Feed Me! That's the typical nagging demand most people hear from their brain when they start a new diet. As I mentioned in last week's e-Alert "The Straw That Broke Cranky's Back" (3/29/04), when the brain doesn't receive the nutrients it's accustomed to, levels of serotonin and beta-endorphin drop, which can trigger fatigue and depression. And that's the moment when most diets fail. In the e-Alert "The Golden Root" (2/3/03), I told you about rhodiola rosa, an arctic root used for centuries in Siberia to relieve depression and stress-related anxiety, while boosting physical energy. Although relatively new to the West, rhodiola has been studied in the Soviet Union since the 1960's. In initial research on animals, rhodiola reduced levels of the hormone cortisol (known to trigger stress), while also helping cells synthesize a molecule called triphosphate, which aids in the production of energy. Further studies have shown the extract of the root increases serotonin and beta-endorphin levels by up to 30 percent, with well over half the patients in one study reporting their depression completely relieved. Among the various products that contain rhodiola, NorthStar Nutritionals offers an herbal formulation that combines rhodiola rosea with another botanical called rhododendron caucasicum, which has also been used in Russia for many years to treat depression and anxiety. This formula, called Weight Wellness, is designed to address the primary culprit that sabotages most diets: changes in brain chemistry. In the treatment of depression and listlessness, the typical recommended daily dosage of rhodiola rosea is 100-300 mg. Weight Wellness delivers 200 mg of rhodiola rosea root extract per daily dose. And in addition to the extra support of 100 mg of rhododendron caucasicum, Weight Wellness also contains brown seaweed extract (a dietary fiber), as well as blueberry leaf extract that helps balance blood sugar, reducing that shaky feeling that often comes with dieting. If you're preparing for a new diet, you can find more information about Weight Wellness here:
http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/650SV01/W650E450/home.cfm And one more tip: when shopping for a rhodiola rosea supplement, make sure you pick up rhodiola ROSEA. "Rhodiola sacra" is a completely different herb, which is also sometimes called Tibetan rhodiola, or simply rhodiola. In other words, if it doesn't have the "rosea," in this case it's not the right rhodiola. | 
