Rhodiola rosea
also Rhodiola · Golden root · Arctic root · SHR-5
Rhodiola rosea is an Arctic and alpine herb marketed as an adaptogen for stress and fatigue. Some randomised trials report less mental fatigue [1][2], but one found it made fatigue worse [3]. Systematic reviews describe the evidence as contradictory and the trials as poorly reported [4][5].
A popular stress herb whose evidence is genuinely mixed and methodologically weak; treat it as plausible rather than proven.
- meta-analysis
- RCT
- trial
- observational
- preclinical / case
- review / patent / other
- retracted
- + Some trials show reduced mental fatigue under stress
- + Studied in real-world shift and night-duty settings
- + Generally well tolerated
- − One RCT found it worsened fatigue
- − Poor trial reporting across the field
- − Commercial extracts vary widely
Overview
Rhodiola is a traditional remedy in Scandinavia and Russia, and is now sold worldwide as an adaptogen. Much of the research uses one standardised extract, SHR-5.
In a double-blind crossover trial, 56 young physicians on night duty took one low-dose tablet daily. Over the first two weeks their fatigue-sensitive mental performance improved [1]. A phase III trial in 60 people with stress-related fatigue syndrome measured quality of life, fatigue, depression, attention and the cortisol awakening response over 28 days [2]. But a 42-day trial in nursing students on shift work found rhodiola worsened fatigue compared with placebo [3].
Mechanism
The adaptogen concept, raising general resistance to stress, is not a pharmacological mechanism, and the herb's specific molecular targets in humans are unclear. Trials have used the cortisol awakening response as a marker of its effect on the stress axis [2].
- Stress response (HPA axis)modulatesstudied through salivary cortisol response in stress-related fatigue [2]unclear
Safety
risks and cautions, not medical adviceTrials generally report few side effects. The night-duty trial reported none in either group [1], and the nursing-student trial found no difference in adverse events from placebo [3].
- One randomised trial found worse fatigue than placebo after six weeks [3]
- A systematic review found the efficacy research contradictory, with every included study at high or unclear risk of bias [4]
- Of 39 Rhodiola RCTs assessed for reporting quality, none met all CONSORT criteria [5]
- Positive and negative trials used different populations and durations, so they are hard to reconcile
Interactions
documented pairs only, not exhaustive- Bacopa monniericompatibleNo interaction documented
- CaffeinecompatibleNo interaction documented
FAQ
References
entry last reviewed 2026-09-18- [1]Rhodiola rosea in stress induced fatigue--a double blind cross-over study of a standardized extract SHR-5 with a repeated low-dose regimen on the mental performance of healthy physicians during night duty.Darbinyan V, Kteyan A, Panossian A et al.Phytomedicine 2000RCT · humanPMID 11081987◌ unreviewed
- [2]A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the standardised extract shr-5 of the roots of Rhodiola rosea in the treatment of subjects with stress-related fatigue.Olsson EM, von Schéele B, Panossian AGPlanta Med 2009RCT · humanPMID 19016404◌ unreviewed
- [3]Rhodiola rosea for mental and physical fatigue in nursing students: a randomized controlled trial.Punja S, Shamseer L, Olson K et al.PLoS One 2014RCT · humanPMID 25268730◌ unreviewed
- [4]Rhodiola rosea for physical and mental fatigue: a systematic review.Ishaque S, Shamseer L, Bukutu C et al.BMC Complement Altern Med 2012meta-analysis · humanPMID 22643043◌ unreviewed
- [5]Quality Evaluation of Randomized Controlled Trials of Rhodiola Species: A Systematic Review.Li X, Chen W, Xu Y et al.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2021reviewPMID 34306163◌ unreviewed