originated from the Siberian Altai region in Russia, which is home to a variety of mountains, meadows and lakes, all of which are surrounded by the freezing Russian tundra (2).

The first recorded instances of the Rhodiola rosea plant use can be traced back to the Viking era, where reports highlight that Rhodiola was used to enhance physical and mental endurance. Since then, the Rhodiola Rosea has been used for a variety of purposes, including use by Russian cosmonauts who used it to boost their physical and mental performance on burdensome space journeys (3).

The newest iteration of Rhodiola rosea extract is available in the form of Rhodiolife®, a powerful adaptogen that helps the body better respond to physical, emotional, or environmental stress by improving physiological function, which is commonly impacted by chronic stress (4).

 Cognitive Benefits of Rhodiola Rosea

 1. Reduces Anxiety and Stress Levels

As an adaptogen, Rhodiolife® has natural properties that help combat stress. Rhodiolife® helps combat stress by increasing your body's resistance to stress, allowing you to cope better during stressful times (5). Research highlights that the Rhodiola rosea plant can manage and reduce stress hormone levels and other symptoms of stress as it travels through the user's bloodstream (6).

Studies have confirmed the positive effect that Rhodiola Rosea has on stress. One study included ten participants recruited from the UCLA Anxiety Disorder Program, all of whom were diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) (7). The results saw significant decreases in the participants' GAD symptoms after taking the Rhodiola rosea extract, which was confirmed by the participants' HARS scores (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale) (7).

 2. Reduces depressive symptoms

Rhodiolife has been shown to have antidepressant properties. The properties can help balance the chemical imbalances in the brain that may contribute to depressive symptoms like prolonged sadness or changes in appetite and sleeping patterns. A 2015 study published in Phytomedicine compared the effects of Rhodiola rosea extract and a common antidepressant known as sertraline (18). The results of the 12-week, placebo-controlled trial found Rhodiola rosea to have similar antidepressant properties, albeit less effective than sertraline. However, the results also found that participants who took Rhodiola rosea experienced fewer side effects, indicating its potential for treating mild to moderate depression.

 

3. Improves Memory and Learning

Another key benefit of Rhodiolife® is that it can assist in improving the user's long-term memory and learning capabilities. Rhodiolife ® can facilitate this by increasing the strength of nerve impulses along cognitive pathways found within the user's hippocampus, an area within the brain's temporal lobe that plays a major role in learning and memory. This in turn leads to improvements in the user's spatial and temporal memory (8).

Studies have even gone so far as to suggest that the Rhodiola rosea plant can counteract the effects of old age on a person's memory, as it has been shown to slow the breakdown of acetylcholine, a primary neurotransmitter of the nervous system (9). Rhodiolife® has the potential to help people with dementia - early research has shown that Rhodiola rosea has been effective in improving the memory of mice (9).

 Physical Benefits of Rhodiola Rosea

 4. Reduced fatigue

One of the chief physical benefits of Rhodiola Rosea is that it helps to reduce the rate that the user experiences fatigue, ensuring longer physical endurance. This is achieved through its naturally calming effect as an adaptogen, which reduces the energy spent on stress and other stress-related symptoms, including tiredness, moodiness, and body weakness (10), allowing the body to conserve energy and maintain energy levels more effectively.This claim has been fortified by a recent study involving 100 people with chronic fatigue symptoms. Each participant received a 400mg dosage of Rhodiola rosea extract daily for a total of 8 weeks. After the first week, participants began reporting improvements in quality of life, mood, and concentration, as well as reductions in stress and fatigue (11).

 

5. Anti-inflammatory

Rhodiolife® has also been verified as an anti-inflammatory, due to its rich biochemistry containing significant amounts of polyphenols, including flavonoids and tannins, all of which have well-documented anti-inflammatory activity (12). This has led to researchers believing that Rhodiola rosea extracts may improve anti-inflammatory activity in various pathological conditions encompassing arthritis and cardiovascular disease (13).

For further confirmation, a recent study found that 36 healthy participants who took Rhodiolife® had reduced CRP (C-reactive protein) levels, which showed greater protection against physical exercise-induced muscle damage and overall inflammation. This protection against inflammation and muscle damage led to a faster recovery for participants after exercise (14). 

 

6. Diabetes Management

Rhodiolife® may offer benefits for diabetic individuals or those with kidney disease. Salidroside, a natural compound found in Rhodiola rosea, has been proven to have anti-diabetic effects. An animal study found that Salidroside can reduce blood glucose, making it a potential nutrient for diabetes treatment and prevention (19).

The results of the study have yet to be proven in humans, but given the other benefits of Rhodiola rosea extract, it may be worth considering the extent of its hypoglycemic effects. 

Final Thoughts

The overall review of Rhodiolife® highlights it as a very promising ingredient. Due to Rhodiola rosea's natural adaptogen properties, it has a range of real-life health benefits - most notably as a stress reliever, which, in today's world, is increasingly in demand.

It is also important to note that Rhodiolife® contains a very interesting point of difference in that it's an adaptogen that can help alleviate both physical and mental distress. This may be a crucial factor to its future market success, as the Rhodiola rosea market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.8% between 2021 and 2026 to reach a value of $68.8 billion (USD) by 2026 (17).

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References

1. Nektium, 2021. About Us - Nektium. [online] Nektium. Available at: <https://nektium.com/rhodiolife/> [Accessed 8 September 2021]. 

2. Travel, K., 2021. Altai mountains: overview | Siberia Russia | Kaichi Travel. [online] Kaichitravel. Available at: <https://www.kaichitravel.com/about-altai/> [Accessed 8 September 2021].

3. Hermsmeier, U., Grann, J. and Plescher, A., 2012. Rhodiola integrifolia: hybrid origin and Asian relatives. Botany, 90(11), pp.1186-1190. 

4. Nektium, 2018. Rhodiolife Powerful Adaptagen. 1st ed. [ebook] Gran Canaria: Nektium, pp.1-3. Available at: <https://nektium.com/branded-ingredient/rhodiolife/> [Accessed 8 September 2021].

5. Li, Y., Pham, V., Bui, M., Song, L., Wu, C., Walia, A., Uchio, E., Smith-Liu, F. and Zi, X., 2017. Rhodiola rosea L.: an Herb with Anti-Stress, Anti-Aging, and Immunostimulating Properties for Cancer Chemoprevention. Current Pharmacology Reports, [online] 3(6), pp.384-395. Available at: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6208354/> [Accessed 8 September 2021].

6. Anghelescu, I., Edwards, D., Seifritz, E. and Kasper, S., 2018. Stress management and the role of Rhodiola rosea: a review. International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice, [online] 22(4), pp.242-252. Available at: <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13651501.2017.1417442> [Accessed 8 September 2021].

7. Bystritsky, A., Kerwin, L. and Feusner, J., 2008. A Pilot Study of Rhodiola rosea (Rhodax®) for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, [online] 14(2), pp.175-180. Available at: <https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18307390/> [Accessed 8 September 2021].

8. Dimpfel, W et al., Pharmacol. Pharm. 7, 290–303 (2016).

9. Wegerer, J., 2021. Can Rhodiola Rosea Fight Alzheimer&amp;#8217;s?. [online] Alzheimers.net. Available at: <https://www.alzheimers.net/rhodiola-rosea-for-alzheimers> [Accessed 8 September 2021].

10. Van De Walle, G. and Lamoreux, K., 2021. 7 Proven Health Benefits of Rhodiola Rosea. [online] Healthline. Available at: <https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/rhodiola-rosea#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3> [Accessed 8 September 2021]. 

11. Lekomtseva, Y., Zhukova, I. and Wacker, A., 2017. Rhodiola rosea in Subjects with Prolonged or Chronic Fatigue Symptoms: Results of an Open-Label Clinical Trial. Complementary Medicine Research, [online] 24(1), pp.46-52. Available at: <https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28219059/> [Accessed 8 September 2021].

12. Pooja, Bawa, A. and Khanum, F., 2009. Anti-inflammatory activity ofRhodiola rosea- "a second-generation adaptogen". Phytotherapy Research, [online] 23(8), pp.1099-1102. Available at: <https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19152369/> [Accessed 8 September 2021].

13. Doncheva, N., Mihaylova, A. and Getova, D., 2013. Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of Rhodiola Rosea L. extract in rats. Folia Medica, [online] 55(3-4), pp.70-75. Available at: <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332219329671> [Accessed 8 September 2021]. 

14. Abidov, M, et al., Bull. Exp. Biol. Med. 138, 63–64 (2004).

15. Cuncic, A., 2020. Try This Natural Treatment for Social Anxiety. [online] Very Well Mind. Available at: <https://www.verywellmind.com/how-is-rhodiola-rosea-used-to-treat-anxiety-3024972> [Accessed 8 September 2021]. 

16. NCCIH, 2021. Rhodiola. [online] Rhodiola. Available at: <https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/rhodiola> [Accessed 8 September 2021].

17. Research, E., 2021. Global Rhodiola Rosea Extract Market Report and Forecast 2021-2026. [online] Expertmarketresearch.com. Available at: <https://www.expertmarketresearch.com/reports/rhodiola-rosea-extract-market> [Accessed 8 September 2021].

18. Mao, J. J., Xie, S. X., Zee, J., Soeller, I., Li, Q. S., Rockwell, K., & Amsterdam, J. D. (2015). Rhodiola rosea versus sertraline for major depressive disorder: A randomized placebo-controlled trial. Phytomedicine, 22(3), 394–399. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2015.01.010

19. Qi, S. S., Shao, M. L., Ze, S., & Zheng, H. X. (2020). Salidroside from Rhodiola rosea L. attenuates diabetic nephropathy in STZ induced diabetic rats via anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammation, and inhibiting TGF-β1/Smad pathway. Journal of Functional Foods, 77, 104329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2020.104329