Rhodiola rosea Reference

Plain English

What it is

Rhodiola rosea is an herb, sometimes called an adaptogen, that is sold in the United States as a dietary supplement, not as an FDA-approved drug. Supplements like it are not checked or approved by the FDA before they go on sale.

What people use it for

People take it hoping to feel less stressed and less worn out, and some use it for low mood. Because it can feel mildly stimulating, some people report trouble sleeping.

What the science shows

Several small human studies suggest modest help with stress-related tiredness and mild depression, and that result has shown up in more than one trial. But the studies are small and have quality problems, the case for sharpening thinking or focus in healthy people is weak, and the US government's complementary-health agency (NCCIH) says there is not enough reliable evidence to say it helps any health condition.

The catch

It is not a treatment for clinical depression, anxiety disorders, or burnout, and it can cause side effects such as dizziness, headache, and insomnia. Because it is a supplement, product quality varies; a 2026 review of US products found active-ingredient amounts that often did not match the label and trace heavy metals in every product tested.

Reference summary

Multiple small randomized trials and reviews report modest improvements in stress-related fatigue, mental performance during sleep deprivation or shift work, and mild-to-moderate depression: Darbinyan 2007 (depression), Olsson 2009 (fatigue), Spasov 2000 (medical-student exam stress), and a 2012 Cochrane-style systematic review collectively describe small-to-moderate effect sizes with reasonable replication for stress and fatigue endpoints. The literature is weaker for athletic performance and substantially weaker for any 'cognitive enhancement in healthy young adults' claim. Mechanism is thought to involve modulation of HPA-axis cortisol response and monoaminergic signaling rather than direct stimulant activity.

Regulatory and posture

Categories

Nootropic, Longevity

Aliases

Golden root, Arctic root, Rhodiola, SHR-5, WS 1375, Rosenroot

Evidence posture

human - Sold as a dietary supplement in the US, not as an FDA-approved drug. Effects on stress and fatigue are reported in multiple small trials with mixed quality and short duration. Not a treatment for clinical depression, anxiety disorders, or burnout.

Regulatory status

No FDA-approved Rhodiola drug label. Approved in Russia and several European markets as an adaptogen for stress and asthenic conditions. In the US, sold as a dietary supplement, typically standardized to 3 percent rosavins and 1 percent salidrosides; SHR-5 and WS 1375 are the standardized extracts used in most of the Western clinical literature.

Content review status

research reference