Supplements

Rhodiola Rosea

Updated · 26 sources · Editorial policy

Rhodiola rosea, also called roseroot, golden root or arctic root, is a flowering plant of the stonecrop family (Crassulaceae) that grows in cold, mountainous regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Its root and rhizome (underground stem) have been used in traditional medicine for centuries, and extracts are sold today as an “adaptogen” for stress, fatigue, mental performance and endurance (EMA assessment report 2024).

In the US it is a dietary supplement. In the EU, specific ethanol extracts can be registered as traditional herbal medicines for the relief of stress symptoms such as fatigue and exhaustion. That registration rests on long-standing use, not on proof from trials: in 2024 the EU’s herbal medicines committee again concluded that the clinical trials have too many methodological flaws to show efficacy (EMA assessment report 2024).

This page summarizes what clinical trials, systematic reviews and regulators report. It is for education only and is not medical advice.

Property Detail
Type Herbal dietary supplement (US); traditional herbal medicinal product (EU)
Plant part Root and rhizome of Rhodiola rosea L.
Marker constituents Rosavins (rosavin, rosarin, rosin) and salidroside (also called rhodioloside)
Route Oral (tablets, capsules, tinctures)
EU traditional-use dose 144–200 mg of dry extract once or twice daily (144–400 mg/day), adults only
Doses in trials 200 mg single dose up to 1,500 mg/day for a few days (exercise); 340–680 mg/day, or one to four 340 mg capsules daily (depression)
Half-life No human elimination half-life published; after one 288 mg dose, levels peaked at ≈2 h and were undetectable by 8 h. In rats, IV salidroside half-life ≈1 h
US status Dietary supplement; FDA does not approve supplements before marketing
WADA status Not named on the 2026 Prohibited List

What it is

The plant’s name refers to the rose-like smell of the freshly cut root. About 140 compounds have been isolated from the root and rhizome, including phenylpropanoids, phenylethanoids, flavonoids, monoterpenes and cyanogenic glycosides (Panossian et al., Phytomedicine 2010). Two groups are used as quality markers:

Constituent group Examples Why it matters
Phenylpropanoids (rosavins) Rosavin, rosarin, rosin Used to tell R. rosea apart from related Rhodiola species
Phenylethanoids Salidroside (rhodioloside), tyrosol Also found in other Rhodiola species; studied as a possible active compound

Sources: EMA assessment report 2024; Booker et al., Phytomedicine 2016.

The EMA notes that only limited data exist on the quantitative composition, and that content varies between plant clones and with the extraction solvent: 70% ethanol extracts more rosavins and less salidroside than 40% ethanol. Several clinical trials used one branded extract, SHR-5 (Swedish Herbal Institute). The batch used in one US trial was standardized to 3.07% rosavin and 1.95% salidroside (Mao et al., Phytomedicine 2015).

“Adaptogen” describes a substance said to increase resistance to stress. Proposed mechanisms come mainly from laboratory work: effects on the stress-hormone (HPA) axis and cortisol, on heat shock proteins and on stress-signaling enzymes (Panossian et al., Phytomedicine 2010). In laboratory assays, root extracts inhibited the enzymes monoamine oxidase A and B, which break down serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline (EMA assessment report 2024). None of these mechanisms has been confirmed to explain effects in people.

Pharmacokinetics

Human data come from a single small study; most other figures are from rats.

Study Finding
Humans: 16 volunteers, single 288 mg dose of SHR-5 (7.26 mg salidroside, 8.4 mg rosavin) Salidroside detectable immediately; rosavin not detectable in the first hour. Peak at 2 h (salidroside 948 ng/mL, rosavin 446 ng/mL). Below detection limit after 8 h
Rats, oral Bioavailability of salidroside 75–90% vs 20–26% for rosavin
Rats, IV salidroside 7.5–30 mg/kg Half-life ≈1 h; 53.7% of the dose recovered unchanged in urine over 48 h

Sources: EMA assessment report 2024, summarizing Panossian et al. 2010; Zhang et al., Planta Med 2013.

In rats, salidroside was cleared mainly by the kidneys and reached skeletal muscle, fat and the testes and ovaries better than the brain (Zhang et al., Planta Med 2013). Whether this applies to people is unknown. No human elimination half-life has been published for any rhodiola constituent.

Regulatory status

  • European Union. The EU herbal monograph (revision 1, adopted March 20, 2024) covers dry extracts made with 67–70% ethanol, for adults, as a “traditional herbal medicinal product for the relief of symptoms of stress, such as fatigue and exhaustion.” If symptoms last longer than 2 weeks, users are told to consult a doctor (EMA monograph 2024). Such extracts have been in medicinal use in the EU since 1987, which met the 30-year traditional-use rule. The committee rejected “well-established use” status, which requires proof of efficacy, because the published trials “exhibit considerable deficiencies in their quality” (EMA assessment report 2024).
  • United States. Rhodiola is sold as a dietary supplement. Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), FDA has no authority to approve supplements before they are marketed (FDA).
  • Sport. Rhodiola and salidroside are not named on the WADA 2026 Prohibited List. Product quality problems (see below) still apply.

What the research shows

Fatigue and mental performance

Trial Design and dose Result
Darbinyan et al., 2000 56 young physicians on night duty; crossover; one SHR-5 tablet daily for 2 weeks Better scores on a fatigue index of mental tests in the first 2-week period
Olsson et al., 2009 60 adults with stress-related fatigue; 576 mg/day SHR-5 or placebo for 28 days Both groups improved; rhodiola did better than placebo on a burnout scale and some attention measures, and blunted the morning cortisol response
Punja et al., 2014 48 nursing students on shift work; 364 mg (plus up to one more capsule) daily for 42 days Fatigue worse than placebo: vitality score difference −17.3 (95% CI −30.6 to −3.9)

The Olsson trial found large placebo effects: both groups improved on burnout, mental health, depression and several attention scores. The EMA assessor noted that the between-group difference on the main burnout scale was small (p = 0.047) and the trial too small to support efficacy (EMA assessment report 2024).

Systematic reviews reach cautious conclusions:

  • A 2011 review of 11 placebo-controlled trials found possible benefits for physical and mental performance but a “lack of independent replications” (Hung et al., Phytomedicine 2011).
  • A 2012 review of 11 trials found that 2 of 6 physical-fatigue trials and 3 of 5 mental-fatigue trials reported benefit. Every included study had a high or unclear risk of bias, and the authors called the evidence contradictory (Ishaque et al., BMC Complement Altern Med 2012).

Endurance and exercise performance

Individual trials are small and mixed:

Trial Design and dose Result
De Bock et al., 2004 24 young adults, crossover; 200 mg extract (3% rosavin, 1% salidroside) 1 h before testing; then 12 adults on 200 mg/day for 4 weeks Single dose: time to exhaustion 17.2 vs 16.8 min; peak oxygen uptake 52.9 vs 50.9 mL/kg/min. Four weeks of use changed nothing
Walker et al., 2007 12 resistance-trained men, crossover; 1,500 mg/day for 4 days No difference in muscle energy recovery, perceived exertion or time to exhaustion
Ballmann et al., 2019 11 active women, crossover; 1,500 mg/day for 3 days plus 500 mg before testing Higher mean power (effect size 0.55) and peak power (0.46) over three 15-second sprints; fatigue index unchanged

A 2025 meta-analysis pooled 26 randomized trials with 668 healthy, mostly young participants (mean duration 33 days) (Wang et al., Front Nutr 2025):

Outcome Trials Effect size (95% CI) Heterogeneity (I²)
VO₂max (maximal oxygen uptake) 11 0.32 (0.12–0.52) 0%
Time to exhaustion 7 0.38 (0.07–0.69) 14.5%
Time-trial time (negative = faster) 5 −0.40 (−0.78 to −0.01) 24.8%
Creatine kinase (muscle damage marker) 9 −0.84 (−1.35 to −0.34) 83.0%
IL-6 and CRP (inflammation markers) 3 each Not significant Over 90%

The effect sizes are standardized mean differences: about 0.2 is small and 0.5 is medium. The performance effects are small, and the muscle-damage result varied widely between trials. Subgroup analyses linked larger VO₂max gains to doses above 600 mg/day.

A 2023 systematic review of 13 trials (263 participants) found heterogeneous results and an unclear or high risk of bias in most studies. Its reading was that a single dose may help endurance and perceived effort, while regular use may help sprint-type performance but not endurance (Sanz-Barrio et al., Phytother Res 2023). No trial has shown effects on muscle mass or strength comparable to those of anabolic drugs.

Isolated salidroside has also been tested. In an exploratory trial, 50 active young adults took 60 mg/day of biosynthetic salidroside or placebo for 16 days. Oxygen uptake during intermittent high-intensity exercise was better maintained with salidroside (Schwarz et al., JISSN 2024). Two co-authors were employees of an ingredient company (Gnosis by Lesaffre), as stated in the paper’s conflict-of-interest disclosure.

Depression and anxiety

Trial Design and dose Result
Darbinyan et al., 2007 89 adults with mild to moderate depression; SHR-5 340 mg/day, 680 mg/day or placebo for 6 weeks Both rhodiola groups improved on overall depression scores; the placebo group did not
Mao et al., 2015 57 adults with mild to moderate major depression; one to four 340 mg SHR-5 capsules daily vs sertraline vs placebo for 12 weeks No significant difference between groups. Depression score (HAM-D) change: rhodiola −5.1, sertraline −8.2, placebo −4.6
Cropley et al., 2015 80 mildly anxious adults; 2 × 200 mg/day vs no treatment for 14 days; no placebo Lower self-reported anxiety, stress and depression than the untreated group

In the Mao trial, adverse events were reported by 30.0% on rhodiola, 63.2% on sertraline and 16.7% on placebo (p = 0.012). The Cropley trial had no placebo group, so expectation effects cannot be excluded.

A 2022 international guideline from the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry and the Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments concluded that rhodiola use “was not supported” for mood disorders (Sarris et al., World J Biol Psychiatry 2022). The same guideline gave modest support to ashwagandha for anxiety disorders.

Side effects and risks

Tolerability

Trials have reported few and mostly mild adverse events (Hung et al., Phytomedicine 2011). The EU monograph lists headache, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, skin rash and itching, each of unknown frequency, and no reported overdoses (EMA monograph 2024). Trials have been short (12 weeks at most among those cited here), so long-term safety data are lacking. Tests for reproductive toxicity, genotoxicity (DNA damage) and cancer risk are not available, and the EMA cited the missing genotoxicity data as a reason it could not add rhodiola to the EU list of herbal substances.

Interactions

  • CYP2C9 (warfarin, phenytoin). In a crossover study of 13 healthy volunteers, 14 days of a commercial rhodiola product reduced the conversion of losartan to its active metabolite by 21%, a sign of reduced CYP2C9 enzyme activity. Other CYP enzymes tested (1A2, 2C19, 2D6, 3A4) were not affected. The authors considered the effect modest but possibly relevant for narrow-margin CYP2C9 drugs such as warfarin and phenytoin (Thu et al., Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2016).
  • CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein. Root extracts strongly inhibited CYP3A4 and the drug transporter P-glycoprotein in laboratory assays (EMA assessment report 2024). The human study above did not find a CYP3A4 effect.
  • Antidepressants. A 68-year-old woman taking paroxetine developed restlessness, trembling and autonomic symptoms after adding rhodiola. The authors interpreted this as a possible serotonergic syndrome (Maniscalco et al., Neuropsychiatr 2015). This is a single case report.

The EU monograph states that “no clinically relevant interactions have been observed” (EMA monograph 2024). The human CYP2C9 data and the case report show that the question has not been fully settled.

Who should not use it

According to the EU monograph:

  • children and adolescents under 18, because safety has not been established;
  • pregnant or breastfeeding women, because no safety data exist;
  • anyone hypersensitive to the extract.

Quality and contamination

Product quality is a documented problem:

  • Wrong species. In about 40 products sold in Europe, roughly one fifth of those labeled R. rosea contained no rosavin, the marker for this species. About 80% of the rest had less rosavin than registered herbal medicines and appeared to be mixed with other Rhodiola species (Booker et al., Phytomedicine 2016).
  • US products. In a small sample of US supplements, rosavin content ranged from 0.01% to 3.08% and salidroside from 0.07% to 2.91%, often far from label claims. One product likely contained undisclosed synthetic salidroside. All seven capsule products had trace arsenic, cobalt and lead, two at notably elevated levels; pesticides were below detection limits (Porwollik and Jafari, PLoS One 2026).
  • Supply pressure. Much of the supply comes from wild plants. A 2021 review reported shrinking wild populations, rising illegal harvesting and increasing substitution with other Rhodiola species (Brinckmann et al., J Ethnopharmacol 2021).

Because effects seen with one standardized extract may not carry over to another product, trial results describe specific extracts, not “rhodiola” in general.

Key takeaways

  • A traditional herb, not a proven drug. The EU accepts rhodiola extracts only as traditional remedies for stress-related fatigue; regulators judged the trials too weak to prove efficacy.
  • Short-lived in the blood. After a single dose, constituents peaked at about 2 hours and were undetectable by 8 hours; no human half-life has been published.
  • Small, inconsistent performance effects. Pooled trials show small gains in VO₂max and endurance, but individual trials disagree and most carry a risk of bias.
  • Mixed evidence for fatigue and mood. Some trials report less fatigue or depression, others found no benefit or worse fatigue, and psychiatric guidelines do not support its use for mood disorders.
  • Generally well tolerated, with interaction signals. Side effects in trials were mild, but rhodiola modestly inhibited CYP2C9 in people, which matters for drugs such as warfarin.
  • Product quality varies widely. Many products contain the wrong species or far less of the marker compounds than labeled, and some contain trace heavy metals.

Sources

  1. Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Assessment report on Rhodiola rosea L., rhizoma et radix, final, revision 1. EMA/HMPC/24186/2023. European Medicines Agency; March 20, 2024. EMA.
  2. Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). European Union herbal monograph on Rhodiola rosea L., rhizoma et radix, final, revision 1. EMA/HMPC/24177/2023. European Medicines Agency; March 20, 2024. EMA.
  3. Panossian A, Wikman G, Sarris J. Rosenroot (Rhodiola rosea): traditional use, chemical composition, pharmacology and clinical efficacy. Phytomedicine. 2010;17(7):481–493. PubMed.
  4. Zhang Y, Li L, Lin L, et al. Pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, and excretion of salidroside in rats. Planta Med. 2013;79(15):1429–1433. PubMed.
  5. Darbinyan V, Kteyan A, Panossian A, et al. Rhodiola rosea in stress induced fatigue–a double blind cross-over study of a standardized extract SHR-5 with a repeated low-dose regimen on the mental performance of healthy physicians during night duty. Phytomedicine. 2000;7(5):365–371. PubMed.
  6. Olsson EM, von Schéele B, Panossian AG. 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. Planta Med. 2009;75(2):105–112. PubMed.
  7. Punja S, Shamseer L, Olson K, Vohra S. Rhodiola rosea for mental and physical fatigue in nursing students: a randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2014;9(9):e108416. PubMed.
  8. Hung SK, Perry R, Ernst E. The effectiveness and efficacy of Rhodiola rosea L.: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Phytomedicine. 2011;18(4):235–244. PubMed.
  9. Ishaque S, Shamseer L, Bukutu C, Vohra S. Rhodiola rosea for physical and mental fatigue: a systematic review. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2012;12:70. PubMed.
  10. De Bock K, Eijnde BO, Ramaekers M, Hespel P. Acute Rhodiola rosea intake can improve endurance exercise performance. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2004;14(3):298–307. PubMed.
  11. Walker TB, Altobelli SA, Caprihan A, Robergs RA. Failure of Rhodiola rosea to alter skeletal muscle phosphate kinetics in trained men. Metabolism. 2007;56(8):1111–1117. PubMed.
  12. Ballmann CG, Maze SB, Wells AC, et al. Effects of short-term Rhodiola Rosea (Golden Root Extract) supplementation on anaerobic exercise performance. J Sports Sci. 2019;37(9):998–1003. PubMed.
  13. Wang X, Yang X, Gao Z, et al. The effect of Rhodiola rosea supplementation on endurance performance and related biomarkers: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Nutr. 2025;12:1645346. PubMed.
  14. Sanz-Barrio PM, Noreen EE, Gilsanz-Estebaranz L, et al. Rhodiola rosea supplementation on sports performance: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Phytother Res. 2023;37(10):4414–4428. PubMed.
  15. Schwarz NA, Stratton MT, Colquhoun RJ, et al. Salidroside and exercise performance in healthy active young adults - an exploratory, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2024;21(1):2433744. PubMed.
  16. Darbinyan V, Aslanyan G, Amroyan E, et al. Clinical trial of Rhodiola rosea L. extract SHR-5 in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. Nord J Psychiatry. 2007;61(5):343–348. PubMed.
  17. Mao JJ, Xie SX, Zee J, et al. Rhodiola rosea versus sertraline for major depressive disorder: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Phytomedicine. 2015;22(3):394–399. PubMed.
  18. Cropley M, Banks AP, Boyle J. The effects of Rhodiola rosea L. extract on anxiety, stress, cognition and other mood symptoms. Phytother Res. 2015;29(12):1934–1939. PubMed.
  19. Sarris J, Ravindran A, Yatham LN, et al. Clinician guidelines for the treatment of psychiatric disorders with nutraceuticals and phytoceuticals: The World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) and Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) Taskforce. World J Biol Psychiatry. 2022;23(6):424–455. PubMed.
  20. Thu OK, Spigset O, Nilsen OG, Hellum B. Effect of commercial Rhodiola rosea on CYP enzyme activity in humans. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2016;72(3):295–300. PubMed.
  21. Maniscalco I, Toffol E, Giupponi G, Conca A. The interaction of Rhodiola rosea and antidepressants. A case report [in German]. Neuropsychiatr. 2015;29(1):36–38. PubMed.
  22. Booker A, Jalil B, Frommenwiler D, et al. The authenticity and quality of Rhodiola rosea products. Phytomedicine. 2016;23(7):754–762. PubMed.
  23. Porwollik S, Jafari M. The quality and safety of Rhodiola rosea supplements on the U.S. market: an analysis of biomarkers, heavy metals, and pesticide residues. PLoS One. 2026;21(1):e0341070. PubMed.
  24. Brinckmann JA, Cunningham AB, Harter DEV. Running out of time to smell the roseroots: reviewing threats and trade in wild Rhodiola rosea L. J Ethnopharmacol. 2021;269:113710. PubMed.
  25. US Food and Drug Administration. Questions and answers on dietary supplements. FDA.
  26. World Anti-Doping Agency. World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2026. WADA 2026 Prohibited List.