Rhodiola
Rhodiola is an herb thought to be beneficial in reducing depressive symptoms and combating stress. This may be due to its ability to improve nerve cell communication and reduce the overactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis. This axis regulates stress [33] response and its overactivity may be associated with [34] depression.
A study with 57 participants [35] who had depression found that 340 mg of rhodiola extract used every day for 12 weeks led to clinical benefits. The effects were not as significant as in those treated with the antidepressant drug Sertraline, but there were fewer side effects.