An Herb that Makes You Live Longer and Smarter?

by WiredBerries Editors — December 13, 2007

Rhodiola rosea, also commonly known as the Golden Root or Roseroot, is a plant in the Crassulaceae family that grows in cold regions including the Arctic, mountains of Central Asia, the Rocky Mountains, and in high elevations of some European countries. Previous research conduced in Russia found that Rhodiola rosea improves both physical and mental performance, reduces fatigue, and prevents high-altitude sickness. Due to these many beneficial properties, Soviet researchers have been studying Rhodiola since the 1940s on athletes and cosmonauts. They found that the herb appears to boost the body's response to stress. Earlier this year, a Nordic Journal of Psychiatry study on people with mild-to-moderate depression showed Rhodiola extract called SHR-5 significantly helped treat depression. Another study found that those who supplemented with the herb were remarkably better at catching typos than the control group, indicating a positive effect on mental abilities.

The herb's wide range of impressive effects is attributed to its ability to regulate serotonin and dopamine levels, due to monoamine oxidase inhibition and to its influence on opioid peptides such as beta-endorphins. Similar to certain drugs, these substances are referred to as adaptogens. Unlike stimulants, adaptogens do not have unpleasant side effects. In northern climates, Rhodiola rosea has been used for centuries by indigenous populations to help cope with the freezing cold as well as other physical and mental stressors of living in harsh conditions.

The most recent study conducted at University of California, Irvine, found that the herbal extract of this yellow-flowered mountain plant also increased the lifespan of fruit fly populations. Flies that ate a diet rich with Rhodiola rosea lived on an average of 10 percent longer than fly groups that didn't eat the herb. Study results appear in the online version of Rejuvenation Research. Scientists have found that in certain areas, fruit flies and humans have similar aging progression, but that doesn't mean these impressive results will automatically apply to humans.

"Although this study does not present clinical evidence that Rhodiola can extend human life, the finding that it does extend the lifespan of a model organism, combined with its known health benefits in humans, make this herb a promising candidate for further anti-aging research," said Mahtab Jafari, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences and study leader. "Our results reveal that Rhodiola is worthy of continued study, and we are now investigating why this herb works to increase lifespan."