Full profile
| Also known as | Golden root, Arctic root |
|---|---|
| Best for | Stress-related fatigue under sustained pressure (night shifts, exam-type load) · Sustained output when already under stress or fatigue |
| Evidence grade | Grade C — Limited — early or small human trials |
| Studied dose range | 100–170 mg daily of the SHR-5 standardized extract in the trials cited here; the wider literature spans roughly 100–600 mg daily. |
| Time to effect | Some acute-fatigue studies; often used daily. |
| Best form | Extract standardized to rosavins and salidroside. |
Evidence, honestly graded
Real but under-replicated. The two founding trials (Darbinyan 2000; Spasov 2000) are small and sponsor-clustered — both run through the Swedish Herbal Institute — and a 2012 systematic review (Ishaque et al.) flagged high risk of bias across the Rhodiola literature and a lack of independent replication. Under a replication-over-recency standard, that trial base is a C, not a B, even though the direction of effect is consistent. Graded for the specific claim it's actually tied to — stress-related fatigue and sustained output under load — not as a general-purpose baseline enhancer, which the evidence does not support.
See the full grading rubric — study type, replication, population match, and dose adequacy — in The Evidence Standard.
1,073 licensed natural health products in Health Canada's LNHPD list Rhodiola Rosea as a medicinal ingredient.
That makes Rhodiola Rosea a recognized, licensable medicinal ingredient in Canada — regulated by Health Canada's Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate, which issues each licensed natural health product a Natural Product Number (NPN). Search the LNHPD to verify.
Side effects
- Occasional overstimulation or jitteriness at higher doses
- Sleep disruption if taken late
Who should avoid it or check first
- Bipolar spectrum conditions without clinician guidance
- Pregnant or breastfeeding without review
Interactions
- May interact with antidepressants and stimulant medications — discuss with a clinician
Stacks well with
Use caution stacking with
- Other strongly stimulating adaptogens without a clear rationale
What to look for on a label
- Look for the rosavin and salidroside standardization.
- Take earlier in the day to avoid sleep disruption.
References
- Darbinyan V, Kteyan A, Panossian A, et al. (2000). Phytomedicine, 7(5):365–371Reduced mental-fatigue measures during stressful night shifts versus placebo.
- Spasov AA, Wikman GK, Mandrikov VB, et al. (2000). Phytomedicine, 7(2):85–89Improved self-reported mental fatigue and well-being versus placebo.
- Ishaque S, Shamseer L, Bukutu C, Vohra S (2012). BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 12:70Rhodiola trials showed a consistent direction of benefit for stress-related fatigue but were generally small, heterogeneous, and methodologically weak.
Grades and studied doses are our conservative reading of the human research, shown for education. They are not product claims, and a studied dose is not a recommended dose.
Revision history
Every change to this ingredient's evidence status, dated and explained. The full cross-library log lives at Evidence Updates.
- 2026-07-07Grade changeGrade B → Grade C
Downgraded from B to C. The human trials are mostly small, short, and heterogeneous in outcome measure, and several are sponsor-linked — not enough consistent, independent replication to hold a B.
See how Rhodiola Rosea compares on grade, dose, and goal in the Evidence Explorer.
