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Rhodiola

Supplement herb / adaptogen energybrain & mood
Aka: Rhodiola rosea, golden root, arctic root
Brands seen in Singapore: California Gold Nutrition, Swanson Vitamins, NOW Foods, Life Extension, Thorne
Third-party tested: Thorne certifies other products with NSF Certified for Sport, but nothing for rhodiola.Certification is granted per product, so check the tub you actually own. Not being listed is not the same as failing.
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Limited human evidence — physical and mental fatigue
When to take
Daily
Studied for
Trials 3 days–5 weeks · NCCIH: possibly safe ≤12 wk
Pros & cons
Pros
  • 3 of 5 mental-fatigue RCTS positive (ishaque 2012)
  • Few, mild side effects: 5 events in 446 trial subjects
  • NCCIH: possibly safe for up to 12 weeks
Cons
  • NCCIH: not enough reliable evidence for any purpose
  • All 11 trials at high or unclear risk of bias
  • Dizziness, headache, insomnia, dry mouth reported
Sources
  1. NCCIH — Rhodiola: Usefulness and Safety (How Much Do We Know; last updated April 2025) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “There isn't enough reliable evidence to determine whether rhodiola or its components are useful for any health-related purpose. Most of the research in people is of low-to-moderate quality”
  2. NCCIH — Rhodiola (Background: traditional and promoted uses) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Traditionally, rhodiola was used for work performance, endurance, fatigue, depression, and altitude sickness. Today, rhodiola is promoted for improving athletic performance, mood, and cognition; increasing energy; and reducing stress”
  3. NCCIH — Rhodiola (What Do We Know About Safety) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Rhodiola is possibly safe for up to 12 weeks. Side effects may include dizziness, headache, insomnia, and either dry mouth or excessive saliva production”
  4. NCCIH — Rhodiola (Safety: interactions) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Interactions between rhodiola and losartan (a drug used for high blood pressure) have been reported”
  5. NCCIH — Rhodiola (Safety: pregnancy; Keep in Mind: depression) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Little is known about whether it's safe to use rhodiola during pregnancy or while breastfeeding … Depression can be a serious illness. If you or someone in your family may have depression, consult a health care provider”
  6. Rhodiola rosea for physical and mental fatigue: a systematic review (Ishaque et al., BMC Complement Altern Med 2012) — results · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Of 206 articles identified in the search, 11 met inclusion criteria … Two of six trials examining physical fatigue in healthy populations report R. rosea to be effective as did three of five RCTs evaluating R. rosea for mental fatigue”
  7. Ishaque et al., BMC Complement Altern Med 2012 — risk of bias and conclusion · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “All of the included studies exhibit either a high risk of bias or have reporting flaws that hinder assessment of their true validity (unclear risk of bias) … Research regarding R. rosea efficacy is contradictory”
  8. Ishaque et al., BMC Complement Altern Med 2012 — adverse effects · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Out of 446 subjects examined in the 11 included clinical studies, five adverse events were mentioned in three studies … There appear to be few side effects associated with R. rosea supplementation; those identified are of a mild nature”
  9. Ishaque et al., BMC Complement Altern Med 2012 — discussion (interactions) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Although no contraindications with other herbal or prescription medications have been identified, it is important to consider that R. rosea may have an additive effect with other substances exhibiting stimulant properties”
  10. Ishaque et al., BMC Complement Altern Med 2012 — dose range across trials · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Clinical studies report R. rosea-only products ranging in dose from 50 mg to 660 mg per capsule, to a maximum of 1500 mg/day”
  11. Ishaque et al., BMC Complement Altern Med 2012 — doses in trials reporting an effect · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Studies reporting a positive effect of R. rosea on physical performance reported doses of 200 mg/day and 680 mg/day and those reporting a positive effect on mental fatigue reported doses between 100–576 mg/day”
  12. Ishaque et al., BMC Complement Altern Med 2012 — active constituents · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “most preparations of R. rosea are standardized to specific levels of marker compounds rosavin, salidroside or both”
  13. Ishaque et al., BMC Complement Altern Med 2012 — Table 1 regimens (shortest and longest) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “1500 mg/day RR for 3 days before exercise test + 1000 mg on day of test … 4 Verum tablets/day for 28 days … Regimen: for 30 days before and 6 days after exhausting physical exercise”
  14. Ishaque et al., BMC Complement Altern Med 2012 — populations not studied · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “No studies in this review specifically included pediatric populations or pregnant or lactating women. As well, pregnant or lactating women were explicitly excluded from the majority of clinical studies”
  15. HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines, GL-CHPB-1-012 Rev 001 (Oct 2025) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list [Rhodiola rosea not listed in Annex A or B]”
  16. iHerb Singapore — Rhodiola category (SG$ pricing, default order) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “California Gold Nutrition, Rhodiola Extract, 500 mg … Swanson Vitamins, Full Spectrum® Rhodiola Rosea Root, 400 mg … NOW Foods, Rhodiola, 500 mg … Life Extension, Rhodiola Extract, 250 mg … Thorne, Rhodiola, 60 Capsules (100 mg per Capsule)”
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Updated 2026-08-30. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.