The Rhodiola Revolution

By Richard P. Brown, M.D., and Patricia L. Gerbarg, M.D. with Barbara Graham
Published by Rodale
June 2004; $21.95US/$29.95CAN; 1-57954-924-1

"It's got everything to become an herbal superstar . . ."

--Mark Blumenthal, executive director of the American Botanical Council, describing Rhodiola rosea in Newsweek magazine

Rhodiola rosea may be a relative newcomer to the United States, but its versatile therapeutic powers are known throughout the world. Now it's poised to capture the attention of an American public eager to explore healing options beyond conventional medicine.

With The Rhodiola Revolution, you can get a head start on taking advantage of Rhodiola rosea's remarkable health benefits. As you'll discover, the herb works at the cellular level, enhancing energy production and replenishing energy reserves. This helps explain how Rhodiola rosea not only fights disease but also enhances physical and mental function in myriad ways. And it does all this with minimal side effects and extremely low toxicity.

An extensive and ever-growing body of sound scientific research -- including recently declassified studies from the former Soviet Union -- demonstrates that Rhodiola rosea can deliver on its promise, and possibly more. But it isn't just the research findings that are so compelling. In The Rhodiola Revolution, you'll encounter dozens of case studies based on real people who have used the herb with often-impressive results.

Once you see all that Rhodiola rosea can do, you may want to try it, too. The Rhodiola Revolution provides detailed instructions on how to choose a quality product and determine the proper dosage, so you can take the herb with confidence.

Several years ago, Patricia Gerbarg, M.D., suffered an unexplained and incapacitating decline in her physical and mental energy -- the result, she eventually discovered, of undiagnosed Lyme disease. Her husband, Richard Brown, M.D., suggested trying Rhodiola rosea, which replenishes energy stores at the cellular level. Within 10 days, Dr. Gerbarg was feeling better. Today, she says, "I have my life back."

Since then, the doctors have immersed themselves in the study of Rhodiola rosea, even traveling to the Republic of Georgia to see the herb in its native habitat. The Rhodiola Revolution is a culmination of Dr. Brown and Dr. Gerbarg's pioneering work and an introduction to the herb that many consider a true breakthrough in herbal medicine.

Drawing on their research expertise and clinical experience, the doctors have crafted a thoroughly comprehensive and uniquely cutting-edge resource that features:

• Groundbreaking news about the relationship between stress and energy -- and Rhodiola rosea's ability to balance both


• Compelling evidence of the herb's diverse health benefits, based on more than 30 years of scientific research -- including previously top-secret Soviet studies never before published in the United States


• Concise dosage instructions for specific health concerns, plus detailed information about possible (though rare) contraindications and side effects


• A consumers' guide to quality Rhodiola rosea products, as well as other essential herbal and nutritional supplements


• Case studies that use real-life experiences to convincingly demonstrate the herb's health-changing, and life-changing, potential

Whether you're in search of a remedy for an existing condition or you want to optimize your physical and mental performance, Rhodiola rosea may be the right choice for your self-care regimen. Curious to learn more? The Rhodiola Revolution is the only resource you need.

Authors

Richard P. Brown, M.D., is associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and has a private consultation practice in integrative psychopharmacology in New York City. A leading advocate of alternative and complementary treatments for psychiatric disorders, he has been profiled in the Castle Connolly guide How to Find the Best Doctors: New York Metro Area. His wife, Patricia L. Gerbarg, M.D., is assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at New York Medical College. They reside in upstate New York.

Barbara Graham has written for numerous publications, including Self, Redbook, Glamour, Vogue, and O, The Oprah Magazine. She divides her time between New York City and Washington, D.C.

Excerpt

The following is an excerpt from the book The Rhodiola Revolution: Transform Your Health with the Herbal Breakthrough of the 21st Century

by Richard P. Brown, M.D., and Patricia L. Gerbarg, M.D. with Barbara Graham

Published by Rodale; June 2004; $21.95US/$29.95CAN; 1-57954-924-1

Copyright © 2004 Richard P. Brown, M.D., and Patricia L. Gerbarg, M.D.

Why Is This Herb Different?

For the past quarter-century or so, the airwaves have been abuzz with news of the latest herbal supplement that will improve our health and, possibly, extend our lives. We've heard about Gingko biloba, kava kava, ginseng, St. John's wort, and numerous other popular herbs. Why the tidal wave of interest?

The number-one reason that people turn to alternative treatments like herbs is that conventional treatments have failed to make them well. What's more, the public is increasingly aware that an ounce of prevention is vastly preferable to the disruptive, costly, and often painful interventions that are necessary to fight disease once it gains a foothold. Add to this the unwanted side effects associated with many prescription drugs, and you can see why the time is right for herbs and other "natural" therapies.

A Brief But Fascinating History

So where does Rhodiola rosea fit into the picture? Although this plucky herb remains relatively unknown in the West, in folk medicine it has a legendary history dating back thousands of years. We know, for example, that the ancient Greeks used Rhodiola rosea. In 77 A.D., the Greek physician Dioscorides documented the medical applications of the plant, which he then called rodia riza, in his classic medical text De Materia Medica.

But how did Rhodiola rosea travel more than 2,000 miles from the remote Caucasus Mountains, where it grows wild, to ancient Greece? Our search for the answer to this question took us back more than 3,000 years, to the 13th century B.C. -- the Greek Bronze Age. That's when trading expeditions crossed the Aegean Sea, the Hellespont (Dardanelles), the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus, and the Black Sea to a land called Colchis, in what is now the Republic of Georgia.

One of the best-known myths of this era celebrates the voyage of Jason and his famous crew, the Argonauts, which included Hercules and Orpheus. Like most myths, the story of Jason, the Argonauts, and the Golden Fleece blends fact with fantasy. But it hints at an intriguing theory of how Rhodiola rosea might have made the incredible journey to Greece from its native land.

The Greeks were not the only ancient people who valued Rhodiola rosea. The Vikings depended on the herb to enhance their physical strength and endurance, while Chinese emperors sent expeditions to Siberia to bring back "the golden root" for medicinal preparations. The people of central Asia considered a tea brewed from Rhodiola rosea to be the most effective treatment for cold and flu. Mongolian physicians prescribed it for tuberculosis and cancer.

In Siberia to this day, it is said that people who drink Rhodiola rosea tea will live to be more than 100. The herb still is given to newlyweds to assure fertility and the birth of healthy children. For centuries the details of how and where to harvest the wild root were a closely guarded secret among members of certain Siberian families, who would transport Rhodiola rosea down ancient trails in the Altai and Caucasus mountains and trade it for Georgian wine, fruit, and honey.

In 1725, the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus gave the herb its modern name, Rhodiola rosea, and recommended it as a treatment for hernia, hysteria, headache, and vaginal discharge. Fifty years later, it earned a place in the first Swedish pharmacopoeia, a complete listing of all medicinal preparations.

The Plant That Came In From the Cold

Studies of Rhodiola rosea currently are under way in Russia, the Republic of Georgia, Bulgaria, the United States, Sweden, Norway, Japan, and China, among other countries. But much of the existing research was conducted by Soviet scientists during the Cold War, with the findings concealed in classified documents. While some of the early studies were available to the public, they were published in Slavic languages not read by Western scientists.

Research on Rhodiola rosea and other medicinal herbs was part of the Soviet Union's great push to compete with the West in military development, the arms race, space exploration, Olympic sports, science, medicine, and industry. During World War II, the Soviet government drafted scientists to work on projects for the military, with a focus on physical and mental performance. The Soviets were determined to find substances that would help their soldiers overcome combat fatigue and win on the battlefield.

Studies involving Soviet soldiers found that amphetamines and other chemical stimulants were indeed effective for improving performance -- but only in the short term. When taken for prolonged periods, they became harmful and addictive. The search continued for other substances that could increase energy and endurance without the insidious side effects.

Dr. Nikolai Lazarev was a member of the team of researchers assigned to this task. He was especially intrigued by a group of herbs that were considered "elite" or "kingly" in ancient healing disciplines. In traditional Chinese medicine, for example, these herbs were known to increase physical and mental endurance, reduce fatigue, improve resistance to disease, and enhance longevity.

Despite thousands of years of use by inhabitants of China, Korea, Japan, Siberia, Russia, and parts of Europe, these herbs had never been scrutinized in the lab. So in 1948, Dr. Lazarev and his protégé, Dr. Israel Brekhman, set out to study the chemical composition and biological activities of these herbs. Would they live up to the legend surrounding them?

*endnotes have been omitted

Reprinted from: The Rhodiola Revolution: Transform Your Health with the Herbal Breakthrough of the 21st Century by Richard P. Brown, M.D., and Patricia L. Gerbarg, M.D. with Barbara Graham © 2004 Richard P. Brown, M.D., and Patricia L. Gerbarg, M.D. Permission granted by Rodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098. Available wherever books are sold or directly from the publisher by calling (800) 848-4735 or visit their website at www.rodalestore.com

Copyright © 2004 Rodale Inc.

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