29 replies to this topic

[Agomelatinehope]

Hi, after doing a lot of research I've realised that these suplements could be good for me. The problem is that there are so many brands in the market that I don't know which one to choose.

I have already bought the NOW brand of both but I only did it because they were the cheapest. A better brand would mean better results, wouldn't it?

Thank you very much

[DbCooper]

Adrenals burnt out? Ive used the NOW brand and it seems ok. Good luck

[Agomelatinehope]

Adrenals burnt out? Ive used the NOW brand and it seems ok. Good luck

I tried this brand and it also seemed ok with me (maybe the rhodiola dose was too potent for me). On the other hand the ash. seems to be good.

I heard that "Jarrow formulas" Rhodiola is better because it has 5% of rosavins (instead of NOW 3%) but I don't really know how it would affect its eficacy.

By the way. My main problem is general anxiety disorder and lack of energy. I don't know if it has something to do with the adrenals but prescription meds (benzos, SSRIs) almost destroyed my life and I'm fed up with them.

Thank you again

[Lovetolearn]

I'd get sensoril for the ashwa

[Galaxyshock]

Life Extension brand rhodiola is excellent it's standardized to both rosavins and salidrosides. [3% rosavins (7.5 mg), 1% salidrosides (2.5 mg)]

Ashwagandha I would go with Himalaya brand because it's smooth. You may not want to take very powerful extracts of ashwagandha daily because it is GABA-receptor agonist after all - I had rebound anxiety problems with NOW brand during continous use.

For anxiety you should try Gotu Kola - it's cheap, safe and effective. Can be thrown in the combination safely as far as I know. 1-2 grams a day or as needed.

[Agomelatinehope]

Life Extension brand rhodiola is excellent it's standardized to both rosavins and salidrosides. [3% rosavins (7.5 mg), 1% salidrosides (2.5 mg)]

Ashwagandha I would go with Himalaya brand because it's smooth. You may not want to take very powerful extracts of ashwagandha daily because it is GABA-receptor agonist after all - I had rebound anxiety problems with NOW brand during continous use.

For anxiety you should try Gotu Kola - it's cheap, safe and effective. Can be thrown in the combination safely as far as I know. 1-2 grams a day or as needed.

I didn't know ashwagandha could cause rebound anxiety after continous use. Do you recomend to cycle after some time? (lets say, to rest one week every month?)

Never heard of Gotu Kola. I'll buy some.

Thank you

Edited by Agomelatinehope, 04 October 2012 - 01:42 PM.

[Galaxyshock]

I didn't know ashwagandha could cause rebound anxiety after continous use. Do you recomend to cycle after some time? (lets say, to rest one week every month?)

It is usually well tolerated and some people don't seem to experience rebounds or withdrawal at all but I've read about similar experiences to mine where it does indeed induce bad effects afterwards. Note that I took the maximum dosage of the NOW brand daily for several months. I recommend using it cautiously and cycling off a week every once in a while sounds good. It's a great herb no doubt when used right.

Edited by Galaxyshock, 04 October 2012 - 04:14 PM.

[nupi]

Jarrow's Ashwaghanda (which is Sensoril, FWIW).

For the Rhodiola either Jarrow or SHR-5. For me it was another one of the chase the dragon herbs...

[Agomelatinehope]

I tried NOW Rhodiola yesterday and this is the result:

It started working 2 hours after I took it. I felt with a lot of energy, confidence, sexual desire and pro social behaviour (just what I was looking for). It was absolutely great. I had energy all day long BUT also all night long :S I went to sleep and it was impossible, I felt with so much energy that my body didn't want to sleep. Today I woke up feeling like crap...

It is a very potent and amazing herb, I wonder if there's other brand which just does not cause this insomnia side effect.

[Buzzing Health]

I have tried most of the the rhodiola and ashagwandha nrands by the the most effectibe but with rebound was the life extension organic india was another great brand and works the best without rebound it also seems to be much cheaper then other ashagwandha brands

[Galaxyshock]

I tried NOW Rhodiola yesterday and this is the result:

It started working 2 hours after I took it. I felt with a lot of energy, confidence, sexual desire and pro social behaviour (just what I was looking for). It was absolutely great. I had energy all day long BUT also all night long :S I went to sleep and it was impossible, I felt with so much energy that my body didn't want to sleep. Today I woke up feeling like crap...

It is a very potent and amazing herb, I wonder if there's other brand which just does not cause this insomnia side effect.

Interesting that you responded very strongly to the stimulatory effects of the herb. But yeah NOW brand is very potent extract - I prefer taking only a half (or even 1/3) of a capsule of it and then start slowly increasing the dosage depending how tolerated.

Edited by Galaxyshock, 07 October 2012 - 01:06 PM.

[Pirate]

@galaxyshock - What dosages would that be?

[Galaxyshock]

NOW brand Ashwagandha is 450mg standardized to 4.5% withanolides whereas organic root powder only contains around 0.2% withanolides. So one capsule of NOW Ashwagandha is equal to approximately 10 grams of the whole herb. General recommendation is usually 3-6 grams of the dried root. As you can see one capsule may already be more than enough and that's why I tend to split the capsule (225mg of 4.5% equaling ~5 grams of the whole herb). Of course there are differences between using full spectrum plant and extract but I'd say this is quite accurate guideline since withanolides are the major effective ingredients of the herb.

I'd say 1/2 capsule three times a day would be maximum dosage in the long term for me. A big single dosage like 2 capsules has tranquilizing and sedative effect for me - only good for a sleep aid, but possible rebound anxiety the next day. But doing your own experiments should reveal how you react to it. Ashwagandha is considered an adaptogen so it may have different effect and dosage requirements for you.

[Agomelatinehope]

NOW brand Ashwagandha is 450mg standardized to 4.5% withanolides whereas organic root powder only contains around 0.2% withanolides. So one capsule of NOW Ashwagandha is equal to approximately 10 grams of the whole herb. General recommendation is usually 3-6 grams of the dried root. As you can see one capsule may already be more than enough and that's why I tend to split the capsule (225mg of 4.5% equaling ~5 grams of the whole herb). Of course there are differences between using full spectrum plant and extract but I'd say this is quite accurate guideline since withanolides are the major effective ingredients of the herb.

I'd say 1/2 capsule three times a day would be maximum dosage in the long term for me. A big single dosage like 2 capsules has tranquilizing and sedative effect for me - only good for a sleep aid, but possible rebound anxiety the next day. But doing your own experiments should reveal how you react to it. Ashwagandha is considered an adaptogen so it may have different effect and dosage requirements for you.

Thanks for your reply. I'll try with half capsule next time. It's not the first time that I read that Now Foods uses too much amount of ingredient in their formulas.

My experiencia with a whole capsule of Now Foods Ash. is that it works sometimes (boost motivation, relax, well being) while other times it just makes you feel very very irritable. Maybe you're right about the dose.

[ricca91]

I'm takinh Jarrow's Rhodiola right now, and I am noticing a very clear head, in comparison to the brain for I had before.

It contains 500mg of extract standardized to 5% of rosavin. Next time I'll try NOW which contains less rosavin but it's standardized to salidroside too, which seems to be the most active compound. If anyone has experience with NOW rhodiola it would be awesome!

Regarding Ashwsganda I tried LEF which is standardized to a quite high percentage of withanolides (I don't remember how much). I didn't really notice any effect on anxiety or energy, however it really increased my sperm volume!

Cheers!

[Adrian Cox]

Ashwaghanda should have a rather rank smell to it (the name in Sanskrit is 'the smell of a horse'). I have two brands here now, one from NOW and another small brand from Nepal. The NOW brand does help me go to sleep but has almost no smell whereas the Nepali brand smells and has more of a sexual quality. Did you smell the Ashwaghanda?

[Adaptogen]

i bought a lb of bulk gotu kola from china and it is kind of nasty. found a feather and some small pieces of cloth and maybe plastic in it..do you think its safe to take, even if made into tinctures?

[mastercowboy]

I have used first the Swanson Ashwagandha and then the Jarrow (Sensoril).It was the same junk.Also during the Swanson i developed a tiny lipoma on my forehead that fortunately faded away after some months.I don't blame 100% the Swanson Ashwaganda though because i was taking simultaneously Swanson Reishi Mushroom drops.The lipoma shown up in less than a week since i had started the combination of them.Then i quitted both.

[Healthyfreek]

Nutrigold Ashwagandha (containing world's best ashwagandha KSM-66), Swanson KSM-66 brand

[Ubiyca]

As far as Rhodiola goes, you can't go wrong with Jarrow's Rhodiola Rosea 500 with 5% rosavins.

[MiddleAged49]

For Rhodiola, the UK Brand 'Viridian' is also very good - at least the 'Maximum Potency' version anyway. One pill contains 250mg of extract with 3% Rosavins, 1% Salidroside, and also 130mg of root powder added in. They've told me its sourced from the borders of Russia and China. Absolutely keeps me from feeling tired/sluggish in the afternoon.
I'd prefer something that mentions salidroside on the label as that's apparently the ingredient in Rhodiola that helps with sleep - however, it may have been eliminated from the system by the time I hit the sack.

[KryptonStratos]

Would have to say gaia herbs. Hands down. Great company

[jonnyD]

I can recommend Indigo Herbs. Good prices for high quality powder.

[Stefanovic]

Anyone tried the paradise brand. I've heard it's very good for fo-ti, but on Iherb there are also a couple of bad reviews on it ( for ashwagandha)

[Captain Obvious]

I've tried LEF Rhodiola, and now just finished a bottle from NOW Foods. LEF seemed way more potent even with a smaller dose, but might be the circumstances, other supplements etc effecting as well.

I'm a little concerned with the NOW Food supplement quality. I've read several reports from ConsumerLab and unlike Jarrow and LEF, NOW Foods have had problems with some of their herbal extracts: sometimes polluted with heavy metals, sometimes wrong amounts of active ingredients. I think I'll try ordering some SHR-5 from Swedish Herbal Institute as well as Jarrow's Rhodiola Extract and try to feel any differences. Maybe have to revisit LEF also.

 

With Ashwagandha (LEF) I never noticed any effects, but I took (and will take) it mostly for support.

Edited by State of the Art, 13 February 2015 - 11:02 AM.

[larsonfuda09]

Ceretropic's sublingual Rhodiola seems interesting.

Edited by larsonfuda09, 13 February 2015 - 03:13 PM.

[stan08]

Gaia Rhodiola is the best I've used (others I tried are Eclectic Institute, Biotest and Swedish Herbal Institute).

[Wagner83]

I have only used the rhodiola from therootofthematter and find it excellent. I take one 250mg cap at dinner time every once in a while, I feel the effects within a short time frame but the most impressive ones happen the following two-three days. I feel awesome, at peace, calm . I'd describe it as feeling balanced, in every possible ways.

I also had some of worst vivid nightmares on it, I had not used it with meal, and had taken some the day before too.

 

I tried the ashwagandha from gaia herbs and it's mostly a bit sedating, I'd need to experience more  with it though. For now I favour their eleuthero root extract.

Edited by Wagner83, 16 January 2016 - 08:28 PM.

[S Sapu]

Authentic Shilajit, hard to find, is a nice complement to boost Ashwaghanda's effect. Lotus blooming Shilajit seems like a good brand.

[world33]

According to this 2015 UK research "The authenticity and quality of Rhodiola rosea products" available at https://www.scienced...003189?via=ihub
 
Now Foods (#24, US) and Higher Nature (#10) / Vitano (#11) both manufactured from a German company called Dr. Willmar Schwabe GmbH are the supplements with the highest content of rosavins (PC1) and salidrosides (PC2) (see chart) among 40 products (see attached word document with the modified list including brand names of the best products) available in the UK market (see picture with basket of products)
 

Attached Files

•  The authenticity and quality of Rhodiola rosea products.docx   22.03KB   33 downloads

Edited by world33, 30 January 2018 - 02:55 AM.