Can You Lose Weight Taking Rhodiola Plus?

Rhodiola Plus is the brand name of BeeAlive's rhodiola supplement. Ingredients include Rhodiola rosea, eleuthero, schisandra and honey. BeeAlive claims that the supplement "enhances mental and physical performance and helps achieve positive mood." It also says Rhodiola Plus helps concentration, memory and focus, "which increases physical and mental work capacity." Lastly, the company says the supplement supports healthy adrenal function, enhances endurance under stress and promotes restful sleep. Physical performance and endurance in particular can affect your ability to lose weight.

Rhodiola

A study published in "Space Medicine and Medical Engineering" found that the herb rhodiola protects athletes from physical stress. The study participants took three 0.5-g tablets of Rhodiola crenulata per day for 75 days. They showed better work capacity and maximal oxygen uptake, which is a top indicator of physical fitness. These results indicate that rhodiola can improve athletic performance, which can be part of an overall weight loss strategy.

Eleuthero

Eleuthero is also known as Siberian ginseng. According to a literature review in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," eleuthero was developed and studied by Russian researchers. These researchers found improvements in work output and decreases in sick days. Muscle strength, resistance to fatigue and recovery from exercise also improved. However, the review's author, Luke Bucci, notes that these results were hard to interpret and the data and experimental designs were difficult to obtain.

Schisandra

Bucci reports that Russian studies found schisandra produced better times in a 3-km run, especially when combined with Siberian ginseng, rhodiola and other herbs. A paper published by Morton Walker in "Townsend Letter for Doctors" said a Russian study had 140 track athletes take a supplement containing schisandra; 74 percent obtained a personal record for a 3-km run. Bucci points out that no details of this study were provided. If these results are true, you could possibly cover more distance in less time, which could equate to more calories burned in the same amount of time. This could help you lose weight.

Honey

A 2008 study that appeared in "Scientific World Journal" found that honey helps you lose weight and reduces cardiovascular risk factors. The researchers found that people who were given a supplement containing approximately 5 tbsp. of natural honey daily reduced their body weight and body fat percentage while lowering their total cholesterol, bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The supplement also increased their good cholesterol level. At the dosage of one capsule per day recommended by BeeAlive, the honey in Rhodiola Plus is far less than that given in the study, so it may only help with mild weight reduction.

Other Benefits

Rhodiola has been shown to reduce symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, according to a 2008 study published in "The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine." The authors found that participants who took 340 mg of rhodiola daily for 10 weeks had significant improvements on the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, an assessment used to measure the severity of anxiety symptoms. The results of this study may support BeeAlive's claim of enhanced positive mood, which can be beneficial when trying to lose weight. It is important to discuss all supplementation with your doctor.