Article was written by the team at Organifi
Did you know that there is an herb that can help you burn body fat, increase your athletic performance, improve your brain function, better your mental health and lower your cortisol levels?
This herb is known as Rhodiola Rosea and it can drastically improve your well-being if you include it in your diet.
WHAT IS RHODIOLA ROSEA?
Rhodiola, also known as golden root is a powerful superfood and medicinal herb.
Being an adaptogen herb, it can help your body to adapt to stress, including physical, chemical and environmental stress that you are exposed to on a regular basis.
Like many other potent herbs and superfoods, Rhodiola comes from far away, grown in the high altitudes of Asia and Eastern Europe and has been used by Vikings and sherpas climbing the Mt. Everest. It has been used in Chinese medicine to reduce fatigue and in Russia to improve work performance, insomnia, athletic performance, and fatigue.
So what makes Rhodiola so famous in the superfood world?
RHODIOLA BENEFITS
Rhodiola is a powerful superfood with many benefits for your physical and mental health. The four major benefits of Rhodiola backed by science include:
- Burning your belly fat
- Increasing your energy and athletic performance
- Lowering your cortisol
- Fighting depression and improving your brain function
Let’s take a look at each of them one by one.
Rhodiola Can Burn Belly Fat
Helping your body to burn stored fat as fuel is one of the magical characteristics of Rhodiola that I bet you are absolutely stoked for.
Rhodiola contains something called Rosavin, an active compound that can help stimulate lipase, an important enzyme in your body that has the powerful ability to burn fat, especially fat stored in your adipose tissue in your belly area.
Yup, that means that Rhodiola can help you get rid of unwanted extra fat on your tummy.
This is not a myth either. Human clinical studies found that Rhodiola combined with moderate exercise can help break down belly fat even more effectively than exercise or Rhodiola alone. Rhodiola can help to burn off the fat, while exercise can help you get more lean and toned.
Rhodiola Can Increase Your Energy And Athletic And Mental Performance
Taking Rhodiola can also boost your endurance and stamina by increasing your red blood cells that carry oxygen to your muscles, helping to delay and reduce fatigue and enhance performance.
Researchers have found that Rhodiola can increase the endurance of rats by 25% when swimming. But it’s not just rats that gain more endurance from Rhodiola, human studies show that you can too. According to a 2004 study, Rhodiola can help improve endurance and lead to fast recovery due to its inflammation reducing properties. A 2009 study has also found that Rhodiola can decrease fatigue.
Rhodiola doesn’t only help your fitness and athletic performance, but it can also enhance your physical and mental performance at work and school. Rhodiola can improve work and life-related stress, increase your focus and increase your energy.
Rhodiola Can Lower Your Cortisol
Rhodiola is an adaptogenic herb that can balance your cortisol levels and help your system get out of the constant ‘fight or flight’ mode from simple everyday stress.
Balancing your cortisol levels is quite important, as high cortisol can lead to all kinds of problems, including hormonal imbalance, weakened immunity, thyroid issues, adrenal fatigue, blood glucose levels, weight gain and decreased memory. Studies suggest that by improving work and life-related stress, Rhodiola helps your body to find more balance in life, even during those stressful times. Research suggests that Rhodiola can help you improve your cortisol levels and prevent or improve adrenal fatigue.
Rhodiola Can Help You To Beat Depression And Improve Brain Function
Improving your mental health, depression symptoms and brain function is another important benefit of Rhodiola. Rhodiola has the potential to increase the sensitivity of two important neurons, serotonin and dopamine, in your brain. Those two hormones are the hormones responsible for a happy mood, pleasure, memory and focus.
A 2007 study found that Rhodiola reduced the symptoms of depression within 6 weeks, while research from 2000 suggests that Rhodiola can improve your focus. Functional medicine doctors and holistic practitioners know this and regularly prescribe Rhodiola as an effective and powerful alternative to antidepressants that not only can improve your mood and focus, but can also even reduce food cravings and addictions.
HOW TO USE RHODIOLA
What Is Rhodiola Rosea Extract?
When thinking about supplementing with Rhodiola, you will likely be using Rhodiola extract; more specifically, most supplements tend to be SHR-5 extract or an equivalent extract, any that confers both 3% rosavins and 1% Salidroside. Make sure to buy your supplements from a reputable company with high-quality products.
The team at Organifi has received Dr. Nandi’s Health Hero stamp of approval. They care about you and make sure to only use well-trusted, high-quality, organic and plant-based ingredients. The Organifi Red Juice contains all the Rhodiola your body needs to function at its best.
When Should Rhodiola Rosea Be Taken?
If you are experiencing adrenal fatigue, lots of fatigue in general, under a lot of stress, have difficulty focusing or dealing with depression you may benefit from supplementing with Rhodiola.
When Does Rhodiola Start Working?
How fast it will take to experience the benefits of Rhodiola will really depend on your personal situation, health conditions, genetic make-up and lifestyle. According to one research study, taking Rhodiola for 6 weeks has shown to decrease symptoms of depression. According to another study, after only 10 days there were significant improvements in long-term memory.
Generally speaking, clinical studies suggest that you should experience some level of benefits within 30 – 40 days. If you still haven’t seen any improvements after 40 days, discontinue using Rhodiola at least momentarily. It is possible that Rhodiola is simply not right for your personal situation, but it is also possible that you may also need further changes in your diet and lifestyle, or need to supplement with other herbs, vitamins and minerals as well. Talk to a healthcare professional to get the bottom of this and see if Rhodiola may be right for you.
How Much Rhodiola Should Be Taken For Weight Loss?
The appropriate dose for you depends on many factors, including your age, health and several other conditions. As low as 50 mg can be effective. Talk to your integrative or naturopathic doctor or another healthcare professional for recommended doses, but most importantly, listen to your body. Start at a lower dose and go from there. Remember, weight loss doesn’t happen overnight, be patient.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. How much Rhodiola should I take?
A. There is no rule of thumb when it comes to Rhodiola. It depends on your personal situation and body. Start low and go from there, listen to your body and consult a naturopath or other health professional. As low as 50 mg is shown to be effective against fatigue. The acute usage for stress and fatigue is 288 – 680 mg, but don’t stay at such a high amount for too long.
Q. How much Rhodiola is too much?
A. More is not always better. Going over 680 mg is not recommended and is shown to be ineffective.
Q. Can I take Rhodiola when pregnant or breastfeeding?
A. There is currently not enough research evidence and reliable information on the safety of Rhodiola when pregnant or breastfeeding. Talk to your doctor or stay safe and avoid using Rhodiola if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Q. What are the side effects of Rhodiola?
A. If you are taking Rhodiola, you likely don’t have to worry about side-effects as they are mild and rare. Some of the side effects may include activation, agitation, insomnia, anxiety, occasional headache, allergy, irritability, insomnia, increased blood pressure and chest pain.
Conclusion
Rhodiola is a fantastic superfood that is known to help weight loss, burn belly fat, lower your cortisol levels, decrease stress, help your physical and mental performance and boost your mental health and brain function.There is absolutely no question that you want these health benefits in your life.
The smartest and most cost-effective way to benefit from this powerful herb is choosing a superfood mix like Organifi Red Juice. Organifi Red doesn’t only include the necessary dose of Rhodiola, but it is also combined with other powerful superfoods like Cordyceps, Reishi, Siberian Ginseng and some super berries to ignite your metabolism, help your mental clarity, revitalize your skin cells and give you a boost of antioxidants. You can mix it with a glass of water, green juice, green smoothie or any creative healthy recipe to receive its daily benefits.
