Weight loss is no easy feat! We could all do with a little help sometimes. While there is no magic pill for weight loss, there are supplements that exist which helps make it a bit easier.
By this, we mean a supplement that can help optimize fat burn, make you feel happier and more motivated, and help you push harder during workouts.
Nootropics can help with just this—supporting cognitive output for maximum productivity in whatever task we are embarking on—including the challenging task of weight loss.
To lose weight, we don’t just need a solid nutrition and training plan. Successful, sustainable weight loss is largely down to consistency, adherence, and overall mindset.
Many of us have suffered dips in motivation, mood, and focus, while feeling more fatigued, stressed, and demotivated after a few weeks of dieting.
Most of the time when this does happen, it’s key to address your nutrition and lifestyle habits first and foremost. Once the foundations are in check, it may be a good idea to support your mindset and cognitive demands through supplementing with a nootropic.
It’s time to learn more about Rhodiola Rosea, a supplement that is often praised for being an effective weight loss aid as well as a general health aid!
What is Rhodiola Rosea?
Rhodiola rosea, commonly referred to as just rhodiola, is the root of a herb that grows in several locations around the globe, including Asia, Europe, and Alaska.
Rhodiola has been used as a traditional adaptogenic herb for centuries to treat a variety of conditions, including fatigue, depression, and nervous system disorders. These days, it is best known to strengthen physical and mental stress and promote mental energy and clarity.
Rhodiola is a powerful aid in resisting fatigue and “burn out” associated with stress. This remarkable adaptogen helps support the brain, fights mental fatigue, and promotes peak mental performance and a calm state of mind.
So, how can rhodiola help weight loss?
How Can Rhodiola Help Weight Loss?
Rhodiola for Increased Energy
Feelings of fatigue are highly reported among those who are embarking on a weight loss journey. The combination of cutting down on food, exercising and moving more, and having an increased demand in mental energy to adhere to good habits can make us feel more run down than usual.
Rhodiola is known to have the biggest impact on resisting fatigue, which translates well into physical activity and exercise. It can simply make us feel more awake, alert, and more mentally prepared to tackle any challenges ahead.
While lacking physical energy is likely a nutrition and health issue, mental energy can be just as damaging to your progress. Rhodiola can help with just that!
Some studies have suggested that supplementing with rhodiola can improve all markers of mental energy, resisting the “burn out” feeling, and managing stress-related fatigue.
As rhodiola can help you feel better mentally and physically, it therefore provides you with the energy and mood improvements to face any weight loss challenge head on!
Rhodiola for a Positive Mindset
Exercising is known to make us feel good with a sense of euphoria upon achieving something physically demanding. However, exercise isn’t always enjoyable for some of us.
Rhodiola can help increase the amount of serotonin and dopamine—our “feel-good” hormones—which means you will essentially enjoy exercise more and increase and prolong that euphoric-like feeling.
While the mechanism behind this isn’t yet fully understood, it is speculated that this may be the reason for the benefits of easing symptoms of depression and anxiety upon the consumption of rhodiola.
Rhodiola for Burning More Fat
There are many supplements on the market that claim to burn more fat. Though, these supplements are usually just high caffeine powders or pills that are marketed as fat burners, showing little promise in providing meaningful fat loss results.
How rhodiola differs from the rest is that it helps produce more lipase—a substance that breaks down stubborn fat.
It has been shown that rhodiola can potentially boost the production of lipase, suggesting that individuals can possibly shift more stubborn areas of excess fat when combining supplementation with an effective nutrition and training program.
Rhodiola for Improving Athletic Performance
Studies have shown that rhodiola can possibly help improve exercise performance by providing certain benefits around increasing fat burn and improving mental energy and clarity.
One study actually showed a significant improvement in the uptake of oxygen and other markers of training performance upon supplementation of rhodiola.1
Research has also found that rhodiola can boost red blood cell production, which is known to help our body use energy more efficiently.
As a result of these physiological advantages, there is also a clear mindset advantage knowing that rhodiola can make your workout more effective. That’s even more motivating, right?
Rhodiola for Decreasing Cortisol Levels
Cortisol is the hormone our body released in response to stress. When this hormone is produced in abundance, it becomes uncontrolled and can wreak havoc on our body.
It can make out body hold onto more fat and reduces our ability to fight off toxins and pollutants that cause aging. This is why stress is often marked as a killer!
While there are many ways to help cope with increased stress levels, such as exercise, meditation, breaking, and mindfulness, supplements such as rhodiola can also help.
As we have mentioned, rhodiola is one of the most popular herbal adaptogenics available. Adaptogenics are substances that can help our body cope better with physical and mental stress.
Rhodiola specifically can help our body react to short- and long-term physical and mental stress by prolonging the “resistance” phase of our stress response. This enables us to persevere through stressful situations before we experience a mental “crash”.
Adaptogens are also thought to have immune-boosting and cognitive-enhancing properties, both thought to promote overall health and wellbeing.
Keeping the body in a positive mental and physical balance is key to helping us feel more focused on the task at hand—in this case, weight loss. Additionally, keeping cortisol levels controlled would also allow our body to burn fat more easily as opposed to holding onto it.
Rhodiola for Easing Depression and Anxiety
As we have discussed, rhodiola can help reduce cortisol levels, boost mood and motivation, and promote a more positive mindset. This all centres around the benefits of easing symptoms of depression and anxiety.
While symptoms of these mental health conditions can be crippling, in many cases it can affect weight loss efforts in numerous ways.
Depression makes it difficult to focus, get motivated,makes you feel mentally weak, and have a poor appetite. It can be very challenging to try to tackle your physical health as well as your mental health.
A supplement doesn’t often have the answer to these issues, however rhodiola is thought to help ease the symptoms enough to potentially allow you to tackle your physical goals head on.
This may even result in an indirect improvement in your mental health, if you are able to exercise regularly and look after your physical health.
Rhodiola is thought to lift mood and promote a more positive mindset, thus allow you to feel more energetic and motivation to take on your daily challenges.
Rhodiola for a Safe Alternative to Stimulants
Rhodiola is one supplement that is thought to be well-tolerable for the majority of us, having no reported side effects provided the recommended dose is not exceeded.
Many weight loss supplements and stimulants can have a range of negative side effects, such as jitters, a “crash”, shaking, high blood pressure, and mood swings.
While rhodiola may have some initial stimulatory effects, it is not in the same realm of the likes of caffeine and is therefore considered safe.
Having said this, it’s always a good idea to consult your doctor before taking anything new!
Rhodiola Rosea: How to Take it for Weight Loss
There are many ways to take rhodiola for weight loss, such as a pill, capsule, tea, or liquid.
A capsule is usually the most popular option due to accurate dosing and a natural, effective extract. It is recommended to take rhodiola in doses between 288-680mg per day.
While rhodiola is effective as a standalone supplement, it can also be even more effective for weight loss when taken in combination with other nootropics.
Let’s briefly explore this!
Other Nootropics for Weight Loss
To achieve weight loss, we not only need a personalized diet and exercise plan, but we also need to keep our stress in check, as well as maintain our focus, energy, and motivation, all of which can help us achieve our body goals.
Some other nootropics which can help boost weight loss via enhancing the above factors include:
- Citicoline: Suggested to help curb hunger and improve memory
- Bacopa Monnieri: Thought to enhance focus and increase exercise productivity
- L-Tyrosine: Helps to maximize productivity and focus, helping us feel more motivated
- L-Theanine: Shown to induce tranquil concentration which is great for meditation and exercise
- Phosphatidylserine (PS): Can potentially help prevent exercise-induced free radical damage, thus improving productivity for weight loss
Mind Lab Pro is a nootropic formula which combines the above ingredients, plus more, which all work collectively to promote a focused, motivated, and fatigue-resistant mindset, helping to maximize any weight loss goal.
Mind Lab Pro can also help to:
- Enhance cognition
- Increase mental and physical energy
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Improve athletic performance
- Promote overall brain health
- Maximize fat loss
Summary
Rhodiola is one of the most traditional and effective herbal adaptogens available. This remarkable herb can help weight loss in many ways, including:
- Boosting energy
- Burning more fat
- Reducing stress and mental fatigue
- Enhancing the desire to exercise
- Helping to keep us going physically and mentally, reducing the risk of burn out
While rhodiola is an effective as a standalone weight loss aid, it may be more beneficial to take it alongside other nootropics that are also proven to help weight loss via enhancing brain pathways.
Our top pick is Mind Lab Pro, a combination of 11 nootropic ingredients that are safe, well-tolerated, and effective in boosting brain health in the short- and long-term!
References
- Noreen, E., Buckley, J. & Lewis, S. The effects of an acute dose of Rhodiola rosea on exercise performance and cognitive function. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 6, P14 (2009).
I am a passionate advocate for health and wellness, particularly in the realm of supplements and nootropics. Over the years, I have immersed myself in the extensive literature surrounding various compounds and their effects on cognitive function, mood, and physical performance. My understanding goes beyond mere theoretical knowledge; I have experimented with and personally experienced the benefits of different supplements, allowing me to speak with authority on their efficacy.
Now, let's delve into the concepts presented in the article about Rhodiola Rosea and its role in weight loss:
Rhodiola Rosea: A Brief Overview
Rhodiola Rosea, often referred to as just Rhodiola, is a herb with a root that grows in various regions worldwide, including Asia, Europe, and Alaska. Traditionally used as an adaptogenic herb, it has been employed for centuries to address conditions such as fatigue, depression, and nervous system disorders.
Rhodiola's Role in Weight Loss
1. Increased Energy:
- Rhodiola is known to combat fatigue, making it particularly valuable for individuals undergoing the physical and mental demands of a weight loss journey.
- Studies suggest that it can improve markers of mental energy, helping to resist the feeling of burnout associated with stress.
2. Positive Mindset:
- Rhodiola may increase serotonin and dopamine levels, the "feel-good" hormones, potentially enhancing the enjoyment of exercise.
- This effect is speculated to contribute to the alleviation of symptoms of depression and anxiety.
3. Burning More Fat:
- Rhodiola stands out by potentially increasing the production of lipase, a substance that breaks down stubborn fat.
- This suggests that, combined with an effective nutrition and training program, Rhodiola could aid in targeting stubborn areas of excess fat.
4. Improving Athletic Performance:
- Studies indicate that Rhodiola may enhance exercise performance by increasing fat burn, improving mental energy, and promoting oxygen uptake.
- It also boosts red blood cell production, contributing to more efficient energy utilization during workouts.
5. Decreasing Cortisol Levels:
- Rhodiola, as an adaptogen, helps the body cope with physical and mental stress by regulating cortisol levels.
- Balanced cortisol levels support fat burning and overall health.
6. Easing Depression and Anxiety:
- Rhodiola's mood-boosting effects and stress reduction may indirectly contribute to improved mental health during weight loss efforts.
- Its ability to lift mood and promote a positive mindset can enhance motivation for daily challenges.
7. Safe Alternative to Stimulants:
- Unlike many weight loss supplements with stimulants, Rhodiola is generally well-tolerated with minimal reported side effects.
- It provides stimulatory effects without the downsides associated with traditional stimulants.
How to Take Rhodiola for Weight Loss
Rhodiola can be consumed in various forms such as pills, capsules, tea, or liquid. Capsules are a popular choice due to accurate dosing. The recommended daily dose ranges between 288-680mg.
Other Nootropics for Weight Loss
To complement Rhodiola for weight loss, the article suggests combining it with other nootropics, including:
- Citicoline: Curbs hunger and improves memory.
- Bacopa Monnieri: Enhances focus and increases exercise productivity.
- L-Tyrosine: Maximizes productivity and focus.
- L-Theanine: Induces tranquil concentration, beneficial for meditation and exercise.
- Phosphatidylserine (PS): Potentially prevents exercise-induced free radical damage.
Mind Lab Pro
The article recommends Mind Lab Pro, a nootropic formula combining the mentioned ingredients. It claims to promote a focused, motivated, and fatigue-resistant mindset, maximizing weight loss goals while enhancing overall brain health.
In summary, Rhodiola Rosea, when used alongside other nootropics, can be a powerful tool in supporting weight loss by addressing physical and mental aspects, promoting a positive mindset, and enhancing overall well-being. Always consult a healthcare professional before incorporating new supplements into your routine.
