Rhodiola has long been used in traditional medicine, primarily in Russia and Scandinavia.
The Vikings and Northerners used rhodiola to:enhance physical strength and endurancetreat fatiguepoor physical endurancenervous system disordersinfectionsenhance fertility.
Rhodiola was included in the first Swedish Pharmacopeia, and Dioscorides, the Greek physician, reported on its use in his treatise De Materia Medica. In middle Asia, rhodiola was considered a premier treatment for colds and flu during the severe winters that occur there.
Rhodiola contains a number of potentially active compounds, including:
phenylpropanoids (rosavin, rosin, rosarin)phenylethanol derivatives (salidroside [also known as rhodioloside]tyrosolflavonoids (rodiolin, rodionin, rodiosin, acetylrodalgin, tricin)monoterpenes (rosiridol, rosaridin)triterpenes (daucosterol, beta-sitosterol)phenolic acids (chlorogenic, hydroxycinnamic, and gallic acids)
The presence of rosavin distinguishes the species R. rosea from other rhodiolas, and many products are standardized to rosavin content to ensure that they contain the proper species.
Rhodiola has a more stimulating effect at lower amounts, and a more sedating effect at higher amounts. In medical treatment, the usual amounts taken are 200 to 600 mg per day of a standardized extract to at least 3% rosavins and 0.8 to 1% salidroside.3 The nonstandardized amount would be 1 gram three times daily of the root, the amount for the alcoholic extract (40% alcohol) is 5 to 40 drops two to three times per day (with a weight to volume ratio of 1:1 to 1:5 ). Rhodiola is usually taken before meals.
The safety of rhodiola has not been firmly established. However, rhodiola has a history of centuries of folk use and has been the subject of many clinical studies. No side effects or interactions have been reported. Animal studies indicate that rhodiola has a low level of toxicity, and that there is a huge margin of safety at the typical recommended intake amounts. There is no information available about the safety of rhodiola in pregnancy or lactation.
At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions with Rhodiola. 
