Anxiety, Depression, Mood

You probably know serotonin best as the “happy molecule,” but how exactly is it linked to our mood? This hormone plays a role in digestion, sleep, memory, and more but is best known for its impact on regulating happiness, anxiety, and mood.

Low serotonin levels in the brain can lead to symptoms of depression, so understanding this powerful hormone is critical in protecting our mental health. Let’s explore the causes and treatments of serotonin deficiency and what links serotonin to our mood.

Depression is a very real struggle, and support is easy to reach. If you’ve found this article because you are considering self harm, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 right now, or visit their website for free, 24/7 live chat support.

The Chemistry Of Depression

Let’s be clear– depression is more than a chemical reaction. The American Psychiatric Association states that “Psychiatric disorders result from the complex interaction of physical, psychological, and social factors and treatment may be directed toward any or all three of these areas.” That said, it’s still helpful to understand what’s going on in our brains.

There are three major neurotransmitters– molecules that help your nervous system communicate– that we know are critical for a positive mood. Dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin each play a role, and deficiencies in any way contribute to depression. A neurotransmitter deficiency can occur when your brain isn’t producing the amount it needs or when it isn’t efficiently using its supply.

Dopamine

Best known for its role in the reward system, dopamine helps our brains balance goals, rewards, and motivation. Low levels of dopamine may explain why people with depression struggle to find motivation or happiness from activities they once enjoyed. 

Norepinephrine

Also called noradrenaline, your body uses the hormone norepinephrine as part of your “fight or flight” reaction. While that might sound bad, this means that we need norepinephrine to recognize and respond to stressful situations. Low norepinephrine may lead to depression, ADHD, or low blood pressure.

Serotonin and Depression

Serotonin is the common name for 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), but we know it best as “the happy molecule.” Low serotonin levels may contribute to depression, anxiety, mood disorders, insomnia, and a higher risk of suicidal thoughts. 

The Link Between Serotonin And Depression

The medical community links low levels of serotonin to depression. But scientists can’t yet definitively say whether low serotonin causes depression or depression depletes serotonin.

Regardless, a serotonin deficiency often points towards depression, anxiety, and mood disorders. Research shows that adequate serotonin in the brain is essential in controlling our anxiety and fear responses, as well as promoting feelings of happiness.

Learn more about serotonin:

How To Increase Serotonin Levels

Serotonin Deficiency – What’s The Risk?

Does Serotonin Reduce Depression?

For those suffering from both depression and anxiety, finding ways to boost and support serotonin in the brain may often (though not always) help alleviate symptoms. 

Serotonin is involved in mood, sleep, and digestion, all states that signal to your body, “I’m somewhere safe.” Research shows that high serotonin levels in the brain tend to correspond to happier emotions. In contrast, low serotonin levels, or fewer functioning serotonin receptors, may be linked to lower moods and symptoms of depression. 

This is why many pharmaceutical depression treatments typically revolve around promoting or recycling serotonin. Like depression itself, however, depression treatments are not one-size-fits-all. 

What Causes Changes In Serotonin Levels?

One of the best ways to increase serotonin is to identify what could be depleting it in the first place. In fact, addressing what is causing the low serotonin is essential to remedying the situation.

Inflammation, hormonal imbalances, and excessive stress can all have a negative impact on serotonin production. High alcohol intake, or a lack of sunshine are also factors that can cause a dip in serotonin.

A serotonin-deficient state doesn’t always mean that serotonin is low. Similar symptoms can also appear when your body produces enough serotonin, but isn’t using it properly. This occurs when your brain has too few serotonin receptors, or when serotonin is being stored or broken down too quickly.

One example may be seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Many people, particularly in areas with longer, darker winters, experience a seasonal depression as sunlit hours drop towards winter. While people with SAD may still be producing adequate serotonin, research suggests their brains overproduce the protein responsible for storing serotonin away and out of the active neuron synapses.

Explore more: Serotonin Deficiency, What’s the Risk?

Serotonin In Depression Treatments

One of the most common pharmaceutical treatments for depression is the use of SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Serotonin in the brain is released and received by different neurons, acting like a messenger in the “synapse,” the space between neurons. After the serotonin molecule has delivered its message, it is reabsorbed. An SSRI acts by preventing this reabsorption so that the serotonin remains in the active synapse area and can be used over and over. Similarly, SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) reduce the reabsorption of both serotonin and norepinephrine.

Common SSRIs:

• Prozac®
• Celexa®
• Zoloft.®

Common SNRIs:

• Pristiq®
• Cymbalta®
• Savella®
• Effexor.®

While your doctor can help you decide if an SSRI is the right fit for your needs, the long-term use of SSRIs can make serotonin deficiencies even worse. Additionally, while SSRIs can reduce depression symptoms by increasing serotonin availability, they don’t address the root cause of low serotonin levels.

Lifestyle changes such as sunlight, stress management, and exercise can also be potent paths to boost your body’s natural serotonin gently. Read my article on increasing serotonin levels through lifestyle, diet, and medicine.

Many of the nutrition and lifestyle approaches can be used along with an SSRI, but of course, always check with your provider.

If you are on an SSRI or SNRI and wish to stop, you must absolutely bring this up with your prescribing doctor and adhere to their guidance on dosage. The side effects of stopping SSRIs abruptly can be brutal and dangerous, and this isn’t something you can always power through. You can avoid a lot of suffering and side effects if your doctor is keeping a close eye on your dosage adjustments and symptoms. 

Summary

Scientists are still working to understand the complex interactions between our brains and our moods, and future therapeutics could focus more on the ratios of neurotransmitters or other factors entirely. Still, understanding serotonin can be a powerful tool in understanding our mental health.

Curious about your serotonin levels? Learn more about supporting your serotonin production in this article. 

Serotonin is a key hormone in promoting feelings of happiness and well-being. It plays a role in regulating your digestion, sleep, bones, inflammation, libido, and memory. If you’re dealing with depression, anxiety, mood disorders, or insomnia, you may want to ask your doctor about a possible serotonin deficiency.

You can support your body’s natural happiness hormone by understanding how serotonin works in the body. Discover how to increase serotonin naturally with simple lifestyle changes, and learn when your body might need support from supplements or medications.

Depression is a very real struggle, and support is easy to reach. If you’ve found this article because you are considering self-harm, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 right now, or visit their website for free, 24/7 live chat support.

What Is Serotonin?

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) is a molecule that helps your nervous system communicate. You may know it as “the happy molecule” for its role in regulating happiness, anxiety, and mood. While most serotonin operates in the gut, scientists best understand the effects of serotonin in the brain, where it impacts our mood and sleep.

Is Serotonin a Hormone or a Neurotransmitter?

The short answer is, serotonin can work as a neurotransmitter or a hormone, depending on where you find it. Serotonin functions as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (your brain and spinal cord) and as a hormone in the peripheral nervous system (everywhere else). 

What Does Serotonin Regulate?

Serotonin plays several roles throughout the body, many of which we’re still working to understand. Did you know that 95% of your serotonin actually exists in your gut and not your brain? Still, we tend to associate serotonin with its effect on mood and happiness. 

Research shows that high serotonin in the brain general means happier moods, while low serotonin may be linked to an increased risk for depression. 

That said, it’s not entirely clear whether serotonin regulates our mood, or our mood affects our serotonin. Research shows that adequate serotonin in the brain is important in regulating our anxiety and fear responses.

Serotonin also supports healthy sleep. Our bodies use serotonin to produce melatonin, the hormone that regulates our inner clock and sleep cycles. Our digestive system also benefits from serotonin, as it plays a role in regulating sugar levels, reducing inflammation in the gut, and keeping food moving through your digestive tract. 

Signs You Need To Increase Serotonin Levels

A serotonin deficiency can occur when serotonin production is too low, or when there’s enough serotonin, but your brain isn’t using it properly. This can happen when your brain has too few serotonin receptors or when serotonin is being stored or broken down too quickly.

You can read all about serotonin deficiency and its symptoms here.

Because we can’t test directly for serotonin levels in the brain, your doctor may identify a serotonin deficiency through symptoms. The best-known signs of low serotonin include depression and anxiety, often accompanied by poor sleep. Less severe symptoms, such as general sadness (especially with a lack of sunshine), low self-esteem, brain fog, and anger can also point to low serotonin.

How To Increase Serotonin With Drugs

Many pharmaceutical treatments for depression and anxiety focus on boosting serotonin. SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are a common group of prescription antidepressants. SSRIs don’t actually increase serotonin, but they do help your brain get the most mileage out of the serotonin already present. 

How do SSRIs work? 

Serotonin acts like a messenger in our brains’ synapses (the space between neurons). As long as serotonin is present in the synapse, it can continue sending messages. Eventually, active serotonin molecules get reabsorbed by a neuron. SSRIs can reduce symptoms of depression by preventing this reabsorption, allowing the serotonin to stay in the active synapse area. 

This means that even with low serotonin, your brain neurons can still receive the messages they need to fuel a positive mood. A similar family of drugs, SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), reduce the reabsorption of both serotonin and norepinephrine.

Common SSRIs include Prozac®, Celexa®, and Zoloft®.

Common SNRIs include Pristiq®, Cymbalta®, Savella®, Effexor®.

While SSRIs can be hugely beneficial in some cases, they have a downside: the long-term use of SSRIs can make serotonin deficiencies even worse. Additionally, while SSRIs can reduce depression symptoms by increasing serotonin availability, they don’t address the root cause of low serotonin levels.

If you are on an SSRI or SNRI and wish to stop, you must absolutely bring this up with your prescribing doctor and adhere to their guidance on dosage. The side effects of stopping SSRIs abruptly can be brutal and dangerous, and this isn’t something you can always power through. You can avoid a lot of suffering and side effects if your doctor is keeping a close eye on your dosage adjustments and symptoms. 

How To Increase Serotonin Naturally

Everyone is different. For some people, an exercise session and some time outside will create an immediate sense of relief. For others, these strategies may address symptoms gradually over time. Some cases are severe and require medical intervention. As always, it’s best to involve your doctor in any concerning health matter. 

Here are some things to try that could increase serotonin naturally, with simple lifestyle changes that may support your serotonin production.

Soak up some sun

Sunshine makes you happy, and science agrees: Exposure to sunlight helps increase serotonin production. This can help explain the seasonal depression that affects so many people in the darker winter months and shine some light on the benefits of getting outside. 

Exercise 

Several studies show that exercise may increase serotonin and tryptophan (the building block of serotonin) levels in the brain. More research links exercise to improved mood, making it a potentially low-risk, low-cost treatment for depression.

Massage

Here’s good news: among the many benefits of massage, research shows an increase in serotonin and decreased cortisol (the stress hormone) following massage. In this study on depression in pregnant women, mothers who received regular massages from their partners reported happier moods, lower anxiety, and healthier outcomes for their babies. 

Reduce stress

“Want to be happier? Stress less!” I know, I know, this sounds almost offensively unhelpful. Before you roll your eyes, let’s glance at the facts: Excess stress causes your body to produce cortisol, and rising cortisol levels deplete serotonin. Finding simple ways to reduce your daily stress, such as meditation, taking a walk, or dancing to your favorite song, can help save your serotonin.

Reduce alcohol intake

While there’s nothing wrong with an occasional toast, alcohol can wreak havoc on our hormones. Alcohol has depressant effects of its own, and excess consumption can reduce the serotonin levels in your brain.

Plus, alcohol isn’t great for hormones overall. You can read about how alcohol can affect your hormones and periods here.

Foods that increase serotonin

How many of us reach for the snacks when we feel blue? ‍♀️ It turns out that the sugary or high-carb snacks we use as comfort foods actually give us a quick hit of serotonin. But as you might guess, this isn’t the way to go. Sugar and refined carbohydrates can also spike cortisol and contribute to inflammation, two factors that will crash your mood just as quickly. 

You can read more about the Anxiety-Sugar Connection here.

Instead of reaching for sweets, try adding these serotonin-boosters to your diet.

Fatty fish

The beneficial omega-3 fatty acids found in cold-water fatty fish play a role in serotonin’s function in the brain. Research specifically shows that EPA and DHA from fish oil appear to regulate both the release of serotonin and serotonin receptors’ function. Low levels of essential omega-3 fatty acids may impair the serotonin receptor and result in lower levels of serotonin.

Click here to learn more about the benefit of omega-3 fatty acids.

Green Tea and Turmeric

Research shows that theanine, an active compound in green tea, and curcumin from turmeric, can both raise brain serotonin levels. Even more, these ingredients also reduce inflammation, making them beneficial additions to your pantry. 

Learn more about the benefits of turmeric here.

Tryptophan Supplements for Serotonin

Tryptophan is the amino acid our bodies use to create serotonin. It’s also a unique example of a time when a supplement might be more beneficial than a whole food. Here’s why: tryptophan is the building block for serotonin, but this essential amino acid is found in protein-rich foods such as milk, nuts, meats and cheeses. It turns out, a high protein meal actually decreases the amount of tryptophan that can enter the brain (and thus the serotonin the brain can produce). 

The workaround? Tryptophan supplements allow you to get tryptophan without having to consume protein alongside it. Research shows that tryptophan supplements, especially when used with other treatments, may be useful in boosting serotonin and reducing depression symptoms. 

Vitamin D

Especially in latitudes with less sunlight, vitamin D deficiency is very common. Vitamin D, which our bodies produce in response to sunlight, is a necessary factor in the brain’s production of serotonin. Your doctor can help you evaluate your vitamin D levels with a blood test, in order to understand if supplementation can benefit you.

You can learn more about the benefits of vitamin D here.

5-HTP Supplements for Serotonin:

Despite its common use, I do not recommend 5-HTP as a serotonin-boosting supplement to treat clinical depression without the supervision of your provider. 5-HTP is the precursor to serotonin, which your body also converts into melatonin, a molecule that aids in sleep. Unlike serotonin, 5-HTP is small enough to cross the blood brain barrier. 

These factors make it sound like an enticing supplement for those with both depression, but high dose 5-HTP has some serious side effects. 

With long-term use (consistently taking for years), as it actually depletes dopamine and norepinephrine, two other neurotransmitters critical to mood regulation. Even with sufficient serotonin, a deficiency in these neurotransmitters can also lead to depression. 

Further, researchers linked long-term 5-HTP use with pre-existing heart valve disease in rats. That may or may not hold true for humans – further research is needed. 

And if you’re on SSRIs, 5-HTP is a big no-no. Supplementing 5-HTP should never happen together with SSRIs or other antidepressants, a combination that can lead to dangerously high levels of serotonin, known as serotonin syndrome. 

Summary

If you suspect a serotonin deficiency is affecting your mood, start by talking to your doctor. These articles can serve as a guide to help your conversation and make sure you have the information you need.

Serotonin Deficiency, What’s the Risk?

Rhodiola rosea is an herb known for increasing energy, improving mental and physical stamina, and for building resilience to stress.  

While Rhodiola may be one of those herbs that you may not have heard of — yet. But it is a versatile and powerful tool in improving hormonal health.

From helping the body adapt to stress via adrenal support to supporting healthy immunity, it seems like Rhodiola can almost do anything. It’s a fantastic adaptogen that can people turn to for several reasons:

1. Boost Energy
2. Reduce Anxiety
3. Help With Depression
4. Premature Ovarian Failure
5. Support Adrenal Function
6. Improve Brain Health
7. Help with ADHD
8. Weight Loss
9. Stress Management
10. Increase Athletic Performance
11. Treat Diabetes
12. Fight Cancer
13. Reduce Blood Pressure
14. Increase Immunity

Let’s explore Rhodiola’s many benefits and discuss how women use it for hormonal support, general health, and more. 

What Is Rhodiola?

Rhodiola is an herb native to the Arctic regions of the world. The roots of this plant function as an adaptogen, which means they help the body to adapt to stress. Prehistoric Siberians, Ancient Greeks, and Chinese Emperors have sung its praises for thousands of years. 

Its proper name is Rhodiola rosea, but it’s also known as arctic root, golden root, king’s crown, or rose root.

As early as 77 AD, Rhodiola started showing up in medical texts. The earliest practitioners of medicine have traditionally turned to Rhodiola to treat colds, flu, enhance energy, extend lifespan, and, more recently, help with depression. 

What Are The Benefits Of Rhodiola?

Rhodiola rosea can help enhance brain function, increase physical stamina, improve energy, increase exercise performance, may decrease symptoms of depression, and can also improve blood sugar.

The benefits of Rhodiola are so numerous that it’s quite an exhaustive list. Here I’ve outlined 13 of the most popular health benefits of Rhodiola.

Does Rhodiola Give You Energy?

One of the primary uses of Rhodiola is to fight fatigue. There have been several clinical trials demonstrating the efficacy of this herb to help ward off the effects of fatigue.

In fact, in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study, Rhodiola was found to decrease fatigue, increase mental performance, and decrease cortisol in patients with burnout and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Rhodiola has a reputation for quickly increasing energy levels as well. In one clinical trial, participants noticed significant changes after taking Rhodiola for just one week. Energy continued to increase, and fatigue continued to decrease after eight weeks as well.

Does Rhodiola Help With Anxiety?

Rhodiola could also be used to address anxiety. In one small study, participants with a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) significantly decreased their anxiety symptoms. 

Participants showed improvement in symptoms including:

• Tension
• Worry
• Fear
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Muscle twitch
• Heart palpitations
• Difficulty breathing
• Gastrointestinal upset
• Dry mouth
• Sweating
• Fidgeting
• Loss of libido

In another study, patients reported the same significant mitigation of their anxiety symptoms after taking Rhodiola for just 14 days. Patients reported these changes gradually over the course of two weeks.

Rhodiola For Depression

Because Rhodiola is generally well tolerated and is known to produce little to no side effects, people often turn to it as part of a complete program to address depression.

In a recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, researchers found that Rhodiola may be useful for reducing depression symptoms. In this study, researchers compared Rhodiola to Zoloft®. While Rhodiola’s effects weren’t as strong as the effects of Zoloft, participants experienced fewer uncomfortable side effects. 

It’s believed that Rhodiola works to treat depression by inhibiting monoamine oxidases (MAO). In another study involving patients with mild to moderate depression, Rhodiola reduced participants’ depressive symptoms and insomnia. In higher doses, it even boosted participants’ self-esteem over six weeks. 

If you’re currently using medications to manage your anxiety or depression, it is important to speak with your prescriber before adding Rhodiola into your routine.

Rhodiola And Premature Ovarian Failure

Premature Ovarian Failure or Primary Ovarian Insufficiecy (POI) is a condition in which women lose their fertility and period before age 40. 

Researchers gave Rhodiola to 40 study participants who had experienced premature ovarian failure. At the end of the study, 25 women had regained their period, and 11 were pregnant.

While Rhodiola is not part of the conventional standard of care for fertility treatment, this study helps demonstrate why many traditional herbalists have recommended Rhodiola for fertility.

Rhodiola For Adrenal Support

We’ve already discussed how Rhodiola could help manage cortisol levels. Regulating cortisol is a necessary step toward restoring proper adrenal function.

When your body perceives that it’s under stress, your adrenals start firing off cortisol, insulin resistance rises, and all kinds of complications ensue.

Rhodiola may help mitigate these consequences. I’ve outlined several others in this article that could help as well.

This is why you’ll find Rhodiola in our Adrenal Support supplement formulation. This is our morning energy support formula that helps your body bring cortisol into balance so your hormones can thrive.

Rhodiola for Brain Function

Rhodiola has been touted for its ability to enhance mental stamina and performance. It may even help alleviate brain fog!

In a double-blind study of physicians working night shifts were given either a placebo or 170 mg of Rhodiola daily for two weeks. What they found was that Rhodiola reduced mental fatigue and improved work performance by 20% when compared to placebo. 

A 2012 study found that after 4 weeks of taking 400 mg of Rhodiola rosea daily participants enjoyed improvement in their fatigue, stress, and anxiety.

Rhodiola and ADHD 

Since people report that their moods have improved since adding Rhodiola to their regimen, researchers have begun evaluating it to enhance and protect brain health.

Scientists are exploring its potential as a non-pharmacological treatment option for ADHD. 

In one double-blind, placebo trial  students were given Rhodiola supplements for 20 days during an exam period. They found that they experienced significantly improved physical fitness, a reduction in mental fatigue and sleep. They also observed that exam scores were 8% higher when compared with the placebo group.

A review of the available data on Rhodiola Rosea furthermore bolstered these claims, showing it may positively impact learning and memory function.

Some are even hopeful that it could be used as part of a treatment protocol for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. 

Does Rhodiola Help With Weight Loss?

Diet and exercise are fundamentals in maintaining a healthy weight. Additionally, we understand that imbalances in cortisol, thyroid estrogen, insulin and other hormones can also be involved in weight gain or inability to lose weight.

In addition to helping with stress, anxiety, and depression, people have credited Rhodiola for their weight loss. In one study, Rhodiola was combined with other botanicals to reduce visceral fat effectively. 

Is Rhodiola Good For Stress?

There are many studies that have demonstrated the effect of Rhodiola on reducing stress, improving fatigue, and helping the body manage anxiety.

As you may imagine, Rhodiola could also be a powerful approach to chronic stress. 

Some of the physical symptoms of stress include:

• Lack of energy
• Gastrointestinal upset
• Chest pain
• Insomnia

Some of the emotional symptoms of stress include:

• Becoming easily frustrated
• Moodiness
• Low self-esteem
• Avoidance of social situations

As this review suggests, Rhodiola serves a potentially unique role in the approach to stress. Most traditional pharmaceuticals treat either the physical or emotional symptoms of stress. Rhodiola seems to help with both.

Rhodiola’s Effect On Athletic Performance

In two separate studies of its effect on endurance training, researchers demonstrated that it may improve exercise capacity. 

The studies noted that participants who took Rhodiola had an altered perception of the difficulty of the exercise. This could be how the herb helped to increase performance.

This is yet another reason people have been turning to Rhodiola—its potential to enhance athletic performance. 

Can Rhodiola Help Treat Diabetes?

Diabetes occurs either when the body is unable to make sufficient insulin or the cells do not respond to insulin as they should. The result is elevated blood sugar.

Rhodiola’s benefits may also extend to blood sugar regulation. The herb has been shown in studies to lower blood sugar in diabetic rats. We need more human clinical trials to understand its utility in treating diabetes.

Furthermore, some people with diabetes experience a phenomenon known as hyperalgesia — which means they experience increased pain sensitivity. In one study, Rhodiola demonstrated antihyperalgesic effects, showing promise for addressing this debilitating symptom of diabetes.

Rhodiola’s Cancer-Fighting Properties

Believe it or not, cancer researchers have begun looking into Rhodiola as an adjunct cancer therapy. 

In three separate studies, researchers demonstrated that the compounds in Rhodiola prevented the growth of breast cancer, colon cancer, and bladder cancer cells. These are test-tube studies, but they show promise for Rhodiola as a potential adjunct cancer treatment and further research may point to Rhodiola as an treatment in cancer. More research is needed to understand how to effective it is.

If you’re currently undergoing cancer treatment, be sure to speak with your doctor before adding Rhodiola or any supplement to your regimen.

Rhodiola For Blood Pressure

Rhodiola has been used as a tool to lower blood pressure for thousands of years. It is regarded in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as an herb for treating aging-related diseases, including high blood pressure.

More recent studies have shown that Rhodiola may lower blood pressure as well.

Rhodiola Can Support Healthy Immunity

A final and critical way Rhodiola could help out our bodies is by boosting our immune system. 

Studies have shown that Rhodiola may have both antibacterial and anti-viral properties. This is precisely why traditional healers have been using it for thousands of years to fight colds. 

Rhodiola Side Effects And Precautions

One thing remains constant in the literature regarding Rhodiola. It is well-tolerated and lacks adverse effects when interacting with other medications. Rhodiola generally does not interact with other drugs, and clinical trials have not uncovered concerning adverse effects. 

The most commonly reported side effects are dizziness and dry mouth.

Some cautions to consider:

• Since Rhodiola may lower blood pressure, it’s not recommended for anyone who has already low blood pressure. If you’re taking medication to lower your blood pressure, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking Rhodiola. 
• Since it could lower blood sugar, it could cause blood sugar to drop too low in people with diabetes or hypoglycemia.
• When combined with other depression medications, Rhodiola may cause drowsiness.
• Some studies have shown it’s safe to take while nursing, but always consult your provider before taking anything while pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Rhodiola is not recommended in combination with Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).
• It is not advised to take Rhodiola if you have a history of bipolar disorder.

The Different Forms Of Rhodiola

You can take Rhodiola in a few different ways. Each has its own unique advantage. When shopping for a supplement, look for a standardized amount of 3% rosavins and 1% salidrosides. 

Rhodiola Capsules

Capsules are the most widely available version of Rhodiola. These are the easiest to find and the easiest to take, since Rhodiola tends to have a bitter taste.

Rhodiola Tincture

Tinctures are a bit more traditional and have the added advantage of being absorbed 20-30 minutes quicker than medications in capsule form. Again, Rhodiola tinctures can be a bit harder to find and can have a unique taste that many find somewhat unpleasant.

Rhodiola Tea

If you’re fortunate enough to find Rhodiola root, you can make a traditional tea by steeping the chopped root in boiled water for about 4 hours. There are some commercially available teas with Rhodiola in them as well. You can mask the medicinal taste with tea by adding mint, honey, or other ingredients that you like. But be warned, it isn’t going to be a mild flavor like a cup of chamomile.

Rhodiola Rosea Dosage

Dose recommendations for the various things Rhodiola could help with vary, of course. Please talk with your doctor before starting a course of any supplement.

Most people benefit from a dose of about 100 mg daily of standardized Rhodiola that contains 3% total rosavins and 1% salidroside. In some instances, your provider may recommend a higher dose.

Our Products That Contain Rhodiola

Proper adrenal function is the foundation for hormonal balance.

Our Adrenal Support formula contains the highest quality Rhodiola with ideal ratios of the key compounds found in Rhodiola. Thousands of women have used this product as part of a stress hormone management regimen and to gain energy they thought they could never have again.

Is Rhodiola An Adaptogenic Herb?

Rhodiola is an adaptogen. To be an adaptogen, it has to be generally well-tolerated and must help the body deal with the effects of stress. Rhodiola has many other health benefits as well — as we’ve explored here. 

There are several other adaptogenic herbs that work in other ways to help with stress management, and here are some of my favorites.

Other Adaptogenic Herbs

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is another excellent adaptogen. I love it for its ability to help with anxiety and stress and improve thyroid function and support immunity. 

I have an entire article that I’ve devoted to Ashwagandha that you can check out.

Licorice root

Another incredible adaptogen I often recommend to patients is licorice root. 

Licorice root is great for supporting the adrenals and reducing stress and anxiety. It may also be used for calming an upset stomach and has been used for centuries to help ease respiratory distress.

Maca

A root vegetable from Peru, maca is an adaptogen that has additional benefits for reproductive health. Healers have used maca traditionally for centuries to increase libido and fertility.

Unlike the other adaptogenic roots, maca actually tastes good – kind of like butterscotch – so you can mix into oatmeal or a smoothie without needing to mask the flavor. 

Read more about Maca here.

Can You Take Rhodiola And Ashwagandha Together?

Two well studied adaptogens, Rhodiola and Ashwagandha, can be quite effective if taken together. 

Rhodiola tends to be more energizing, and Ashwagandha has a bit more calming effect. I purposely added both to my Adrenal Support formulation to help provide energy while promoting a sense of calm.

When their powers are combined, many people report:

• Mental clarity and focus
• Increased energy
• Improved mood
• Reduction in anxiety
• Reduced depression
• Improved libido
• Enhanced athletic performance

These two herbs combined seem to complement each other in just the right ways to enhance the benefits of each.

There’s a ton of anecdotal evidence to suggest that Rhodiola and ashwagandha, taken at therapeutic doses, is a powerful approach to ADHD as well.

Summary

Rhodiola is a traditional herb used for centuries and supported by science in its ability to enhance mental and physical stamina, reduce stress, improve energy, and strengthen the resilience of the body to anxiety and depression.

I hope this article has helped you understand the uses and benefits of this fantastic herb and how it may play a role in improving hormonal health.

I’d love to help you dig into your hormonal research further. If you’re looking where to start on your hormone journey, grab my hormone balancing starter kit (complete with recipes and tons of bonuses). Then we can nerd out on women’s health together!