Black Cohosh Rhizome: Menopause Alternative

The American Herbal Pharmacopoeia and Therapeutic Compendium (AHP), created to meet the need for comprehensive, accurate information about botanical medicines, has released its newest monograph: Black Cohosh Rhizome. The publication of an authoritative review of this traditional woman’s herb is especially timely now, when serious doubts have been raised about the safety of Hormone Replacement Therapy for women in menopause. This 38-page, 4-color publication represents months of work by the monograph’s many authors and reviewers, as well as by AHP staff and a committee of independent reviewers that includes medicinal plant experts from around the world. The contents include sections on botanical description, history, commercial sources and handling, constituents, therapeutics (including clinical efficacy and medical indications), safety profile and international status.

Indigenous North American Medicinal Plant

Black cohosh (Actaea racemosa) was widely utilized by Native Americans and Eclectic physicians, and continues to be used by modern midwives and herbalists. Traditionally, it was used short-term for a wide range of purposes, including addressing disorders of the female reproductive system. Today, however, black cohosh is being used over long periods of time for the treatment of menopausal systems such as hot flashes, based primarily on modern German research. This difference would indicate the need for more long-term studies of black cohosh than have already been carried out.

Clinical Studies

The monograph authors conclude there is evidence from double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trials that

black cohosh is beneficial for treating menopausal complaints, including hot flashes, sweating outbreaks and anxiety, when taken in the dosage and forms used in clinical research. However, more research is needed to clarify the mechanisms. One of the central questions is whether black cohosh works as a phytoestrogen with direct hormonal effects. While some preclinical and clinical trials suggest such an estrogenic effect, other researchers propose that black cohosh may affect the hypothalamus or neurotransmitters. The authors point out this question has important implications, especially for the safety of black cohosh in women with estrogen-sensitive conditions such as breast cancer.

Newest in a Series

Black Cohosh Rhizome is the most recent in a planned series of 300 monographs on Ayurvedic, traditional Chinese and Western herbs used most often in the United States. Each monograph is a collaborative effort with a different writer assigned to each section and an intensive process of peer review. Dozens of experts in the fields of botanical, Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, botany, chemistry, pharmacology and pharmacognosy are volunteering their time to create these exceptional botanical references.