Omega-3 vs Rhodiola for mood
Short answer: For mood, users rate them about the same: 82% report improvement with Omega-3 (201 reports) and 83% with Rhodiola (126 reports).
Omega-3 has 1,341 meta-analyses and 3,093 randomized trials on PubMed; Rhodiola has 18 and 45.
Based on 1,959 reports about Omega-3 and 853 about Rhodiola. Not medical advice.
| Omega-3 Supplement | Rhodiola Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| User score | 47 | 52 |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mostly positive |
| Positive of reports that state an outcome | 66% | 62% |
| Reports | 1,959 | 853 |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 1,341 / 3,093 | 18 / 45 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Weight loss % reporting improvement | 100% (2) | — |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 82% (129) | 85% (71) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 74% (42) | 86% (199) |
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 79% (24) | 38% (13) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 75% (69) | 74% (117) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 82% (201) | 83% (126) |
| Memory % reporting improvement | 78% (50) | 75% (4) |
| Performance % reporting improvement | 88% (16) | 100% (21) |
| Recovery % reporting improvement | 90% (20) | — |
| Pain & inflammation % reporting improvement | 91% (82) | — |
| Digestion % reporting improvement | 22% (9) | — |
| Libido % reporting improvement | 71% (14) | 80% (5) |
| Hormones % reporting improvement | 100% (2) | 100% (4) |
| Blood sugar % reporting improvement | 50% (2) | — |
| Heart & lipids % reporting improvement | 76% (58) | 40% (5) |
| Skin & hair % reporting improvement | 89% (38) | — |
| Immunity % reporting improvement | 60% (10) | 50% (2) |
| Longevity % reporting improvement | 86% (7) | — |
| Common side effects | brain fog, anxiety, depression, fatigue | anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, jitteriness |
| Typical dose reported | sparingly | evenings |
For glycated hemoglobin, there was no significant effect in the meta-analysis. This systematic review with meta-analysis demonstrated that supplementation with omega-3 has protective effects on diabetes parameters.
Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2022 ↗“I do supplement a lot of fish oil and vitamin A as retinyl palmitate though. It has really helped my depression, anxiety and ADHD and has enabled me to stop using more serious psychiatric drugs for those things.”
The data from the meta-analysis showed that plant adaptogens could provide a number of benefits in the treatment of chronic fatigue, cognitive impairment, and immune protection. In the future, there is great potential to register medicinal products that contain plant adaptogens for therapeutic purposes.
Nutrients, 2021 ↗“This one not only reduces my social anxiety but actually puts me in a good mood and makes me feel more social.”
Related comparisons
Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate