Zakir Ramazanov first encountered Rhodiola rosea in 1979 as a Soviet soldier in Afghanistan. A comrade often received boxes full of the yellow-flowered mountain herb from his home in Siberia and would prepare and share a sweet-smelling tea from the root. Ramazanov found that the drink seemed to quicken his hiking and speed his recovery after a taxing mission. 

After Ramazanov left the army, he forgot about the Siberian herb. Despite having a good job, he felt depressed, and flashbacks from the war interfered with his daily tasks. After trying various drugs and natural remedies to ease his symptoms, he happened upon a lecture about rhodiola. He learned that the Soviets had been studying the herb since the 1940s, feeding it to Olympic athletes and cosmonauts. Government scientists had noted that rhodiola boosted the body's response to stress.

If it was good enough for weight lifters and space travelers, it was good enough for him, Ramazanov thought. He began taking rhodiola extracts, and after a month his symptoms lifted. He had more energy during the day and could finally sleep at night. The horrific war images faded and his concentration improved.

After the Soviet Union collapsed, Ramazanov moved to New York State, began translating Russian rhodiola research, and started a small business to import the herb. A few years later, Richard Brown, a psychiatrist at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, heard about rhodiola from two of his patients. They independently mentioned that the herb, sold as a dietary supplement in the United States by a company affiliated with Ramazanov, had eased their depression.

Brown tracked down Ramazanov's company and wrote to him. The two began a correspondence that gave Brown enough confidence in the safety of rhodiola to try it himself. "Almost immediately, my mind seemed clearer," he says. "I was more energetic and less stressed. After a few days, I noticed I recovered from exercise more quickly."

Brown recommended the herb to his wife, Patricia Gerbarg, also a psychiatrist, who was housebound from a debilitating bout with Lyme disease. After 10 days, Gerbarg reported feeling much better. Her memory rebounded, and she had enough energy to again play chess with her son—and beat him, a rare event. "I have my life back," she declared. Since then, Brown and Gerbarg have recommended the herb to hundreds of patients, often in conjunction with standard antidepressants.

Much of the old Soviet research on the herb remains locked away in Russian language journals. But over the past decade a growing body of new research published in English tentatively supports the results of early Soviet research. Laboratory and animal studies show that the herb may inhibit cancer cells, protect healthy cells from toxins, and correct enzyme imbalances associated with diabetes. In addition, four trials with human volunteers show that rhodiola extracts can boost mental performance, reduce fatigue, and ease depression.

Russian revolution

Growing at high altitudes from Scandinavia to Siberia, rhodiola has for centuries been a part of folk medicine among diverse native groups. Documented medicinal use reaches back at least to A.D. 77, when a physician to Roman legionnaires recommended it for headaches. In the 18th century, Linnaeus gave the herb its scientific name.

Soviet-government scientists Nikolai Lazarev and Israel Brekhman knew of this traditional use when, after World War II, they launched an extensive program to boost Soviet competitiveness in athletics and other demanding fields. The scientists tested nearly 200 herbal folk remedies and found 5, including rhodiola, particularly intriguing. They called the plants adaptogens for their ability to foster increased resistance to stress and to boost physical and mental performance. Unlike amphetamines, which the postwar Soviets also tested, these plants weren't addictive, and users didn't "crash" or suffer a rebound period of profound fatigue.

The adaptogens performed well on a pivotal test invented by the Soviets, an endurance swim for rats. When plopped into water, a rat will swim steadily for 10 to 15 minutes. Then it will float, paddling only as needed to keep from drowning. When the Soviet scientists gave rats rhodiola, the animals swam 35 percent to 59 percent longer. A modified version of the test is still used by academic researchers and drug companies to screen for potential new antidepressants.

Read the rest at: Science News

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