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Rhodiola root

Rhodiola plant

Rhodiola's terrain

Rhodiola rosea

Overview

Known as “golden root” (and the root of the Goldmind Health name)-- 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. 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.

More in-depth mechanisms of action:
• Stress-response buffering: Upregulates heat-shock proteins (HSP70/Hsp72) and neuropeptide-Y in neuroglia models, supporting resilience under load and steadier cognitive control.
• Monoamine tone: Constituents (e.g., salidroside, rosiridin) show mild MAO-A/B and transporter effects in preclinical work, consistent with reduced mental fatigue and improved vigilance.
• AMPK-mediated energy support (↑ ATP): Salidroside activates AMPK (↑ Thr172 phosphorylation; ↑ ACC phosphorylation) and downstream PI3K/Akt signaling, increasing glucose uptake and fatty-acid oxidation -- net effect: supports ATP availability under stress.
• Mitochondrial support and antioxidant defense: Salidroside promotes mitochondrial biogenesis (↑ PGC-1α, ↑ TFAM), restores mitochondrial membrane potential, and rescues ATP content during oxidative stress -- aligning with anti-fatigue effects seen in human trials.

Clinical studies supporting use (focus-relevant populations)

[Effect-size note:  When variance data are incomplete, effect sizes are conservative estimates from reported outcomes. Across the trials below, expect small-to-moderate effects (≈0.2–0.4) on attention and mental-fatigue under stress.]

Darbinyan V, et al. Phytomedicine. 2000;7(5):365–371.
• Population/design/duration: 56 healthy physicians on night duty; double-blind, randomized, cross-over; 14 days per period.
• Ingredient and dose: SHR-5 at 170 mg/day; reported batch delivered ≈4.5 mg salidroside/day.
• Endpoints: Composite “Fatigue Index” from attention, short-term memory, and perceptual speed tests.
• Result: Significant improvement vs placebo on the Fatigue Index and subtests.
• Estimated effect size: g ≈ 0.25–0.35 (composite).

Spasov AA, et al. Phytomedicine. 2000;7(2):85–89.
• Population/design/duration: University students during examinations; double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled; 20 days.
• Ingredient and dose: Standardized SHR-5 at 100 mg/day (two 50 mg tablets daily).
• Endpoints: Mental-fatigue ratings, well-being, and exam-period performance metrics.
• Result: Reduced mental fatigue and better general well-being vs placebo.
• Estimated effect size: g ≈ 0.20–0.30 (fatigue/well-being indices).

Olsson EM, et al. Planta Med. 2009;75(2):105–112.
• Population/design/duration: 60 adults with stress-related fatigue; randomized, double-blind, parallel-group; 28 days.
• Ingredient and dose: SHR-5 at 576 mg/day in divided doses; typical batches ~1% salidroside (≈5.8 mg/day).
• Endpoints: Fatigue scales and Conners’ CPT-II attention metrics (omissions; hit-RT variability).
• Result: Significant improvements vs placebo in fatigue and attentional stability.
• Estimated effect size: g ≈ 0.25–0.35 (attention-related outcomes).

Shevtsov VA, et al. Phytomedicine. 2003;10(2–3):95–105.
• Population/design/duration: 161 male military cadets (19–21 y); randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group with a non-treatment control; single-dose trial during night-duty fatigue/stress.
• Ingredient and dose: SHR-5 2 or 3 capsules (185 mg extract per capsule; ≈4.5 mg salidroside per capsule) taken at 4:00 a.m. → 370 mg (≈9 mg salidroside) or 555 mg (≈13.5 mg salidroside).
• Endpoint: Anti-fatigue index (AFI) summarizing mental-work capacity.
• Result: AFI improved vs placebo at both doses (mean AFI 1.0385 and 1.0195 for 2-cap and 3-cap vs 0.9046 for placebo; p < 0.001 for both). Trend toward slightly better psychometric performance at the lower dose.
• Effect-size comment: Acute, single-dose design with AFI metric; directionally consistent with small-to-moderate immediate anti-fatigue benefit; not directly comparable to multi-week trials.

Reviews:
• Hung SK, Perry R, Ernst E. Phytomedicine. 2011;18(4):235–244. Systematic review of randomized trials concluding that Rhodiola shows promising, but methodologically mixed, benefits for stress-linked fatigue and mental performance; recommends larger, rigorously reported RCTs.
• Ross SM. Holist Nurs Pract. 2014;28(2):149–154. Narrative clinical review focused on SHR-5 indicating clinically meaningful reductions in stress-related fatigue with improved concentration and favorable tolerability when using standardized extracts within studied dose ranges.

Dose-relationships: 
• Goldmind:Focus -- 425 mg/day standardized extract at ~1% salidroside and 3% rosavins → ≈4.25 mg salidroside and ≈12.75 mg rosavins per day.
• Darbinyan 2000 -- 170 mg/day; ≈4.5 mg salidroside/day (reported batch).
• Spasov 2000 (Phytomedicine) -- 100 mg/day total (two 50 mg tablets), ~1 mg salidroside/day (range ~0.8–1.7 mg/day).
• Olsson 2009 -- 576 mg/day; ≈5.8 mg/day salidroside assuming 1% batch (some lots higher).

Bottom line: Goldmind’s salidroside exposure matches the lower end of RCT ranges, with rosavins in a commonly studied band.

Safety
• Overall tolerance: In clinical trials and European assessments, standardized Rhodiola shows placebo-like adverse-event rates at studied doses.
• Common, usually mild effects: Occasional insomnia, irritability, dizziness, dry mouth, or GI upset.
• Precautions: Use caution in bipolar spectrum disorders. Avoid during pregnancy/lactation due to insufficient data. Consider potential interactions with serotonergic or MAO-active medications.
• Standard disclaimer: Educational information only -- not medical advice. Consult your clinician if you have an illnesses, take medications, are pregnant, or nursing.

References
• Li HB, Ge Y, Zheng XX, Zhang L. Salidroside stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle cells by activating AMP-activated protein kinase. Eur J Pharmacol. 2008;588(2–3):165–169.
• Zheng T, Yang X, Wu D, et al. Salidroside ameliorates insulin resistance through activation of a mitochondria-associated AMPK/PI3K/Akt/GSK3β pathway. Br J Pharmacol. 2015;172(13):3284–3301.
• Xing SS, Yang XY, Li WJ, et al. Salidroside stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis and protects against H2O2-induced endothelial dysfunction. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2014;2014:904834.
• Darbinyan V, Kteyan A, Panossian A, Gabrielian E, Wikman G, Wagner H. Phytomedicine. 2000;7(5):365–371.
• Spasov AA, Wikman GK, Mandrikov VB, Mironova IA, Neumoin VV. Phytomedicine. 2000;7(2):85–89.
• Olsson EM, von Schéele B, Panossian AG. Planta Med. 2009;75(2):105–112.
• Spasov AA, Mandrikov VB, Mironova IA. Eksp Klin Farmakol. 2000;63(1):76–78.
• Shevtsov VA, Zholus BI, Shervarly VI, et al. Phytomedicine. 2003;10(2–3):95–105.
• Hung SK, Perry R, Ernst E. Phytomedicine. 2011;18(4):235–244.
• Ross SM. Holist Nurs Pract. 2014;28(2):149–154.
• Panossian A, Wikman G, Kaur P, Asea A. Front Neurosci. 2012;6:6.
• European Medicines Agency (HMPC). Rhodiolae roseae rhizoma et radix — Assessment report/monograph.

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