Feel free to discuss any topic of general interest, so long as nothing you post here is likely to be interpreted as insulting, and/or inflammatory, nor clearly designed to provoke any individual or group. Please be considerate of others feelings, and they will be considerate of yours.
Many studies support what even the ancient Chinese emperors knew - that Rhodiola rosea gives a terrific lift to body and mind. In one study of people with stress-related fatigue conducted in Sweden, the Rhodiola exerted an anti-fatigue effect, increased mental performance, decreased the stress hormone cortisol in the blood, and reduced stress overall.
In another study reported in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Rhodiola rosea caused improvement in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. Yet another study of depressed people in Armenia showed significant improvement in overall mood as a result of taking Rhodiola rosea extract.
Over 300 human studies on Rhodiola rosea show that the plant has anti-stress, anti-anxiety, and anti-depressant properties, and that taking the extract of the root produces no significant negative effects. This is in sharp contrast to drugs for the same purposes, which typically cause sleep disorders, digestive upset, sexual dysfunction and a variety of mood disorders.
MY usual reaction to this kind of hype is : if it sounds too good to be true.......etc. LOL! Since we are sensitive to so many things, I have learned not to put anything in my body that I can't totally trust. And, of course, herbs and supplements are not subject to any kind of oversight monitoring for purity, etc. No one REALLY knows what's in those bottles.
I am a great believer in exercise instead of antidepressants. Most of the studies I have read show that exercise is equal (or better) to meds in helping depression. Of course, I realize that not everyone is able to exercise. Just MHO.
Hugs,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Thanks for your input, Polly. Though I regularly try to avoid meds, etc. my stress has been high and my energy has been low. I do appreciate concerns about unregulated supplements but I am just more comfortable trying something that has been used for centuries (seemingly successfully) versus a newer drug without a long-term track record. I agree that exercise is important and I always feel better when I do. Here's some more info on rhodiola http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400399/R ... s-You.html
Deb
I have been drinking Matcha, a Japanese green tea made from a powder. It's kind of like drinking grass. It's also expensive but it does seem to give me more energy and improve my mood, or maybe I have just convinced myself that it does because it is so expensive.
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