Rhodiola is a plant that has long been used in traditional medicine. It is considered an adaptogen as it is a natural substance that can help improve your body’s response to anxiety, stress and fatigue. Rhodiola is usually available as capsules, tablets or tea. Most people take rhodiola in dosage of between 100 mg to 200 mg.
What is rhodiola?
Rhodiola is a plant that is grown mostly in the cold areas of Europe and Asia. It has particularly been used in traditional medicine for a long time and is considered to be an adaptogen. This is because rhodiola is non toxic when taken in appropriate doses, helps your body deal with stress and also allows your body to balance out.
The goal of taking rhodiola for anxiety is often to help your body return back into a state of balance. Rhodiola helps by balancing the chemical reactions in your body and making you less prone to the emotional and physical effects of stress.
In fact, rhodiola might be able to help increase your serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine activity. All three of these are neurotransmitters that helps carry signals between your nerve cells. They work together to keep your brain functioning.
These three neurotransmitters are involved with your mood. Serotonin helps regulate your mood, appetite, memory and sleep. Dopamine is used to create chemicals such as norepinephrine and epinephrine, it is pretty important in the helping your brain process motivation and desire. High levels of dopamine is often associated with feelings of happiness and enhanced motivation. Norepinephrine helps you activate your brain to be alert and focus. It is believed that those who have low levels of these neurotransmitters are more likely to have mood disorders.
Dosage for anxiety
The general recommendation for dosage is to take around 100 mg to 600 mg of rhodiola daily. However, the dosage generally varies between the brands or product types. Therefore, it is important for you to know what dose to take and how much is it in the product. In addition to that, it is best for you to take rhodiola on an empty stomach, I would suggest the morning as rhodiola has a small stimulating effect. This means that if you plan on taking it at night, it might have a negative impact on your sleep.
For those capsules with 3% rosavins (a key ingredient in rhodiola), it has been suggested to take around 100 mg to 200 mg. But studies have also shown that those with symptoms of anxiety, stress or depression might find it more effective when rhodiola is taken in doses of between 400 mg to 600 mg per day.
As there are currently not any serious side effects of taking rhodiola, there has been many companies that sell doses of 500 mg in capsules. This is safe, but you might want to start with smaller doses to get your body used to it. As always, if you are unsure, you should always consult a doctor before starting rhodiola or any other supplements.
For example, Now supplements are currently selling rhodiola capsules at 500mg with 3% rosavins. This is generally higher than the suggested amount of 100 mg to 200 mg to take. Clinical doses are often between 200 mg to 600 mg and studies have shown that a dose of 340 mg to 680 mg is effective in improving symptoms of depression in some individuals. Therefore, 500 mg capsules should be fine for you, but it would always be safer to start with lower doses.
For lower dosage, I would try out Life Extension’s Rhodiola Extract. Their capsules have 250 mg each and therefore it is half of the other capsules. It also has 3% rosavins and great for those who are new to taking adaptogens. If you are unsure about the dosage or want to start small, I would suggest this. Always consult your doctor if you have any issues or are unsure about anything.
How long should you take rhodiola?
Studies have shown that adaptogens such as rhodiola work best for a short term. This means about less than 6 months as your body could build a resistance against adaptogens and their effects. Over prolonged periods, there might be a chance of decreased benefits and it is not good to over dose.
If you take other medicines, you should always consult your doctor before starting rhdiola. This is because rhodiola might interact with your medicine and impact how your medicine works. As with any supplement, it is always best to consult with a doctor before trying it out.
Bottomline
Rhodiola has long been used in traditional medicine. People in Scandinavian and Russian countries have long used rhodiola to treat for anxiety, fatigue and depression. Studies have shown that it is able to improve symptoms of stress and anxiety. In addition, it can also help alleviate fatigue and thereby improve your feelings of mental and physical tiredness.
What you should know is that the scientific studies are still quite limited. There are not many widespread studies on humans. However, currently it is believed that the side effects are low and therefore this makes it a popular option for those who are looking to improve their anxiety using supplements.
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