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Black Cohosh: Help for Menopause?

Black cohosh (Actaea racemosa), formerly known as Cimicifunga racemosa, is a member of the buttercup family. It's also called black snakeroot and bugbane.

Beacause it has effects similar to the female hormone estrogen, black cohosh is used to relieve premenstrual pain and symptoms of menopause. In the past, it was also used to treat rheumatic joint pain.

Balck cohosh is generally well-tolerated, but it can cause stomach discomfort. The safety and efficacy of long-term treatment is still unknown.

Mayo Clinic's Take: Black cohosh may improve menopausal symptoms, especially hot flashes, if used in recommended doses. Don't take it for longer than six months. For other conditions, there's less evidence it may be beneficial, so be cautious.

What the research says:

Several controlled trials report that black cohosh improves menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, headache and mood disorders. There are also indications it may relieve heart palpitations and sleep disturbances. However, many of these studies were small, weakly designed and didn't extend beyond six months. There are no quality studies to indicate it relieves arthritis or other forms of joint pain.

Reference: Mayo Clinic Guide to Alternative Medicine, 2007

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