As an ethnobotanist, I regularly lead tours to indigenous areas to interact with local shamans and herbalists. These tours include going to New York’s ChinaTown, as well as the Island of Jamaica. I was recently giving an EcoTour for Cures at New York’s Botanical Gardens, and met, face to face, for the first time, a Rhodiola plant!! Since these are native to other areas of the world, such as Siberia, it is a rare treat to see one growing.

Modern popularity is further driven by scientific research highlighting a long list of health benefits from taking rhodiola, such as:

• supporting stress tolerance (adaptogenic),
• fighting fatigue,
• maintaining emotional balance,
• enhancing mental and physical performance,
• promoting male sexual function,
• supporting cardiovascular health,
• maintaining healthy resistance to infection and other benefits.

Rhodiola has been the subject of research which has confirmed its effectiveness and safety in many of the applications listed above. Although there are various constituents in rhodiola which may be active, the most recent research suggests very strongly that the compound rosavin is the most important constituent accounting for the herb’s main benefits.

A scientific review of the research reveals that a range between 2.5-3.5mg of rosavin twice per day is an appropriate intake for providing many of rhodiola’s benefits. This doesn’t mean that rosavin is the only beneficial component of rhodiol, however, evidence suggests it is the most critical and active. In the July edition of HerbalGram, there is a report entitled “European Medicines Agency Publishes 7 New Final Community Monographs for Herbs.”

This report is significant because the London-based European Medicines Agency (EMA) is developing official herbal monographs and has completed 96 monographs so far in this ongoing project. Rhodiola is among the newest herbs to have been listed as having an official monograph, which was published May 29, 2012.

The EMA is charged with the evaluation of both herbal and conventional medicines used in the European Union. The recently released Rhodiola monograph states this herb is a “traditional herbal medicinal product for temporary relief of symptoms of stress, such as fatigue and sensation of weakness.” It is not recommended for children under 18 or pregnant or nursing women, since there is insufficient safety data. In the US, Rhodiola is experiencing growth, as more people are seeking ways to decrease the effects of a stressful lifestyle, but as scientific discovery expands its uses for graceful aging support is growing.