Rhodiola rosea: Known as “golden root”—it has been a brain-tonic for at least two millennia. Dioscorides listed rodia riza in De Materia Medica (77 AD) as a remedy for headaches and exhaustion. The Vikings reputedly chewed the rhizome before raids for stamina, Chinese emperors sent expeditions to find “the golden root,” and Soviet scientists later classified it an “adaptogen,” giving the extract to cosmonauts and Olympic teams in the 1970s. Rhodiola is part of the sedum family (Crassulaceae) and prefers frigid, high-altitude climates to grow. Commercial extracts of the roots are pulled with 60–70% ethanol, then standardized—most often to 3% rosavins and 1% salidroside—before spray-drying into the tan powder used in capsules.

Mechanistically, the root extract modulates the cortisol spike of acute stress through heat-shock protein-70 and neuropeptide Y, boosts brain ATP by activating AMPK, and mildly inhibits serotonin- and dopamine-re-uptake—changes that sharpen pre-frontal network efficiency. Across four placebo-controlled trials that used 4–10 mg salidroside daily, there was an effect size of ~0.25–0.30 for memory and reaction time. The safety profile is excellent: 400–600 mg/day for up to 12 weeks causes only mild, transient headache or GI upset in <10% of users, with no lab or ECG changes; rare case reports of mania mean use in bipolar disorder is contraindicated. Personally, Rhodiola with 4.5 mg salidroside daily has boosted my endurance, sustained focus and ability to push through a long day of mental effort. This is the only botanical in this section so it carries an extra caveat: use only standardized extracts from reputable sources–avoid any sources that might be contaminated with heavy metals. Don’t take it at night, as some people experience mild stimulatory effects. After 2-3 months of continuous use, pause for a 2–4-week washout period to assess the benefits and reset tolerance.

Citations:
Darbinyan V, et al. Rhodiola rosea in stress induced fatigue--a double blind cross-over study of a standardized extract SHR-5 with a repeated low-dose regimen on the mental performance of healthy physicians during night duty. Phytomedicine. 2000 Oct;7(5):365-71.
Ross SM. Rhodiola rosea (SHR-5), Part I: a proprietary root extract of Rhodiola rosea is found to be effective in the treatment of stress-related fatigue. Holist Nurs Pract. 2014 Mar-Apr;28(2):149-54.
Vastag B. Warming to a Cold-War herb: Soviet secret finds its way West. Science News. September 18 2007.
Panossian A, Wikman G, Kaur P, Asea A. Adaptogens stimulate neuropeptide y and hsp72 expression and release in neuroglia cells. Front Neurosci. 2012 Feb 1;6:6.
Hung, S, et al (2010). The effectiveness and efficacy of Rhodiola rosea L.: A systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology. 18. 235-44.
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/herbal/rhodiolae-roseae-rhizoma-et-radix