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Rhodiola and work stress
You have recommended the herb, rhodiola, to help students facing exams but I wondered if it would also help those of us who have a long and strenuous working day. Can it be taken in the long term and what is the best dosage?
Rhodiola or Roseroot is another of those stress-busting adaptogenic herbs that works to normalize and make all the body’s systems the very best they can be. This is one of my favourite herbs because as well as improving strength and stamina, it can boost mood too since it works to disable the enzyme that would otherwise trigger the breakdown of serotonin, the brain’s feel-good chemical.
Supplements are made from the root of the plant, which contains salidroside, the active agent responsible for its anti-stress and adaptogenic actions. As well as boosting memory, this agent can help increase performance and work capacity and reduce fatigue, making it popular among athletes.
The therapeutic dosage is 50mg, twice a day - although in trials where rhodiola was given to help night workers cope with fatigue, the researchers used 170mg a day. In lab tests where genetic mutations were deliberately induced, rhodiola reduced the number of mutations suggesting it may also have an anti-ageing role in DNA repair. Solgar’s Rhodiola is on sale in all good health stores. For local stockists, call 01442-890355.