Rhodiola Rosea

Golden Root · Arctic Root

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Stress-related fatigue^{1, 2} Mental fatigue^{3, 4} Endurance performance^{5, 6} Anxiety and stress symptoms^{1, 7–9} Mild depressive symptoms¹⁰	Bipolar disorder¹¹

Rhodiola rosea (golden root, Arctic root) is a cold-climate root traditionally used in Russia and Scandinavia for endurance and fatigue¹². As an adaptogen it has multi-target effects on the cellular stress response¹⁰. Supplementation follows from that: stress-related fatigue and burnout symptoms^{1, 2}, mental performance under strain, physical endurance, and mild low mood, where trials are few¹⁰. Typical users are stressed or shift-working adults and recreationally active people.

Systematic reviews find possible benefit for fatigue and performance but cite high risk of bias and few independent replications^{4, 13}. A meta-analysis in healthy adults found longer time to exhaustion. A small 2024 study of a rhodiola and lotus extract mixture in adults with subthreshold insomnia reported better sleep quality, so rhodiola's own contribution is untested. Products list Rhodiola Rosea mostly as capsules, with powders and liquids; see Form comparison.

Per Memorial Sloan Kettering, monoamine oxidase inhibition may add serotonergic effects, with clinical relevance undetermined¹⁴. Patients on warfarin or phenytoin are told to talk to their healthcare provider¹⁴.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

64 sources, 47 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources