Rhodiola for Fatigue, Stress and Mood: What Trials Found
What human trials of Rhodiola rosea root extracts found for stress-related fatigue, anxiety, burnout and low mood, with the limits, mixed results and safety points.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Safety first. Supplements can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read mushroom safety and interactions before you use any mushroom product.
If you are thinking about harming yourself, or a low mood or anxiety is getting worse, call 988 in the US (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911 in an emergency. NCCIH advises that anyone who may have depression, or has it in the family, consult a health care provider. [1]
Short answer. Some small trials of specific rhodiola extracts report less fatigue, stress or low mood, but the trials are few, short and uneven, and one found worse fatigue than placebo. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says there is not enough reliable evidence to say rhodiola is useful for any health-related purpose, and that most research in people is of low-to-moderate quality. [1] This page looks at what each kind of trial actually tested. For safety and medicine interactions, see rhodiola side effects and medicine interactions.
Which plant, which part
The plant is Rhodiola rosea L., family Crassulaceae. [2] The roots and rhizomes (underground stems) are used. [3] Other species, such as Rhodiola crenulata (Hook.fil. & Thomson) H.Ohba, are different plants, and a result for one does not transfer to the other. [2] Rhodiola is often called an "adaptogen", a contested term; see what adaptogens are. The general profile is at rhodiola.Traditional use and official status (not the same as trial proof)
Traditional use. NCCIH says rhodiola has a long history of use in Russia, Scandinavia and other parts of Europe, traditionally for work performance, endurance, fatigue, depression and altitude sickness. [1]Regulator view. In the European Union, the herbal medicines committee (HMPC, 2024 monograph) lists a dry ethanol extract as a "traditional herbal medicinal product for the relief of symptoms of stress, such as fatigue and exhaustion." [4] The committee's public summary says this rests on long-standing use: although there is insufficient evidence from clinical trials, the effectiveness is plausible, and it noted several shortcomings in the small studies it reviewed. [3] That is a statement about traditional-use registration, not proof from trials.
What human trials found
| Question | What the source found | Strength of evidence | Population, form, length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stress-related fatigue | A trial of a standardized root extract reported larger improvements than placebo on a burnout scale and some attention measures. Both groups improved. [5] | Promising but limited | 60 adults meeting fatigue-syndrome criteria; 576 mg of extract per day; 28 days |
| Fatigue in shift work | Fatigue was worse than placebo at day 42. The authors said to interpret with caution. [6] | Mixed (this trial found worse fatigue, others better) | 48 nursing students on shift work; 364 mg capsules; 42 days |
| Anxiety, stress, mood | Self-reported anxiety, stress, anger and depression fell versus a no-treatment group; cognitive tests did not differ. It was not placebo-controlled. [7] | Promising but limited | 80 mildly anxious adults; extract tablets; 14 days |
| Generalized anxiety disorder | Anxiety scores fell, but this was a pilot with 10 participants and no placebo group described. [8] | Insufficient evidence | 10 adults with diagnosed GAD; 340 mg of extract per day; 10 weeks |
| Burnout | Most measures improved over time in an open-label trial with no comparison group. [9] | Insufficient evidence (cannot separate from placebo effect) | 118 outpatients; 400 mg of dry extract per day; 12 weeks |
| Mild to moderate depression | Results differ. One placebo-controlled trial reported improvement at two amounts. [10] Another found no significant difference between rhodiola, sertraline and placebo. [11] | Mixed | 89 and 57 adults; 6 and 12 weeks |
| Rhodiola added to sertraline | A 12-week trial reported larger score falls with rhodiola capsules added. [12] The abstract does not describe side-effect results. | Insufficient evidence | 100 adults with depression already on sertraline |
| Exercise performance | Reviews report mostly positive but uneven results with unclear or high risk of bias. [13][14] | Promising but limited | Healthy, mostly young adults; mean 33 days |
A 2026 review of randomized trials of rhodiola and ashwagandha counted five rhodiola trials, with extract amounts of 290-1500 mg and 3-16 weeks, and listed small samples and short durations as limits. [15]
Why the results are hard to compare
- Different methods and amounts. Trials differ in design and in extract amounts (290-1500 mg a day in the 2026 review), so one trial's result does not speak for another product. [15]
- Placebo response is large. In the fatigue-syndrome trial both groups improved. [5]
- Lab markers are not feelings. One trial also measured saliva cortisol on waking and reported a group difference. [5] Cortisol is a biomarker, not proof of better health.
- Long-term use: Proper evidence not found. We searched PubMed and read NCCIH, the EMA pages and the 2026 review; none described trials longer than about 16 weeks. NCCIH calls it possibly safe for up to 12 weeks. [1]
Frequently asked questions
Does rhodiola reduce fatigue?
Results are mixed. A trial in adults with stress-related fatigue reported benefit over placebo for burnout scores, [5] while a trial in shift-working nursing students found fatigue was worse than placebo. [6] NCCIH says the evidence is not enough to judge. [1]
Is rhodiola good for anxiety?
Proper evidence not found for a clear answer. We looked at PubMed trials and NCCIH. One 14-day trial without a placebo reported lower self-rated anxiety, [7] and a 10-person pilot reported lower anxiety scores in generalized anxiety disorder. [8] Both are too small or uncontrolled to settle the question.
Is rhodiola as good as an antidepressant?
No trial we read shows that. In one 12-week trial in mild to moderate depression, the drop in depression scores was larger for sertraline than for rhodiola, and the groups did not differ significantly. [11] Do not replace a prescribed medicine; ask the prescriber or pharmacist.
Is rhodiola approved for stress?
In the EU it can be registered as a traditional herbal medicine for relief of symptoms of stress, based on long-standing use rather than trial proof. [4][3] We did not read a US FDA approval for any health use. NCCIH notes supplements are not FDA-approved before sale. [1]
How long have trials lasted?
The rhodiola trials above ran from 14 days to 12 weeks, and a 2026 review covered 3-16 weeks. [15] Longer-term effects: Proper evidence not found in the sources we read.
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Safety and who should ask first
For other tools, compare ashwagandha and rhodiola, or read the overviews on stress and resilience and energy and fatigue.
References
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Rhodiola: Usefulness and Safety. Read 2026-10-23.
- GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Names checked through the species match API on 2026-10-23.
- European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Rhodiolae roseae rhizoma et radix - herbal medicinal product (public summary page). Read 2026-10-23.
- European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). European Union herbal monograph on Rhodiola rosea L., rhizoma et radix, Final - Revision 1. EMA/HMPC/24177/2023, 20 March 2024. Read 2026-10-23.
- Olsson EM, von Schéele B, Panossian AG. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of a standardised extract of the roots of Rhodiola rosea in the treatment of subjects with stress-related fatigue. Planta Med. 2009. PubMed 19016404. Read 2026-10-23.
- Punja S, Shamseer L, Olson K, Vohra S. Rhodiola rosea for mental and physical fatigue in nursing students: a randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2014. PubMed 25268730. Read 2026-10-23.
- Cropley M, Banks AP, Boyle J. The effects of Rhodiola rosea L. extract on anxiety, stress, cognition and other mood symptoms. Phytother Res. 2015. PubMed 26502953. Read 2026-10-23.
- Bystritsky A, Kerwin L, Feusner JD. A pilot study of Rhodiola rosea (Rhodax) for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). J Altern Complement Med. 2008. PubMed 18307390. Read 2026-10-23.
- Kasper S, Dienel A. Multicenter, open-label, exploratory clinical trial with Rhodiola rosea extract in patients suffering from burnout symptoms. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2017. PubMed 28367055. Read 2026-10-23.
- Darbinyan V, Aslanyan G, Amroyan E, et al. Clinical trial of Rhodiola rosea L. extract SHR-5 in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. Nord J Psychiatry. 2007. PubMed 17990195. Read 2026-10-23.
- Mao JJ, Xie SX, Zee J, et al. Rhodiola rosea versus sertraline for major depressive disorder: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Phytomedicine. 2015. PubMed 25837277. Read 2026-10-23.
- Gao L, Wu C, Liao Y, Wang J. Antidepressants effects of Rhodiola capsule combined with sertraline for major depressive disorder: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Affect Disord. 2020. PubMed 32090788. Read 2026-10-23.
- Sanz-Barrio PM, Noreen EE, Gilsanz-Estebaranz L, et al. Rhodiola rosea supplementation on sports performance: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Phytother Res. 2023. PubMed 37495266. Read 2026-10-23.
- Wang X, et al. The effect of Rhodiola rosea supplementation on endurance performance and related biomarkers: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Nutr. 2025. PubMed 41080184. Read 2026-10-23.
- Łuszczak J. Clinical evidence for the adaptogenic effects of Withania somnifera and Rhodiola rosea: a systematic review with molecular interpretation of psychometric outcomes. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2026. PubMed 41906501. Read 2026-10-23.