Rhodiola rosea (Hongjingtian)

Distribution:
Afghanistan, India, Pakistan. Produced in western part of Tibet, southern part of Qinghai, Xinjiang, Shanxi, Henan, Hebei
 
Properties (characteristics):
Sweet, tart, cold.

Channels (meridians) entered:
Spleen, stomach, lung, heart.
 
Medical functions:
Anti-oxidant effect: it can protect the liver from damages caused by a lipid type of peroxide.

anti aging 

Lower blood sugar: it inhibits the increase of glycogen caused by glucose and epinephrine.

Improves memory that has been damaged by drug or alcohol.

Adjusts the blood flow of the CNS.

Increases the flow volume of oxygen-carrying blood to the heart muscle; thus protects the muscle from damage caused by lack of oxygen.

Anti-hypoxia: It may prevent hypoxia-induced biological changes by either increasing intracellular oxygen diffusion and efficiency of oxygen utilization or reducing hypoxia-induced oxidative damage with its anti-oxidative ability; thus prevents high altitude sickness.

Helps prevent strokes caused by Hypertension (High Blood Pressure).
Improves exercise endurance3  It has been used to improve or maintain endurance performance of athletes during training or competition by increasing biological factors associated with oxygen uptake. In-vivo experiments have shown that oral treatment with R. rosea extracts in rats can significantly prolong the duration of long-distance swimming and activate the synthesis or re-synthesis of ATP in mitochondria, which acts as the main energy source for most cellular functions and is essential for locomotion and respiration.

Actions & Indications:
Corrects qi deficient and tonifies the lungs; benefits  the brain and mood; arrests bleeding; dissolves blood stasis and eliminates swellings.
It addresses qi deficient with weak body, feeling cold after sickness, short of breath and weakness.
Being used in coughing blood, cough in pneumonia, erectile dysfunction, Leukorrhagia in women.
External use: impact injuries, scalding, high altitude sickness.

Dosage:
3 to 9 g

Cautions:
It should be taken early in the day because it can interfere with sleep or cause vivid dreams during the first few weeks of use.