It's good to hear about your positive result. This so-called result should and hopefully will become a part of your everyday functioning Shane.
Rhodiola is a great supplement and what is termed an "adaptogen". Adaptogens traditionally help one deal with both physiological and psychological stresses that may be encountered on a day to day basis. The way in which the adaptogen does this is very interesting. All is explained in the following monograph about Rhodiola. A monograph is basically an in's and out's of a particular compound. The below monographs should be fairly easy to read.....
Rhodiola MonographThe green tea extract could have added to the pick me up.
Have a read of the monograph Boily.
Some more good reads however a little heavier with the science jargon
Phytother Res. 2007 Jan;21(1):37-43.
Adaptogenic and central nervous system effects of single doses of 3% rosavin and 1% salidroside Rhodiola rosea L. extract in mice.
* Perfumi M,
* Mattioli L.
Department of Experimental Medicine and Public Health, University of Camerino, Via Scalzino 3, 62032 Camerino (MC), Italy.
Rhodiola rosea L., or 'golden root', is a popular plant in traditional medicine in Eastern Europe and Asia, with a reputation for improving depression, enhancing work performance, eliminating fatigue and treating symptoms of asthenia subsequent to intense physical and psychological stress. Due to these therapeutic properties, R. rosea is considered to be one of the most active adaptogenic drugs. To confirm and extend results obtained in the few preclinical and clinical studies available in English language journals, the purpose of the present study was to re-investigate the effects produced by a single oral administration of an R. rosea hydroalcohol extract (containing 3% rosavin and 1% salidroside) on the central nervous system in mice. The extract was tested on antidepressant, adaptogenic, anxiolytic, nociceptive and locomotor activities at doses of 10, 15 and 20 mg/kg, using predictive behavioural tests and animal models. The results show that this R. rosea extract significantly, but not dose-dependently, induced antidepressant-like, adaptogenic, anxiolytic-like and stimulating effects in mice. This study thus provides evidence of the efficacy of R. rosea extracts after a single administration, and confirms many preclinical and clinical studies indicating the adaptogenic and stimulating effects of such R. rosea extracts. Moreover, antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like activities of R. rosea were shown in mice for the first time.
PMID: 17072830 [PubMed - in process]
Trends Neurosci. 2006 Sep 23;
Neurohormetic phytochemicals: low-dose toxins that induce adaptive neuronal stress responses.
* Mattson MP,
* Cheng A.
Laboratory of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
Diets rich in vegetables and fruits are associated with reduced risk of several major diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders. Although some beneficial phytochemicals might function solely as antioxidants, it is becoming clear that many of the beneficial chemicals in vegetables and fruits evolved as toxins (to dissuade insects and other predators) that, at subtoxic doses, activate adaptive cellular stress-response pathways in a variety of cells including neurons. Examples of such 'preconditioning' or 'neurohormesis' pathways include those involving cell-survival signaling kinases, the transcription factors NRF2 and CREB, and histone deacetylases of the sirtuin family. In these ways, neurohormetic phytochemicals such as resveratrol, sulforaphanes and curcumin might protect neurons against injury and disease by stimulating the production of antioxidant enzymes, neurotrophic factors, protein chaperones and other proteins that help cells to withstand stress. Thus, as we discuss in this review, highly conserved longevity and survival pathways in neurons are the targets of many phytochemicals.
PMID: 17000014 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
