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• One of the most egregious lies spread by mainstream media hosts and health authorities like Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Rochelle Walensky was that the COVID “vaccine” would stop the spread of infection, thereby ending the pandemic. It was a provable lie, because none of the COVID shots had ever been tested to see if they could prevent the spread of infection

• As hospitals filled up with “vaccinated” individuals who were supposed to be immune, the PR slogan “Pandemic of the unvaccinated” was endlessly circulated — until the reality of the situation finally became too obvious to ignore. Then, suddenly, hospitals and health authorities simply quit keeping track of COVID hospitalizations

• The list of COVID measures that were arbitrary, unscientific and plain stupid is a long one. For example, in Michigan, hardware stores that were allowed to remain open were not allowed to sell carpet, flooring, furniture, garden supplies or paint. Businesses were also prohibited from advertising any product other than “groceries, medical supplies, or items that are necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation and basic operation of residences”

• In South Africa, shops could only sell closed toe shoes (no sandals). In Victoria, Australia, people were prohibited from venturing more than 5 kilometers from their home, and in Great Britain, you had to order a substantial meal if you wanted a pint of ale

• Among the most laughably absurd measures were having school children play instruments wearing masks with holes cut around their mouth, or playing inside one-man tents

The video above features a compilation of some of the most absurd COVID narratives we were indoctrinated with over the past three years. For example, “No one is safe until everyone is safe” was one of several lies we heard repeated across media platforms.

First of all, there were and are vast differences in risk depending on your age and general medical history, and this was evident within weeks of the outbreak. Secondly, the data showed that 99.5% of the population would survive COVID.

So, the reality was the complete opposite of this fabricated PR campaign slogan. Had we been told the truth, we would have been told that “Most of us are safe,” rather than “None of us are safe.”

Next, the “no one is safe” slogan morphed to “No one is safe unless everyone is vaccinated.” With that, it became open season to harass, intimidate, threaten and discriminate against the unvaccinated. Every COVID case and death was blamed on them, no matter how irrational. And while the talking heads paid lip service to the desire to “save lives,” they had no qualms about wishing death on the unvaccinated.

As questions about the safety of the experimental gene transfer shots mounted, another campaign slogan was concocted: “Don’t do your own research.” At the same time, “Trust the science” was trending. What that meant was that you were supposed to trust that what you were told WAS “the science.” Actually looking at published science, that made you a dangerous moron.

One of the most egregious lies spread by mainstream media hosts and health authorities like Dr. Anthony Fauci alike was that the COVID “vaccine” would stop the spread of infection in its tracks, thereby ending the pandemic.

It was a provable lie, because anyone who had gone against the grain and done their own research knew that none of the COVID shots had ever been tested to see if they could prevent the spread of infection. The only “promise” they ever held was that they might reduce the symptoms of infection. Have any of these people apologized for spreading lies? I can’t think of one.

Even Fauci and Walensky, then-director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stated that you could not get COVID if you got the shot. Both later got sick with COVID several times, as did countless others who fell for and vigorously promoted this false propaganda.

Still, the brainwashing continued. As hospitals filled up with “vaccinated” individuals who were supposed to be immune, the PR slogan “Pandemic of the unvaccinated” was endlessly circulated — until the reality of the situation finally became too obvious to ignore.

Then, suddenly, hospitals and health authorities simply quit keeping track of COVID hospitalizations. Problem solved. This way, they didn’t have to admit that what we had was a pandemic of the vaccinated.

In a March 15, 2021, article,

attorney at law Glenn Roper also reviewed a long list of arbitrary COVID measures that “bore little connection to health and safety” and were nothing more than “an exercise of raw government power to control its citizens.” Six of the worst offenders in this regard were:

• Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who:

  • Forced certain stores that were allowed to remain open to block access to specific areas. Hardware stores, for example, were not allowed to sell carpet, flooring, furniture, garden supplies or paint.

  • Prohibited businesses from promoting or advertising any product other than “groceries, medical supplies or items that are necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation and basic operation of residences.”

  • Banned motorboats, jet skis and other watercraft, while allowing the use of kayaks, canoes and sailboats.

  • Prohibited residents from traveling to a second home or a vacation rental.

• Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, who prohibited people from gathering with anyone from another household, even outdoors.

• Villages in New York that banned the use of leaf-blowers, as blowing dust into the air would create “a hazmat situation.”

• Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, who imposed a “no exceptions” mask rule. Everyone above age 5 had to wear a mask indoors and out, including when alone. While Roper doesn’t mention this, Massachusetts also required golf courses to place pieces of pool noodles in the bottom of the golf cups, to prevent you from touching the sides of the cup.

• Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who banned all nonessential travel, including walking.

• The mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, banned drive-in church services for Easter. A federal judge reversed the ban, stating the order was something “this court never expected to see outside the pages of a dystopian novel, or perhaps the pages of ‘The Onion.’”

Similarly absurd rules can be found across the world. In South Africa, for example, government officials ruled that shops could only sell closed toe shoes (no sandals), and short-sleeved shirts could only be worn if you had a jacket or long-sleeved jersey on top.

In Victoria, Australia, people were prohibited from venturing more than 5 kilometers from their home,

and in Great Britain, you had to order a substantial meal if you wanted a pint of ale.

In Scotland, the crowd size for public events was limited, but not for private ones, and in Peru and Panama, men and women were only permitted to go outside on alternate days.

“But it wasn’t just the measures themselves that were troublesome. The enforcement of these new laws was also overzealous and absurd,” Roper wrote.

For example, in Encinitas, California, police cited 22 people for “watching the sunset” and “having picnics near the beach.” “Violations carry fines of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail,” Roper noted.

California police officers also chased down and arrested lone paddleboarders and surfers, and in Brighton, Colorado, a man was arrested for playing with his 6-year-old daughter on a near-empty softball field.

The same insanity was taking place in other countries. A family in England was told by a policeman to go back indoors because “people died yesterday.” They were in their own front yard.

All of this is extremely problematic, as it points to a breakdown of the very structure of our government. As noted by Roper:

“In each case, COVID restrictions were imposed by executive branch officials — governors, mayors, sheriffs, and law enforcement — relying on broad grants of power delegated by legislatures.

The legislators did not write or vote on the restrictions themselves. Instead, it was left to the officials who are responsible for enforcing the restrictions to decide what is banned and what is allowed.

That approach is contrary to the separation of powers that underlies the American system of government. Under our system, power is supposed to be divided among different branches that check and balance each other, for the protection of our rights and freedom.

Laws are supposed to be enacted by the legislative branch. The executive branch is supposed to enforce the laws, not make them. It is that constitutional structure that helps protect our liberty and freedoms.”

Roper’s list of absurd and arbitrary COVID measures could have been far longer. Remember these images? This was how a high school band in Wenatchee, Washington, was forced to practice in early 2021.

According to officials, singing or blowing into an instrument could spread the COVID virus, so high schoolers practiced holed up in one-man tents. It was mindbogglingly stupid when it first happened, and it’s not getting any less absurd with the passing of time.

“Fear and the desire for safety are powerful forces. They can lead to a clamor for action — almost any action — as long as someone does something to address a perceived threat.” ~ Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch

Other schools took the absurdity to even higher levels, having the kids practice wearing masks with holes cut out for their mouths.

In mid-May 2023, Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch leveled harsh criticisms against government’s response to the COVID pandemic, from local to federal. In his eight-page ruling in the case of Arizona v. Alejandro Mayorkas, he stated:

“Since March 2020, we may have experienced the greatest intrusions on civil liberties in the peacetime history of this country. Executive officials across the country issued emergency decrees on a breathtaking scale. Governors and local leaders imposed lockdown orders forcing people to remain in their homes. They shuttered businesses and schools, public and private.

They closed churches even as they allowed casinos and other favored businesses to carry on. They threatened violators not just with civil penalties but with criminal sanctions too. They surveilled church parking lots, recorded license plates, and issued notices warning that attendance at even outdoor services satisfying all state social-distancing and hygiene requirements could amount to criminal conduct.

They divided cities and neighborhoods into color-coded zones, forced individuals to fight for their freedoms in court on emergency timetables, and then changed their color-coded schemes when defeat in court seemed imminent.

Federal executive officials entered the act too … They deployed a public-health agency to regulate landlord-tenant relations nationwide. They used a workplace-safety agency to issue a vaccination mandate for most working Americans. They threatened to fire noncompliant employees and warned that service members who refused to vaccinate might face dishonorable discharge and confinement.

Along the way, it seems federal officials may have pressured social-media companies to suppress information about pandemic policies with which they disagreed.

While executive officials issued new emergency decrees at a furious pace, state legislatures and Congress — the bodies normally responsible for adopting our laws — too often fell silent. Courts bound to protect our liberties addressed a few — but hardly all — of the intrusions upon them …

Doubtless, many lessons can be learned from this chapter in our history, and hopefully serious efforts will be made to study it. One lesson might be this: Fear and the desire for safety are powerful forces.

They can lead to a clamor for action — almost any action — as long as someone does something to address a perceived threat. A leader or an expert who claims he can fix everything, if only we do exactly as he says, can prove an irresistible force.

We do not need to confront a bayonet, we need only a nudge, before we willingly abandon the nicety of requiring laws to be adopted by our legislative representatives and accept rule by decree. Along the way, we will accede to the loss of many cherished civil liberties — the right to worship freely, to debate public policy without censorship, to gather with friends and family, or simply to leave our homes …

Of course, this is no new story. Even the ancients warned that democracies can degenerate toward autocracy in the face of fear.

But maybe we have learned another lesson too. The concentration of power in the hands of so few may be efficient and sometimes popular. But it does not tend toward sound government. However wise one person or his advisors may be, that is no substitute for the wisdom of the whole of the American people that can be tapped in the legislative process.

Decisions produced by those who indulge no criticism are rarely as good as those produced after robust and uncensored debate. Decisions announced on the fly are rarely as wise as those that come after careful deliberation.

Decisions made by a few often yield unintended consequences that may be avoided when more are consulted. Autocracies have always suffered these defects. Maybe, hopefully, we have relearned these lessons too.”

Gorsuch also calls for a review of the National Emergencies Act, and for state legislatures to reexamine the scope of emergency executive powers at the state level, because “Rule by indefinite emergency edict risks leaving all of us with a shell of a democracy and civil liberties just as hollow.”

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The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. The subscription fee being requested is for access to the articles and information posted on this site, and is not being paid for any individual medical advice.

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• Common fennel is a perennial plant in the carrot family. All but the roots are used in traditional culinary and medicinal preparations. The plant is native to the Mediterranean and is believed to have been part of Jewish meals since biblical times

• Although from the same family and similar in taste, anise and fennel are from different plants and have slightly different flavor profiles. Anise is more pungent and often found in Chinese Five Spice powder while fennel seeds have a less sweet licorice flavor that lends itself to savory dishes

• Fennel bulbs are low in calories and are a rich source of fiber and anethole, which gives the plant the distinctive flavor and has anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, chemoprotective and antithrombotic properties

• Fennel seed has anti-infective properties effective against conjunctivitis, and has been incorporated into natural remedies to treat dry cough, pneumonia, bronchitis and asthma. It also has mild diuretic properties

• Animal studies link fennel extract to the treatment of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The seeds also have a long history as a digestive aid as they lower cramping, bloating and gas while promoting motility and peristalsis. The seeds have traditionally been used as a galactagogue, helping to increase breast milk supply

Common fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a perennial plant in the carrot family that is grown for the edible leaves, shoots, seeds and bulbs. It’s likely the plant was first cultivated in Israel,

and is believed to have been part of Jewish meals since biblical times. The plant is native to the Mediterranean area, where the seeds are used as a spice, insect repellent and medicine, and the shoots and feathery fronds are added to salad.

Pliny the Elder mentions fennel several times in his encyclopedia, “Natural History,” as a treatment for uterine health, stomach aches, and to care for “stings of serpents.”

Although the plant has become an invasive species in parts of the U.S., it can be grown in pots, which may help contain the spread.

The plant appreciates cool weather and temperatures above 75 degrees Fahrenheit can induce bolting, or premature seeding.

It likes full sun, well-draining soil and should be planted in the early spring or fall months. If the seed heads are collected before they shatter, it may also help prevent the spread of the plant. Although the plant can reach 6 feet in height, it often is ready for harvest when it’s shorter than that.

Traditionally, the medicinal value of fennel has benefited nursing women and people with gastrointestinal disorders; it has even been used as a mild diuretic to help reduce edema. However, some people don’t like the licorice-like flavor of the fennel plant, which tastes like anise.

Although anise and fennel are similar in taste and the plants are from the same family, that is where the similarity ends. While fennel produces a bulb at the base that is edible, anise grows as a bush that produces the seed, and only the anise seed is edible.

Both plants are native to the Mediterranean and both have a licorice flavor derived from anethole, an essential oil found in the seed. Many cooks use the seeds interchangeably, but anise is more pungent and often found in Chinese five spice powder. Fennel seeds have a less sweet licorice flavor that lends itself to savory dishes.

Fennel is a versatile plant and much of it can be eaten.

The bulb can be trimmed, the outer layer peeled, and the bulb cut in half lengthwise through the middle of the root. The core can be tough on larger bulbs but is often tender in younger plants.

The fennel bulb and stocks can be eaten raw or roasted, caramelized, grilled or candied. Cooking the vegetable tends to reduce the licorice flavoring. The stems can be tossed over coals when grilling fish and the fronds make a garnish on fish or salad.

The vitamin and nutrient content in fennel bulbs and seeds contribute to supporting overall health and have specific benefits, such as digestive health and anticancer properties. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nutrients in fennel bulbs and seeds include:

The combination of nutrients in fennel seed offers mild diuretic properties, which may be one of the reasons weight loss formulas include the seed.

In the past, it’s been used as an appetite suppressant and has been incorporated into natural remedies to treat dry, hacking coughs, as well as asthma, pneumonia and bronchitis.

Fennel seed also has anti-infective properties effective against conjunctivitis. A decoction of the seed strained through a paper filter has been used as an eye wash for sore and bloodshot eyes. The essential oil derived from fennel seed has been useful to improve energy levels and incorporated into facial products for mature skin. This includes soaps, creams and lotions.

Kaempferol and quercetin are ubiquitous polyphenols in fruit and vegetables,

which are beneficial in the fight against cardiovascular disease, which remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Fennel leaves have higher levels of quercetin in milligrams per 100 gm of fresh weight than other plant sources tested, except for dill.

Fennel is also rich in anethole, which helps give the plant its distinctive flavor. The compound has been widely used within the food industry and across the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. Studies have also revealed the compound may play a role in several chronic diseases due to the anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, chemoprotective and antithrombotic properties modulated across ion channels.

Fennel bulbs are also rich in prebiotic fiber,

that helps support gut microbiota and promotes optimal brain and psychological health.

Adding prebiotic fiber to your diet improves your gut microbiome and thus may impact brain development and function.

Animal studies

have also linked common fennel in the treatment of dementia and Alzheimer’s. The extract was used in mice for eight consecutive days and found to ameliorate the amnesic effect of chemically induced memory deficits in mice. The powerful antioxidants found in the fennel bulb, such as vitamin C and quercetin, helped to reduce levels of inflammatory markers in an animal model.

Fennel seeds have a long history as an effective digestive aid.

They appear to help lower digestive cramping, bloating and gas. Volatile oils in the fennel seed help encourage motility and peristalsis, while the aromatic oils have antispasmodic and carminative properties.

Fennel tea is made by crushing dried seeds and adding them to boiling water. By increasing motility and reducing muscle spasms, drinking fennel tea may help prevent acid reflux and improve digestion. Since the fennel seeds help reduce stomach cramps and lower gas and bloating, they could potentially help relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and act as a muscle relaxant to ease cramping.

The impact that consuming fennel bulb has on heart disease is related to the prebiotics that help improve gut health. Fennel seeds are rich in potassium, which can help balance your sodium-potassium ratio and have a positive influence on blood pressure. In postmenopausal women, fennel increased sexual satisfaction and reduced painful intercourse,

and fennel vaginal cream improved arousal, lubrication, sexual satisfaction and orgasm after eight weeks.

Lifestyle and wellness coach Luke Coutinho shared a fennel tea recipe with the Times of India to help promote sleep. It includes making fennel tea with dried seeds and adding dashes of freshly ground nutmeg and cinnamon, and then drinking it at bedtime.

Fennel tea also has antimicrobial and antiviral properties, so drinking some tea when you feel a cold coming on may help your body fight the pathogens.

Fennel tea may be one of the original ways people used to freshen their breath. The antibacterial properties may help kill oral pathogens that cause your breath to smell bad.

Fennel seeds have traditionally been used as a galactagogue, helping to increase breast milk supply.

Fennel seeds are used in traditional medicine and are included in several over-the-counter proprietary mixtures believed to help increase milk supply. It is believed to boost milk production by competing with dopamine that binds with prolactin first.

By preserving prolactin’s milk stimulation properties, the anethole in fennel seed helps boost production.

Asafoetida is an Indian cooking spice made from the gum of a type of giant fennel. The name translates into “rotten resin,”

which aptly describes the unpleasant odor reminiscent of rotting food and sweaty feet. If you can get past the scent while cooking, it has been long used in lieu of garlic and onions in Indian food.

Asafoetida also can reduce gas and bloating, and sometimes is paired with bean-based dishes for that reason.

In 2009,

researchers found it was more effective at killing the H1N1 influenza virus than the commercially manufactured antiviral drug, amantadine.

Asafoetida also contains several chemicals shown to have anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antimutagenic activities. As reported in the Pharmacognosy Review:

“Dried resin, administered orally to Sprague–Dawley rats at doses of 1.25 and 2.5% w/w of the diet, produced a significant reduction in the multiplicity and size of palpable N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-induced mammary tumors, and a delay in mean latency period of tumor appearance. Oral administration to mice increased the percentage of life span by 52.9%. Intraperitoneal administration did not produce any significant reduction in tumor growth.”

Similarly, a study

published in the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine in 2017 confirmed asafoetida resin had antitumor effects against breast cancer. According to the researchers:

“Our results showed that treatment with asafoetida was effective in decreasing the tumor weight and tumor volume in treated mice. Apart from the antitumor effect, asafoetida decreased lung, liver and kidney metastasis and also increased areas of necrosis in the tumor tissue respectively.”

As with fennel bulb and fennel seed, asafoetida lowers blood pressure,

has significant smooth muscle relaxant and anticoagulant effects, and certain compounds may have the ability to inhibit acetylcholinesterase,

which may prove useful against Alzheimer’s disease.

The fennel bulb has a crunchy texture and mildly sweet flavor. When purchasing fennel, look for a firm white or pale green color. If the buds are flowering, the plant has gotten overripe.

Fennel and fennel seeds are gentle, but there are instances when fennel can cause an allergic reaction on the skin and in the respiratory tract.

The essential oil can be toxic in high doses and should be avoided during pregnancy as it has estrogen-like activities. Individuals with estrogen-sensitive conditions, such as breast cancer or other tumors, should also avoid consuming the essential oil.

Other high-sensitivity reactions can include over-excitement of the nervous system and seizures in a sensitive individual. People with Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy should avoid using the essential oil. Fennel may also slow blood clotting, so people with bleeding disorders or on blood thinners should not use fennel.

When drinking fennel tea or using other products with essential oil, avoid ultraviolet light exposure as it can increase the risk of burns. If a mother or breastfed infant is allergic to carrots, celery, or other plants in the Apiaceae family, the mother should also avoid fennel to reduce the risk of a possible cross-allergic reaction as the compounds cross into the breast milk.

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Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked.

The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. The subscription fee being requested is for access to the articles and information posted on this site, and is not being paid for any individual medical advice.

If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.

• Rhodiola rosea, sometimes called “golden root,” “roseroot” or “arctic root,” is a powerful adaptogen known to enhance vitality by helping your body adapt to physical, chemical and environmental stress

• Rhodiola rosea extract has been shown to have antidepressant and antianxiety effects, and helps improve symptoms associated with burnout

• The bioactive compounds rosavin and salidroside in rhodiola rosea have been shown to improve passage of serotonin precursors through the blood-brain barrier, and help preserve serotonin, thereby boosting mood

• Extract of rhodiola rosea not only may also enhance cognitive functions, modulate immune function, enhance cardiovascular, nervous system and reproductive health, but also has antiviral effects and enhances physical performance

Editor’s Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published February 12, 2018.

The perennial plant rhodiola rosea, sometimes called “golden root,” “roseroot” or “arctic root,” is a powerful adaptogen known to enhance vitality by helping your body adapt to physical, chemical and environmental stress. In other words, it helps your body maintain homeostasis. The plant has a long history of use in traditional folk medicine in Russia and Scandinavian countries,

and modern science has shown rhodiola:

• Has antidepressant and antianxiety benefits

  and helps improve symptoms of burnout

• Enhances cognitive function, improving mental clarity, thought formation and focus

• Helps modulate immune function (raising low immune function and reducing overactive function)

• Enhances nervous system health

• Enhances cardiovascular health

• Improves male and female sexual functioning, reproductive health and fertility

• Improves blood sugar control in diabetics when combined with cinnamon

• Has anticancer benefits

• Helps protect against viral infections

• Enhances athletic performance and shortens recovery time between workouts

A 2004 study

found extract of rhodiola rosea radix had an anti-inflammatory effect on healthy untrained volunteers, before and after bouts of exhausting exercise. It also protected muscle tissue during exercise. According to the abstract:

“Professional athletes effectively use rhodiola rosea (‘golden radix’) extract as a safe nonsteroid food additive improving endurance and rapid recovery of muscles during several decades. Rhodiola rosea extract improves muscle work due to mobilization and more economic expenditure of energy resources of muscles.

The use of adaptogens including R. rosea improved physical endurance of male athletes, reducing blood lactate level and accelerating recovery after exhausting exercise.”

Other studies have similarly found that rhodiola can significantly increase time to exhaustion during exercise,

reduce C reactive protein levels and improve neuromotoric fitness. For example, a 2003 animal study

found that rats given 50 milligrams per kilo (mg/kg) of rhodiola rosea extract along with the same amount of rhodiola crenulata root, prolonged the duration of exhaustive swimming the rats were capable of by nearly 25%.

This improvement was found to be due to the extracts’ ability to activate the synthesis or resynthesis of ATP in mitochondria. The extracts also stimulated reparative energy processes that take place post-exercise. Rhodiola rosea was determined to be the most effective of the two extracts for improving physical working capacity.

Rhodiola extract has also been shown to protect athletes from viral infections. In one study,

48 marathon runners randomly received either 600 mg of rhodiola rosea or a placebo for four weeks prior to a race.

Blood samples were collected at three intervals: before the start of the race, and 15 minutes and 1.5 hours after the race ended. Follow-up studies using in vitro assays concluded that rhodiola was able to protect cells against the vesicular stomatitis virus for 12 hours after physical exertion.

David Nieman, director of the Appalachian State University Human Performance Laboratory, discovered that marathon runners are particularly prone to viral illnesses, especially upper respiratory tract illnesses, after competing. Rhodiola, he found, could help with this — in addition to providing athletes with enhanced performance and recovery benefits.

It’s not yet entirely clear how rhodiola rosea actually works, but some studies have shown it helps slow enzymatic breakdown of neurotransmitters such as serotonin by inhibiting monoamine oxidase.

As such, it’s classified as an herbal monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI). The bioactive phytochemical risiridin in rhodiola rosea has been shown to inhibit MAO-B by more than 80%. This helps explain some of its antidepressive and cognitive effects.

By boosting the concentration of important neurotransmitters in your brain, your neurons can communicate better. The bioactive compounds rosavin and salidroside in rhodiola rosea have also been shown to improve passage of serotonin precursors through the blood-brain barrier, and help preserve serotonin by dampening the activity of catechol-o-methyltransferase. Evidence suggests rhodiola also can raise serotonin levels significantly.

Research published in 2015 compared rhodiola to the antidepressant sertraline, concluding it’s a safer choice. While the drug was overall more effective, rhodiola did improve depressive symptoms and had far fewer side effects. According to psychiatrists who use rhodiola in their clinical practice, the plant extract is a “viable choice in many cases for the treatment of mild to moderate depression.”

According to a study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, patients diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder who received 340 mg of rhodiola rosea extract for 10 weeks also reported significant improvements in symptoms, based on the Hamilton anxiety rating scale, the four-dimensional anxiety and depression scale, and the clinical global impressions of severity/improvement scale.

A number of other studies have also confirmed rhodiola’s mood boosting effects. According to health reporter and “medicine hunter” Chris Kilham, who specializes in discovering natural remedies:

“Over 300 human studies

on rhodiola rosea show that the plant has anti-stress, anti-anxiety, and anti-depressant properties, and that taking the extract of the root produces no significant negative effects. This is in sharp contrast to drugs for the same purposes, which typically cause sleep disorders, digestive upset, sexual dysfunction and a variety of mood disorders.

Unlike many other herbs, rhodiola rosea produces a palpable experience. When you take a preparation of this plant, you feel it. Typically, users report enhanced energy, improved mood, greatly reduced stress, better sleep and improved sexual vitality.”

Rhodiola’s energy- and vitality-boosting effects can have clear benefits for those struggling with chronic fatigue. A multicenter trial published last year found patients struggling with prolonged fatigue or chronic fatigue syndrome who received 400 mg of dry ethanol rhodiola extract per day for eight weeks experienced significant improvements within the first week.

Overall, the most significant improvement occurred for the complaint of “general fatigue,” but scores for “impairment at work,” “impairment in social life,” and “impairment in family life” also significantly improved by the end of two months. In all, patients experienced a 42% reduction in total stress and a 39% reduction in fatigue. Eighty-three percent of them reported feeling “very much” or “much” improved by week eight. As reported by the American Botanical Council:

“Nearly all outcome measures significantly improved over time and continued to decline to week eight, and the treatment was safe and well tolerated. Taken together, the authors conclude that the significant improvement in measures not only of core fatigue symptoms but a broad variety of symptoms and consequences of fatigue suggests a good potential for rhodiola to improve quality of life in chronic fatigue.”

The mechanism behind these effects is thought to be related to rhodiola’s ability to modulate catecholamine release and cAMP levels in your myocardium during stress.

It also helps reduce the stress hormone cortisol. As noted by Mental Health Daily, “Other proposed mechanisms include interactions with protein kinases p-JNK, nitric oxide, defense mechanism proteins (e.g., heat shock proteins), and regulation of beta-endorphins and opioid peptides.”

Importantly, rhodiola has been shown to be particularly beneficial for your nervous system. Work stress can trigger burnout, and research published in 2000 and 2017 suggest rhodiola can offer significant protection against this kind of stress. As noted in Life Extension Magazine:

“A number of studies have shown that rhodiola can dramatically reduce mental and physical fatigue under stressful conditions, by increasing the body’s energy levels. In one study,

a low dose (170 mg/day) of a R. rosea extract was given to 56 young physicians on night call, when there is notable decrease in physical and mental performance.

Using measures of cognitive and memory function, such as associative thinking, short-term memory, calculation, and speed of audiovisual perception, the researchers found a statistically significant reduction of stress-induced fatigue after just two weeks of supplementation with rhodiola. No side effects of rhodiola were reported.”

In a follow-up study

published last year, 118 men and women with symptoms of burnout were given 400 mg of rhodiola rosea extract for 12 weeks. Over the course of the study, levels of emotional exhaustion, fatigue, exhaustion, lack of joy, loss of zest of life and depersonalization symptoms significantly improved.

Improved sexual functioning was also noted. According to the authors, the findings suggest rhodiola rosea extract “might be an important first step toward a continuous alleviation of burnout symptoms, thus inhibiting the exacerbation of the syndrome and preventing the development of subsequent disorders such as depression or physical illness.”

While limited to animal research, evidence also suggests rhodiola may be helpful for diabetics when combined with cinnamomi cassia (cinnamon).

Both of these remedies have been extensively used in folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes.

Here, diabetic rats fed a mix of rhodiola and cinnamon extracts for 12 weeks experienced significant reductions in blood glucose, while reduced glutathione, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase were increased.

Based on these effects, the researchers concluded that rhodiola extract may be helpful for “correcting hyperglycemia and preventing diabetic complications.”

As noted by Life Extension Magazine,

“These … results reaffirm earlier studies and anecdotal evidence demonstrating rhodiola as a comprehensive adaptogen that helps the body withstand the accumulating effects of stress and advancing age.”

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• Widespread myths about lowering your cholesterol with statins to improve your heart health still permeate modern medicine

• A comprehensive review of the literature, published in 2018, found that LDL cholesterol does not cause heart disease, so statins’ ability to lower LDL is of dubious value

• Over a five-year period, taking a statin once you’ve had a heart attack will only increase your life expectancy by four days

• Just like COVID-19, they manipulated the statistics and grossly exaggerated statin benefits by conflating relative and absolute risks. If you take a statin, your chance of a heart attack is only 1.1% lower than if you’re not taking it: that is your absolute, not relative, risk

• Even though public health perpetuates the notion that lower LDL cholesterol is better, there’s no consistent relationship between lowering LDL with statins and death, heart attack or stroke

In the U.S. alone, 40 million adults take statin cholesterol-lowering medications in the mistaken belief that this will reduce their risk of heart disease.

But lowering your cholesterol is not the panacea to heart health that you’ve been led to believe.

On “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Dr. Aseem Malhotra, an interventional cardiologist consultant from the U.K., speaks out about the overprescribing of statins for heart disease — and the widespread myths about cholesterol and your heart that still permeate modern medicine.

The Framingham Study, which began in 1948, involved 5,209 people from Massachusetts.

It was instrumental in starting the myth that high total cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, but what many people don’t realize is the correlation only existed if cholesterol was over 300 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). “Very few people have total cholesterol that high,” Malhotra says.

Further, he believes, your cholesterol levels are 80% genetics. In your body, cholesterol is necessary for maintaining cell membranes and it plays a role in the immune system and synthesizing hormones and vitamin D.

In the Framingham Study, the majority of people with cholesterol levels over 300 mg/dl had a genetic condition called familial hyperlipidemia, which leads to very high levels of cholesterol. About 1 in 250 people have this condition, according to Malhotra.

What also wasn’t widely publicized about the Framingham Study was what occurred in people who were in their 50s, 60s and beyond. In this age range, as cholesterol dropped, mortality rate increased. “So, the association of cholesterol and heart disease is quite weak, first and foremost,” Malhotra says.

Malhotra and colleagues conducted a study to determine if a correlation exists with lowering LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol and preventing heart attacks and strokes, and no clear correlation was found. “This is based upon randomized, controlled trial data, so this is the most robust evidence you can get,” he says.

In the context of statins, Malhotra says, they do lower LDL cholesterol, but they also have anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting properties, and this is where any benefit comes in for preventing heart attacks and strokes. However, if you’re at low risk of heart disease, this benefit amounts to only about 1%. Among those who’ve had a heart attack, the benefits aren’t much better. Malhotra explains:

“What are those benefits when you break them down in absolute terms? … Over a five-year period, if you take your statin religiously and don’t get side effects — because … the trials took out people with side effects — the best-case scenario is 1 in 83 for saving your life and 1 in 39 in preventing a further heart attack. Now, a lot of people find that quite underwhelming.”

He also points out that, over that five-year period, taking a statin once you’ve had a heart attack will only increase your life expectancy by four days.

Further, a comprehensive review of the literature, published in 2018, found that LDL cholesterol does not cause heart disease, so statins’ ability to lower LDL is of dubious value:

“For half a century, a high level of total cholesterol (TC) or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) has been considered to be the major cause of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD), and statin treatment has been widely promoted for cardiovascular prevention.

However, there is an increasing understanding that the mechanisms are more complicated and that statin treatment, in particular when used as primary prevention, is of doubtful benefit.”

The review delved into three reviews published by statin advocates, which claimed to support the LDL cholesterol-heart disease link.

However, the authors noted, serious errors were involved in their research, along with other “obvious falsification of the cholesterol hypothesis … the conclusions of the authors of the three reviews are based on misleading statistics, exclusion of unsuccessful trials and by ignoring numerous contradictory observations.”

They further stated:

“The idea that high cholesterol levels in the blood are the main cause of CVD is impossible because people with low levels become just as atherosclerotic as people with high levels and their risk of suffering from CVD is the same or higher.”

Despite the questions surrounding their safety and effectiveness, statins are recommended for four broad patient populations:

1. Those who have already had a cardiovascular event

2. Adults with diabetes

3. Individuals with LDL cholesterol levels ≥190 mg/dL

4. Individuals with an estimated 10-year cardiovascular risk ≥7.5% (based on algorithm that uses your age, gender, blood pressure, total cholesterol, high density lipoproteins (HDL), race and history of diabetes to predict the likelihood you’ll experience a heart attack in the coming 10 years)

Even though statins are prescribed for these sizeable groups, and “target” cholesterol levels have been achieved, a systematic review of 35 randomized, controlled trials found that no additional benefits were gained. An analysis in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine by Malhotra and colleagues revealed:

“Recommending cholesterol lowering treatment based on estimated cardiovascular risk fails to identify many high-risk patients and may lead to unnecessary treatment of low-risk individuals. The negative results of numerous cholesterol lowering randomized controlled trials call into question the validity of using low density lipoprotein cholesterol as a surrogate target for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.”

Even in the case of recurrent cardiovascular events — and despite an increase in statin use from 1999 to 2013 — researchers writing in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders noted, “there was only a small decrease in the incidence of recurrent CVD, and this occurred mainly in older patients without statins prescribed.”

Rory Collins heads up the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists’ (CTT) collaboration, a group of doctors and scientists who analyze study data and report their findings to regulators and policymakers.

Collins coauthored a 2008 study

that claims statins lower your risk of heart attack by 36%.

Table 4

in this study shows the rate of heart attack in the placebo group was 3.1% while the statin group’s rate was 2% — a 36% reduction in relative risk. However, the absolute risk reduction — the actual difference between the two groups, i.e., 3.1% minus 2% — is only 1.1%, which isn’t very impressive.

In the real world, if you take a statin your chance of a heart attack is only 1.1% lower than if you’re not taking it, as Malhotra told Joe Rogan. Just like COVID-19, the drug companies manipulated their statistics and grossly exaggerated statin benefits by conflating relative and absolute risks.

Collins is also noteworthy, as he spearheaded an attack against Malhotra by contacting the British Medical Journal and demanding it retract one of Malhotra’s studies, which cited a statistic that statins cause side effects in 18% to 20% of people who take them.

Rather than retract the study, an independent panel reviewed the study, calling only for a correction to be added:

“The corrections explain that, although the 18-20% figure was based on statements in the referenced observational study by Zhang et al — which said that “the rate of reported statin related events to statins was nearly 18%,” the articles in The BMJ did not reflect necessary caveats and did not take sufficient account of the uncontrolled nature of the data of Zhang et al.”

Malhotra pointed out that, had the article been retracted, it would have been career-destroying for him, as it would have damaged his credibility. “I was on trial, essentially, for two months,” he says, “and it was very tough.” But when the panel came back, it voted 6-0, unanimous in favor of Malhotra’s study. “There was no call for retraction.”

Other research has also found unimpressive results for statin treatment, including a systematic review and meta-analysis of 21 trials

using similar criteria to the CTT.

One of the authors, Maryanne Demasi, Ph.D., explained the study “found no consistent relationship between lowering LDL-C with statins and death, heart attack or stroke,” even though the “public health mantra about cholesterol has always been ‘the lower the better.’”

It also once again highlighted the misleading nature of using relative risk reduction in place of absolute risk:

“Statins are very effective at lowering LDL-C, but in some trials, that did not necessarily translate into a meaningful benefit for the patient. This contradicts the prevailing view, promoted by the CTT, that there is a strong “linear” relationship between lowering LDL-C and cardiovascular outcomes from statin therapy.

Our analysis also highlighted the significant difference in the relative risk reduction (RRR) and absolute risk reduction (ARR) of statin therapy on death, heart attack and stroke.

For example, if your baseline risk of having a heart attack is 2% and taking a drug reduces that risk to 1%, then in relative terms you halved your risk (50% RRR) which sounds impressive, but in absolute terms, you have only reduced your risk by 1% (ARR).

Our analysis showed that trial participants taking a statin for an average of 4.4 years, showed a 29% RRR in heart attacks, but the ARR was only 1.3%. If this is not effectively communicated to a patient, can they make a fully informed decision about their treatment?”

In short, statin drugs have not derailed the rising trend of heart disease, and instead have put users at increased risk of health conditions linked to their use, such as diabetes,

dementia

and others, including:

• Cancer

• Cataracts

• Musculoskeletal disorders, including myalgia, muscle weakness, muscle cramps, rhabdomyolysis and autoimmune muscle disease

• Depression

In the event you’re taking statins, be aware that they deplete your body of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and inhibit the synthesis of vitamin K2. The risks of CoQ10 depletion can be somewhat offset by taking a coenzyme Q10 supplement or, if you’re over 40, its reduced form ubiquinol. But ultimately, if you’re looking to protect both your brain and heart health, avoiding statin drugs and instead optimizing your diet.

If you’re interested in learning more about your individual heart disease risk, don’t rely on total cholesterol or LDL on their own. You can get a more accurate idea of your risk of heart disease with the following tests:

• Omega-3 index

• HDL/total cholesterol ratio

• Fasting insulin level

• Fasting blood sugar level

• Triglyceride/HDL ratio

• Iron level

I personally would never take or prescribe a statin drug as there are far better options that directly address the underlying and foundational causes of high cholesterol. The primary one, as most of you know, is to radically reduce and ideally eliminate all processed foods.

This is because nearly all processed foods contain seed oils and processed sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup, both of which contribute strongly to virtually every chronic degenerative disease, including the most common ones of heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

Subscribe to Mercola Newsletter

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked.

The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. The subscription fee being requested is for access to the articles and information posted on this site, and is not being paid for any individual medical advice.

If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.