Rhodiola rosea, a popular medicinal plant in Europe, which has been used in folk medicine for more than 3,000 years, can be an effective treatment for depression.

This is evidenced by the results of a recent study conducted by staff at the University of Pennsylvania.

The author of the study, whose findings were published in the latest issue of Phytomedicine, was Dr. Jun Mao, a teacher of epidemiology and public health at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Rhodiola rosea, sometimes called the golden root or pink root, is traditionally used as a means to stimulate the nervous system and increase the resistance of the body, with asthenia and decreased performance, as well as with altitude sickness.

Previous studies have shown that the golden root can improve mood by stimulating the receptors of dopamine and serotonin in the brain. Other scientific studies suggest that rhodiola rosea influences the level of beta-endorphin in the body.

A team led by Dr. Mao for the first time conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of Rhodiola Rose extract on patients with symptoms of mild to moderate depression. The researchers compared the efficacy of rhodiola extract with sertraline, a common antidepressant from the group of serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

Depression is a serious illness, of which only 19 million people are registered in the United States each year. Depression significantly impairs the ability to work and social activity of patients, increases the risk of suicide and several severe mental illnesses.

Unfortunately, about 70% of patients with depression do not fully respond to therapy with standard antidepressants. These medications themselves can often cause serious problems, therefore, due to side effects, some patients do not complete the course of therapy.

"Moreover, many people with mildly expressed symptoms of depression independently weigh the risks of prolonged use of antidepressants with possible benefits, and the decision is not in favor of drugs. Not surprisingly, on the Internet, users often look for alternative remedies against depression, "write the authors of the study.

The purpose of the present work was an objective comparison of the efficacy and safety of the classical antidepressant with an ancient folk remedy, which in some countries of the Old World is officially approved for the treatment of a wide range of diseases, but in the United States continues to remain on the bench, being only a biologically active additive.

Phytotherapy is a promising direction in the therapy of depression.

A total of 57 adult patients with symptoms of depression were included in the study. Each participant had in the past at least two confirmed episodes of depression, which were accompanied by a decrease in mood, loss of interest in everyday activities, changes in body weight, weakness and repetitive thoughts of death. Episodes continued in patients on average for 2 weeks.

During the 12 weeks of the study, each participant received a standardized extract of rhodiola rosea, sertraline or placebo. Scientists evaluated changes in behavior and responses of participants during several examinations that were performed before, during and after treatment.

The authors report that the state of the participants who received sertraline improved significantly, but the effect of the drug was more often developed only by the 12th week of therapy, and those who received the extract of the golden root, the effect manifested itself from the first weeks. Compared with placebo, the group that received the rhodiola extract reported improvement 1.4 times more often (OR 1.4), for the group on sertraline the odds ratio was 1.9.

Attention is drawn to the fact that patients on sertraline reported side effects in 63% of cases, while in the group on the extract of rhodioles such was 30%. Scientists say that rhodiola rosea is a much safer agent for treating mild to moderate depression.

The authors admit that their sample was small, and the design of the study itself had some disadvantages. They call for a larger clinical study of rhodiola rosea on a large group of patients with depression.

"These results are preliminary, but they suggest that phytotherapy has a great potential in the treatment of depression, especially in patients who can not take antidepressants because of their side effects. Rhodiola is much better tolerated, the sertraline, "summed up Dr. Mao.

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