The name “Rhodiola” comes from the Latin which was borrowed from the Greek rhodios , which refers to the smell of rose root emerges . Its vernacular name “golden root” is an allusion to its legendary reputation plant panacea. And still often today – – formerly classified in the genus Sedum, Rhodiola has actually its kind to her, Rhodiola , which includes at least twenty species , none of which would be rich in active ingredients that species R. rosea . This confusion between the two types reflects the many similarities they have.
Is it edible?
Just like red stonecrop ( Sedum purpureum ) , a weed that some see as a green choice, rhodiola is edible . The Inuit of Alaska and Canada consumed, often in large quantities, stems and fleshy leaves as a green vegetable. They are usually picked in early summer. It was fermented in the water, then ate with their soaking water and bacon walrus or other marine mammals or even, oil. Once ready, the preparation was kept cold to prevent further fermentation. The plant has a pleasant tangy flavor.
The root is also edible. It is collected preferably from late fall until early spring, a time when it is most tasty.
Alaskan Tanaina used it as eye lotion. Inuit preparing a decoction of the flowers to treat stomach and intestinal discomfort, and in cases of tuberculosis, they ate raw flowers. They used the leaves as a poultice to treat cuts and burns.
On the other hand, across the Bering Strait, its use as a tonic herb has been known for at least 3,000 years and Siberians still believe that drinking tea from Rhodiola promotes health and longevity. If you do your daily drink, they say, you are guaranteed to pass the milestone of one hundred years eyes closed.
Given these secular purpose, it is surprising that the plant does not appear in the books and compendia traditional medical field, whether in America or Europe. The Sisters of Providence, yet the fact both traditional uses and scientific research of their time, do not mention it . Rhodiola seems even unknown to traditional Chinese medicine, although it grows wild in Eurasia, and despite the impressive variety of plants listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Were it not for its traditional use in Siberia, one might think that this is a modern mutant appeared as a result of physical or chemical phenomena mysterious related to pollution or disturbance to any climate another Nature . For it is only in the late 1990s we began to talk, at least in America. In Europe, we know it a little more, but not much longer.
Is it because everything is a little Russian Siberian deep in the soul that is in the former Soviet Union that has studied and discovered the adaptogenic properties of Rhodiola? We do not know, but certainly this is where we get everything we know about the issue. For forty years, the other side of the wall separating the communist countries from the rest of Europe, researchers have studied this plan. It was not until the end of the Cold War that the results of these studies are disclosed and we hear about in our country.
Note that although the concept of an adaptogen
is strongly contested in medicine, even by some supporters of the so-called integrated or complementary medicine, others continue to believe that there are indeed plants whose action, which is not specific, but generally is to restore energy in the event of exhaustion or physical or mental stress, and increase the body’s resistance to any type of stress, and therefore, to normalize immune and endocrine functions.
The fact is that numerous studies and clinical trials have been conducted on this plant. Unfortunately, in most cases, these works have not been published in scientific journals in the West; we serve both reference and validation. Or, if some have been, it is in Russian, which means that they do not exist, because it is well known that the universal language of science is English today.
We do not have any solid basis for us to affirm that Rhodiola actually has a positive impact on higher nervous activity in improving attention, memory and concentration, by increasing on average 30% rate serotonin, dopamine, and other brain neurotransmitters and lowering rate of 60 % of the COMT, or catechol -O- methyltransferase enzyme, which enzyme – which degrades the serotonin and dopamine – sometimes falls overboard and makes overtime. Rhodiola, substantially mitigates the adverse effects of tricyclic antidepressants used in conventional medicine and can significantly shorten the hospital stay of persons interned for severe depression. It acts on an enzyme ( called ” hormone sensitive lipase “) with the power to mobilize the fat that accumulates in adipose tissue and is particularly difficult to remove , it facilitates quick weight loss , d on the one hand , and allows the body to use the energy contained in the fatty acid thus released to increase physical performance , on the other. It has the effect of increasing the strength and mobility. Because of its high active compounds of the family of phenols and flavonoids, it has some antioxidant properties and may therefore be useful in the treatment of cancer. It protects the heart, circulation, immune system and adrenal glands, and promotes liver regeneration.
No, we cannot say any of these truths, because all the studies that led to these discoveries were made by researchers whose names end a little too -ov – Saratikov , Krasnov , Petrov, Bykov , Azizov – to be reliable , especially as -ov in question had the bad idea to live in Russia rather than the United States or Canada. Despite the fact that the Russians are far more experienced than us in this matter given that during all those years we were interested we only chemical pills, they held their neurons and measuring instruments to study of medicinal flora of eastern Europe , flora , by the way, looks suspiciously like ours.
Despite this, or perhaps because of it , Rhodiola Rosea is slowly making its merry way and enjoys a certain popularity among certain groups of consumers . Including sports, who quickly understood what benefits they could draw . In China, the Olympic level swimmers attack and it is believed that this is what would have directly contributed to the fact that, in recent years, they have won tons of Olympic medals. In Russia, where we tested commercial preparations of Rhodiola and other medicinal plants, it was found that, after ten days of treatment, they allowed double the travel time on the treadmill. It’s still not anything that, to get to run twice as long, without changing anything to her waist or hips!
Naturally, as the majority of adaptogenic herbs, Rhodiola is supposed to have the effect of increasing sexual potency . Moreover, it was customary to give Siberia Rhodiola root brides and grooms to promote the birth of healthy children. In Ukraine, we like to tell the prince Danila Galitsky , who lived in the 13th century and whose amorous exploits continue to ignite the popular imagination attributed his power to the famous root.
Before the onslaught of modern technology and fine produces of the synthetic materials, humans depended solely on nature to fulfill all material needs. There are plants, fruits and seeds of different types that are meant to provide humans with the necessary nutrition for a healthy body. Many of the fine extracts from the produce of nature have almost past into oblivion due to the predominance of synthetic and manufactured goods. The Argan oil that is obtained from the tropical Morocco is one such.
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