Many of the most promising rhodiola benefits come from its anti-stress, adaptogenic and neuroendocine effects. Rhodiola rosea was one of the only herbal remedies to qualify as a real adaptogen when Soviet pharmacologists outlined and specified the most accepted criteria for defining adaptogens in 1968. The nonspecific resistance enhanced by taking this supplement was established in early animal studies and has been corroborated in recent human clinical case studies.

The promise of low side effects along with a broad range of tangible benefits stirs an enthusiasm and hope for the possibilities of supplementing one’s diet with this adaptogen. The following summary and review of the seminal studies illustrating Rhodiola rosea’s promise focuses on the neurological mechanisms and stress response system influenced or perhaps enhanced by taking this extract. It also illustrates how R. rosea may also help protect both the brain and the heart. Read on to learn more.