What is black cohosh?
Black cohosh (known as both Actaea racemosa and Cimicifuga racemosa), a member of the buttercup family, is a perennial plant that is native to North America. Other common names include black snakeroot, bugbane, bugwort, rattleroot, rattletop, rattleweed, and macrotys. Insects avoid it, which accounts for some of these common names.How Does Black Cohosh Work?
How black cohosh works isn't understood. It was once thought to have
estrogen-like activity, but there is growing evidence that it does not.
Why Do People Use Black Cohosh?
Black cohosh is one of the more popular herbal remedies for
menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, migraines, mood
disturbances, heart palpitations and vaginal dryness. Initial research
on black cohosh suggests that it may improve some menopausal symptoms
for up to six months. In fact, in 2001, the American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists stated that black cohosh may be helpful
in the short-term (less than 6 months) for menopausal hot flashes.
A recent, year-long study on black cohosh, however, didn't find that
it had any significant benefit in women with hot flashes or night
sweats. Researchers from the National Institute on Aging and the
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine gave 351
peri-menopausal and post-menopausal women either black cohosh, black
cohosh combined with other herbs, the black cohosh/herb blend plus a
soy-enhanced diet, hormone replacement therapy or a placebo.
Although this is the longest study to date, there were some
limitations, such as the small number of women in each treatment group.
The study authors acknowledge that changes may not have been detected.
