Rhodíola rósea is known as Golden Root or Rose Root. It is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Crassulaceae. It was picked in the Altai Mountains in the summer 2015. It is one of the famous natural remedy at the present times. It stimulates the nervous system and have adaptogenic properties. The Golden Root infusion has nice sweetish, a bit astringent taste with a slight sour nuance and gorgeous floral, spicy aroma with rose, cinnamon and vanilla tones.
Rhodíola rósea is known as Golden Root or Rose Root. It is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Crassulaceae. It has 25-50 cm height, a fleshy stem, leaves and thick rhizome (3 - 6 sm length and 2 -4 sm diameter). The root has a golden-pink color, that’s why this plant has its known name. Carl Linnaeus gave the Latin name to the plant in 1755, and the species name “rosea” was given for its fragrance of roses. Rose Root was described in the I century BC by physician Dioscorides for the first time.
Rhodíola rósea is a widespread and highly polymorphic species, ie morphological features of plants is verified and depended on the location. Rhodiola is found most often in the mountains of southern Siberia in the Altai, Sayan Mountains, in the Mountains of Tuva and Trans-Baikal and the Far East up to Kamchatka and Sakhalin. It grows at altitudes of 1500 to 2700 m above sea level. It grows well in gardens, but such plants contain less active substances. Rhodíola rósea is picked in August and September. The roots of age not less than 3 years are taken. The rhizomes are cleaned from the ground, washed in running water and dried in the shade. Then rhizomes are cut into thin strips, and dried at 50-60 ° C. Properly dried rhizome are pinkish or white, but not brown. Shelf life of dried Golden Root is up to 3 years.
It is believed in Altai, that those who will find the Golden Root will be lucky, healthy and live for two centuries. Shepherds and hunters have brewed Golden Root as an energy drink during the difficult track in the mountains. It was used in traditional medicine as a tonic drink for recuperating from fatigue and increase endurance, in the treatment of indigestion and pulmonary tuberculosis, skin diseases, seizures, to stop bleeding, and as an antipyretic in the cold.
The chemical composition of Rhodiola rosea contains phenolic compounds, phenol and their glycosides, flavonoids (quercetin, hyperoside, kemferol), salidroside, or rodiolozidy a percentage of about 1%, antraglikozidy, various tannins, belonging to the group of pyrogallol, essential oil, which contains cinnamon aldehyde and citral, various organic acids, lipids, micro elements with a high concentration of manganese, and other complex chemical compounds.
It is one of the famous natural remedy at the present times. It stimulates the nervous system and have adaptogenic properties (increases the resistance of the organism in adverse effects). It is recommended as a restorative remedy for sleep disturbances, poor appetite, irritability and headaches, neurosis, vegetative-vascular dystonia, hypotension, sexual disorders such as impotence in men. The Golden Root benefits are: reducing mental fatigue, disappearing of lethargy, daytime sleepiness, feeling of weakness in the morning, it improves mental and physical state, improves concentration, decreasing or disappearing headache.
Golden Root is contraindicated in pronounced symptoms of nervous irritability, fevers and hypertensive crisis.
Golden Root is used as a general tonic and medical remedy. It can be prepared as the decoction, tincture and brewed tea.
The tincture is prepared for 14 days. Take 50 grams of dried root per half liter of 40-50% spirit and digest it in the dark at normal temperature. Shake the bottle several times during digestion. When it is digested, filter the tincture. Take 1 teaspoon 2-3 times a day mixed with a warm herbal tea 30 minutes before eating. The healing course lasts 1 months. The course can be repeated after the break. If you want to make the decoction, take one tablespoon of chopped root and pour with one glass of boiled water. Steep for 20 minutes in the water bath and drink three times a day per 1-2 tablespoons before eating.
Also Golden Root can be brewed as an herbal tea.
The Golden Root infusion has nice sweetish, a bit astringent taste with a slight sour nuance and gorgeous floral, spicy aroma with rose, cinnamon and vanilla tones. It can be used as an herbal tea, as an ingredient of general tonic herbal teas or as additive to puer. Take 3-5 grams of chopped root and cook it in the pot on the open fire (Lu Yu method) or brew in in the gaiwan or in the teapot.
