Rhodiola Rosea, a Well Known Herb, Extends Life Span in Fruit Flies

According to a study from researchers at the University of California, Irvine fruit flies who ate a diet rich in Rhodiola rosea, which is a herbal supplement that has been known for a long time to provide relief from stress, lived an average of 10 times longer than flies who did not get any of the herb. The herb is extracted from a yellow flower that grows in the Arctic regions of Europe and Asia.

The researchers at the University of California - Irvine fed adult flies' diets that had different levels of 4 different herbs that are associated with the anti aging process. With three of the herbs, namely Lu Duo Wei, Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang and San Zhi Pian, there was no effect, but with the Rhodiola rosea, they were able to achieve a greatly reduced death rate. The results showed that it increased the live span by 3.5 days in the males and 3.2 days in the females, which is a long time in the life of a fly.

Rhodiola rosea, which is better known as golden root, lives the cold climates and at very high altitudes. It has been known to the people of Scandinavia and Russia for hundreds of years as a good way to relieve stress. It is also believed that it might also have anti oxidant abilities.

It has been studied by many researchers over the years and as a matter of fact the Soviets have been studying its effect since the 1940's on athletes as well as on the country's
Cosmonauts, and they did find that it has the ability to bolster the body's response to different types of stress.

Then, earlier this year a study by Scandianian researchers that had participants who were diagnosed with mild to moderate depression who were given an extract called SHR-5 from the Rhodiola plant reported that they experienced fewer symptoms than those in a control group who were only given a placebo.

Rhodiola rosea

Credit: University of California, Irvine

Copyright: University of California, Irvine