NutriStack
Rhodiola Rosea and St. John's Wort, a caution.
Rhodiola and St. John's Wort both have CNS-active and possible serotonergic effects. Human interaction evidence is limited, but combining them can make mood, sleep, blood pressure, and serotonergic side effects harder to predict.
One pair, every claim cited. The two substances, the type, the mechanism, the recommendation, and the primary literature.
Same shape as the other 1,729 pairs in the public database.
From the interaction database
What the row says.
Every entry follows the same shape: what is happening, the mechanism, the recommendation, and the primary literature.
At a glance
- Substances
- Rhodiola Rosea and St. John's Wort
- Pair type
- Caution
- Evidence (highest tier)
- Emerging
- Source citations
- 3 sources
- Stack Score effect
- −5 to your Stack Score (per scored caution row).
- Scope
- Supplement × Supplement
- Last verified
- May 30, 2026
Caution · Emerging evidence
Caution
What is happening. Rhodiola and St. John's Wort both have CNS-active and possible serotonergic effects. Human interaction evidence is limited, but combining them can make mood, sleep, blood pressure, and serotonergic side effects harder to predict.
Mechanism. St. John's Wort can inhibit serotonin reuptake and strongly induces drug-metabolizing pathways. Rhodiola has preclinical monoamine-modulating findings; the clinical significance of Rhodiola MAO inhibition is uncertain.
Recommendation. Avoid using Rhodiola and St. John's Wort together as a self-directed mood stack, especially with antidepressants or other serotonergic medications.
Sources (3)
- Weixlbaumer V et al. From St. John's wort to tomato and from Rhodiola to cranberry : A review of phytotherapy and some examples. Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2020;132(9-10):253-259. PMID 32211986
- van Diermen D et al. Monoamine oxidase inhibition by Rhodiola rosea L. roots. J Ethnopharmacol. 2009;122(2):397-401. PMID 19168123
- Borrelli F et al. Herb-drug interactions with St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum): an update on clinical observations. AAPS J. 2009;11(4):710-27. PMID 19859815
Stack Score
How this pair moves the number.
Effect on the composite score
If both Rhodiola Rosea and St. John's Wort are in the same stack, this pair applies −5 to your Stack Score (per scored caution row).
The full algorithm, the clamping rules, and four worked stacks are documented at /methodology/stack-score.
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