Is black cohosh good for Menopause? Does black cohosh affect the hormonal system? If such are the nagging questions looming over your mind, then you have come to the right post. Read on to find out how black cohosh can help overcome the symptoms of menopause.
Menopause is a condition that is usually accompanied by the absence of menstrual periods for a year. This condition is a gradual condition that is usually preceded by a perimenopausal transition period. The average age of women who suffer from menopause is 50 years. However, it may occur as early as the 30s or a delayed onset in the 60s.
The symptoms of menopause include:
Black cohosh is a herb, which is a cousin of the buttercup. Its roots are used for medicinal purposes. Initially discovered and used by Native Americans, the herb is one of the oldest known remedies for treating hot flashes and night sweats. Black cohosh extract is widely used to treat a variety of health problems faced by women. Historically, black cohosh has been used to treat premenstrual syndrome (PMS), acne, osteoporosis and the symptoms of menopause (2).
Black cohosh helps alleviate the symptoms of menopause like hot flashes, irregular periods and night sweats.
Fulkinolic acid – a recently discovered compound present in black cohosh exhibits mild estrogenic activity (3). This is why black cohosh is believed to exhibit estrogenic activity, but the studies aren’t conclusive enough.
Black cohosh contains phytoestrogen, which is usually weaker than the estrogen produced by the body. The herb acts like estradiol, which has possible anti-carcinogenic characteristics as well. This property makes black cohosh a double whammy for you; helping you overcome the symptoms of menopause and protecting the body from cancer as well (4).
With the much-conflicted evidence, there have been many studies on the black cohosh extract.
A 2005 study on close to 300 women concluded that black cohosh helped relieve the symptoms of menopause more effectively than an inactive pill. Although the study observed that black cohosh is extremely effective for women whose menopause symptoms began more recently than others.
However, a 2006 study concluded that black cohosh (consumed alone or along with other herbs) simply wasn’t enough, and it needed to be supplemented with a hormone therapy.
A 2008 clinical trial, however reported no difference in black cohosh and a placebo (inactive or sham pill) in the reduction of symptoms since black cohosh failed to treat vaginal dryness and irregular periods more effectively than placebo.
A small scale study in 2010 noted that black cohosh helped women with breast cancer sleep better and experience less fatigue than women who weren’t given black cohosh extract (5).
Often, naturally occurring herbs and their extracts have side effects that can lead to severe complications. Black cohosh has been mooted as potentially toxic and carcinogenic, if regularly used. Research from the Northwestern Medical School observed that black cohosh extract doesn’t exhibit estrogenic activity, which usually is the prime cause of breast cancer. The study concluded that black cohosh is safe for menopause.
Until now, there are no records of any human overdosing on black cohosh extract. A study on animals that were provided 90 times more black cohosh than the recommended daily dose in humans yielded no negative results.
Going by the above mentioned studies and facts, black cohosh can be claimed to be effective in reducing hot flashes, itching, depression, bone loss and vaginal pain, which is caused by naturally-induced or surgical menopause. There are no cautions for the use of black cohosh as no research has been able to conclude that it is potentially dangerous.
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