Biohacking your New Year’s Resolution!
Happy New Year from everyone at Nanton Nutraceuticals!
We hope that your holidays were relaxing and full of cheer! The holiday season is typically a time when we get to take a break from the hustle and bustle of work and day-to-day living. You’ve worked hard, pushed yourself to the limit, and need to decompress from the high stress of modern society. Whether from the demands of work, taking care of children or family, or even in pursuing your passions, these can all add up to a place of chronic stress, fatigue, and even burnout. As such, over the holidays people gather for holiday dinners, parties, and other types of social engagements to shake the stress and to ring in the New Year. Others take the break as time to plan and prepare for the year ahead. Quite often, this preparation comes in the form of a New Year’s resolution.
What is your resolution?
Whether your goal is to decompress and reduce your stress, to start getting more active and going to the gym, or even to make a big change such as in your career, Nanton Nutraceuticals is here to help support you by providing your body with the right resources to rise to the challenge. But don’t just take our word for it, let’s quickly examine the evidence behind our flagship product, Rhoziva, and how it can help you meet your goals.
One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to be more active. This is an amazing goal as exercise is the best natural way to modulate our body’s stress response and prevent numerous diseases. Often times, people will buy a gym membership or pick up a set of weights for home use, and will engage with this commitment for a couple of weeks. However, this effort is often short-lived as the stresses and demands of our lives begin to pile back up. As a result, this well-meaning commitment to change takes the back burner as we return to survival mode.
What happens to us in Survival Mode?
While we have numerous hormones that influence and control healthy bodily function, chronic stress can wreak havoc on certain key hormones, including Cortisol. Cortisol is known as our Stress hormone, and while it’s true that we always do need a certain level of cortisol to function, individuals experiencing chronic stress or chronic fatigue have chemically observed differences in their cortisol patterns. These changes include a delayed and subsequent overproduction of waking cortisol in the morning. As a result of this change in cortisol, we wake up feeling groggy, or wired but tired, experience a pronounced afternoon crash in productivity and energy, and we become susceptible to numerous health conditions including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and even mood disorders such as anxiety and depression (1).
What can we do to get out of Survival Mode and follow-through with New Year’s Resolutions?
Fortunately, herbs known as adaptogens help our bodies chemically modulate its response to stress, including cortisol. One herb of particular interest is Rhodiola Rosea, which has been studied extensively for its impacts on mood, cognition, energy, stress, and even athletic performance.
For example, in a study with 89 participants with diagnosed depression, Rhodiola supplementation was found to significantly improve depression, emotional stability, and insomnia scores as compared to placebo (2). In another study, 60 individuals with diagnosed fatigue syndrome saw a significant improvement in burnout scores, concentration and mental performance, and the normalization of waking cortisol levels (3). This is why our flagship product, Rhoziva, as well as all Rhoziva line products, contains a clinically relevant dosage of Rhodiola extracts.
Ok, so improved stress levels, mood, cognition, and fatigue… does this actually translate into real life benefits?
Absolutely it can! In fact, there are even studies that demonstrate this. For example, researchers wanted to examine the impact of Rhodiola extracts on the cognitive performance of those experiencing stressful situations but were otherwise healthy, and they did this with several groups of students. One such study of university students undergoing examinations found an impressive increase in GPA scores (3.47 Rhodiola vs. 3.20 placebo) (4). Separate pre- and post-exam tests also revealed that the Rhodiola group had a 50% increase in performance scores (maze test; speed vs. accuracy), while making 8% fewer mistakes and identifying 8% more correct answers during cognitive testing, as compared to the placebo group. Other studies have shown similar results in a workplace setting!
Ok, so Rhodiola could help cognitive performance during stressful periods, what about physical performance?
The study mentioned above also found a significant improvement in physical work capacity and heart rate. But what does this exactly mean?
Numerous other studies have explored the physical impacts that Rhodiola can have on exercise performance. Such as a physical fatigue study that found significant improvements in exercise recovery as demonstrated by blood testing biomarkers. Or another study that found a protective effect of Rhodiola on skeletal muscle (5), with additional studies finding significant decreases in perceived exhaustion (6, 7). However, another study of 60 marathon runners was not able to replicate these results (8).
Why do some studies show exercise benefit, but not all?
While there are numerous factors at play, one key consideration when looking at the studies is the consistent (or lack thereof) use of a standardized extract and using a meaningful dose; too little, too much, and timing are all important.
This is why not all Rhodiola or Rhodiola extracts are the same. At Nanton Nutraceutical, all Rhoziva line products contain a clinically relevant and standardized dosage of Rhodiola extracts that are backed by 12 years of our own research in conjunction with the past 50+ years of available study data. This is the Rhoziva advantage!
Whether you are looking to leave behind the stresses of last year, combat cognitive fatigue and improve workplace performance, or looking to stick with your New Year’s resolution of getting back into shape, Rhoziva can help get you there in a meaningful way.
If you’re not sure which Rhoziva product fits your needs best, know that our flagship product, Rhoziva is a scientifically backed way to help get you where you need by combatting the effects chronic stress and dysfunctional cortisol on your mood and energy levels!
Struggling with staying ahead at work, school, home life, or even everyday tasks? If you’re looking for the extra brain power,Rhoziva Brain is combined with another powerful herb to promote the clarity, focus, and calm you’ve been craving.
If you’re looking to enhance your athletic performance, physical endurance, and boost your energy levels, then Rhoziva Edge will help get you there; it combines Rhoziva with several powerful herbs, such as Siberian ginseng, that are commonly used by Olympic athletes to provide that competitive edge safely and effectively.
For full product description (intended use, safety, etc.), please follow the above links, or contact us using our Instant Chat feature or visit our Contact Us page. Please note, that while Rhodiola extract has demonstrated safety in numerous clinical settings, it is important to speak with your healthcare provider before starting any supplement.
Don’t let exhaustion and stress get in the way of improving your physical and mental health or achieving that resolution! From everyone at Nanton Nutraceuticals, we hope that you’ve had a happy holiday season and look forward to supporting you achieving your goals for this new year!
Yours in health,
Nanton Nutraceuticals
Medically reviewed by: Dr. Jordan Kerner, ND