Outcome
    Limited

    Rhodiola Rosea for Norepinephrine Balance

    Rhodiola may blunt stress-driven catecholamine swings and fatigue, but trial quality is poor and effect sizes are inconsistent.

    Overview

    Rhodiola may blunt stress-driven catecholamine swings and fatigue, but trial quality is poor and effect sizes are inconsistent.

    Verdict

    Mixed evidence

    How It Works

    Rhodiola salidrosides modulate the HPA axis and appear to influence monoamine turnover, moderating the norepinephrine surge associated with acute stress.

    Dosing & Protocol

    Typical dose

    Recommended dose
    200-600mg/day of extract standardised to 3% rosavins, morning
    Expected timeframe
    2-4 weeks

    Protocol

    form
    Rhodiola rosea root extract standardised to 3% rosavins and 1% salidroside
    duration
    Not applicable
    co factor
    Evidence is mixed and indirect. Animal and in vitro work suggests rhodiola constituents, particularly salidroside and rosavins, influence monoamine turnover - inhibiting monoamine oxidase, altering noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin levels in rodent brain, and modulating the stress response through the HPA axis and beta-endorphin. This is the proposed mechanism behind its effects on fatigue and mood. No human trial has measured noradrenaline, its metabolites or receptor function after rhodiola, and balance is not a measurable state - noradrenergic tone varies moment to moment by design.
    titration
    Not applicable - no dose-response for catecholamine effects exists in humans
    starting dose
    Not established for this outcome. Trials used 170-600 mg/day of standardised extract

    Evidence

    What the studies say

    Several small RCTs report reduced fatigue and improved stress-related performance at 200-600mg/day of standardised extract, but studies are short, industry-funded, and heterogeneous in extract standardisation. Effects on norepinephrine specifically are inferred rather than measured.

    A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the standardised extract SHR-5 of the roots of Rhodiola rosea in the treatment of subjects with stress-related fatigue

    Score: 7/10
    2009
    rct
    n=60

    Olsson EM, von Scheele B, Panossian AG

    Significant post-treatment improvements were observed for both groups (placebo effect) in Pines burnout scale, mental health (SF-36), and MADRS, with the SHR-5 group showing greater improvement in burnout and attention.

    View source

    Safety

    Caveats

    Can be over-stimulating and disturb sleep if taken late. Extract quality varies widely between brands.

    Less likely to help if

    Everyone - no human catecholamine data exist and the endpoint is not measurable.

    Medical Disclaimer

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    Individual results may vary. The statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products and information are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.