This sounds like a myth.
During the cold war the Russians extensively studied a herb called rhodiola rosea, according to a Science News article.
And this story reads like a cold war spy novel.
Rhodiola grows at high altitudes from Scandinavia to Siberia, and for centuries has 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.
When a couple of Soviet-government scientists, Nikolai Lazarev and Israel Brekhman, launched a program to boost Soviet competitiveness in athletics and other demanding fields, they studied these plants which are called adaptogens for their ability to foster increased resistance to stress and to boost physical and mental performance.
How’s this for a hit list of benefits:
- Reduces fatigue
- Alleviates depression
- Inhibits cancer cells
- Protects healthy cells from toxins
- Boosts mental performance
- Prevents altitude sickness
- Increases resistance to stress
- Boosts physical and mental performance.
- Lowers production of the stress hormone cortisol.
- Acts as an antioxidant, helping to eliminate oxygen radicals from the body that damage cells.
- Increases production of adenosine triphosphate in muscles, the molecule that serves as cellular gasoline.
But wait! There’s more…
- Alleviates depression, erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation, and chronic listlessness.
- Has positive effects on mental-work capacity, problem solving, and short-term memory
- Corrects enzyme imbalances associated with diabetes.
- Alleviate neurocognitive side affects of Lyme disease.
Does this sound too incredible to swallow?
Apparently, the Soviets are really serious about this herb. So serious that they have given it to Olympic athletes, military cadets and cosmonauts.
In Russia, athletes and cosmonauts use it because it appears to increase aerobic capacity, speeds recovery of the circulatory system, and allows them to function under conditions of sleep deprivation, while maintaining their cognitive capacity.
How does it work?
Russian studies suggest rhodiola optimizes serotonin and dopamine levels, and stimulates production of endorphins.
Pretty impressive. Like all supplements, rhodiola doesn’t have to pass any FDA standards or the kind of scrutiny that pharmaceuticals have to pass.
But treating some of these problems with a natural herb that’s been used for centuries – well maybe there’s some merit there.
In any case, read the Science News story. Even if you don’t believe it, it’s a fascinating read.
After you’ve popped a few rhodiola’s you might want to test out your new mental prowess with some Brain Games. See if this stuff works
