Black Cohosh

Black cohosh is an herb that is used to help alleviate the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness. Although it is not clear as to how exactly black cohosh works, it is thought that it has estrogen-like effects. Some of the possible side effects of black cohosh include headaches, weight gain, and an upset stomach.

 

What Is Black Cohosh?

Black cohosh (Actaea racemosa, Cimicifuga racemosa) is an herbal supplement often used for natural menopause relief. Specifically, it is frequently used to help alleviate the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness.
 
(Click Benefits of Black Cohosh for more information on what black cohosh is used for.)
 

How Does Black Cohosh Work?

It is not clear how exactly black cohosh works. Black cohosh contains several different active compounds. Because black cohosh is most often used for menopause symptoms, it is thought that its activity is related to estrogen. While black cohosh seems to work like estrogen (it has many actions similar to estrogen), research suggests that black cohosh does not bind to estrogen receptors and does not increase the number of estrogen receptors. Therefore, it is not known how or why black cohosh has estrogen-like effects.
 

Is Black Cohosh Effective?

Many studies have evaluated the effectiveness of black cohosh for treating the symptoms of menopause, and the results have been mixed. Some studies indicated that black cohosh worked well, while other studies suggested that black cohosh was no more effective than a placebo (a "sugar pill" that does not contain any active ingredients).
 
There is not enough evidence to evaluate the effectiveness of black cohosh for any other use.
 
(Click Does Black Cohosh Work? for more information.)
 
(Black Cohosh Continued: Page 2)
Add this article to your Favorites     Email this article     Print
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;