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Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa)

Specific Recommendations:

• Black cohosh at Amazon.com and iHerb

News & Research:

• A Natural Approach to Menopause - Life Extension Magazine, 4/06 - "Weekly hot flash scores were reduced by 56% among women receiving black cohosh"
• Black Cohosh/St. John’s Wort could ease menopause symptoms - Nutra USA, 3/2/06 - "The most common symptom of menopause, “hot flashes” characterized by sudden waves of body heat, decreased by 53.4 percent among women who took the Black Cohosh-St. John's Wort combo in the trial, while psychological, or “psyche”, symptoms reportedly dropped by 56.4 percent"
• Plant Estrogen Pill Gets Menopause Test - WebMD, 7/29/05
• Herbal group reacts to black cohosh study - Nutra USA, 5/18/05
• Black cohosh has no benefit on hot flushes, says US team - Nutra USA, 5/16/05
• Black cohosh interferes with anticancer drugs - Nutra USA, 4/28/05
• Consumer group demands FDA issue warning on black cohosh - Nutra USA, 3/9/04
• Does Black Cohosh Act Like Estrogen? - Dr. Weil, 10/24/03
• Black Cohosh, A Herbal Remedy, Induces Autoimmune Hepatitis - Doctor's Guide, 10/23/03
• Dangers of Black Cohosh As HRT - WebMD, 10/17/03
• Black Cohosh May Reduce Hot Flashes By Targeting Brain's Thermostat - Intelihealth, 9/9/03 - "black cohosh does not appear to be estrogenic whatsoever and, as a result, is less likely to pose some of the dangers associated with traditional estrogen replacement therapy ... Although preliminary evidence of the herb's efficacy in relieving hot flashes, night sweats and other symptoms of menopause is encouraging, further studies are still needed before it can be recommended ... the researchers also demonstrated that the black cohosh extract is capable of binding to human serotonin receptors, including those that help regulate body temperature. Previous studies have shown that these receptors may play a role in regulating hot flashes. Antidepressant medications, which some people believe may help reduce hot flashes, also bind to the same receptors"
• Black Cohosh - Is There Really A Concern? -  Dr. Murray, 8/13/03
• Phytoestrogen Black Cohosh May Have Potential as a SERM - Doctor's Guide, 6/24/02
• Black Cohosh Controls Menopausal Symptoms - Medscape, 6/24/02 - "In double-blind fashion, the women received daily treatment for three months with commercially available black cohosh (Klimadynona or Menofema, 40 mg), conjugated estrogens (0.6 mg), or placebo ... Both black cohosh and estrogen reduced major climacteric complaints significantly more than did placebo (P<.05). Black cohosh improved blood lipid and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase levels. Although estrogen increased endometrial thickness, black cohosh did not"
• Herb Fights Menopause Symptoms - WebMD, 3/28/02 - "New research suggests that a black cohosh extract, marketed as Remifemin, works differently from estrogen, which has been linked to an increase in breast cancer risk ... As many as 80% will experience menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats, and bouts of insomnia ... These days, many different manufacturers market black cohosh supplements. But Remifemin is the only one that has been extensively studied"
• Menopause - Stopping The Symptoms Before They Stop You - Life Extension Magazine, 6/98

Abstracts:

• Actaea racemosa L. Is More Effective in Combination with Rhodiola rosea L. for Relief of Menopausal Symptoms: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study - Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2020 May; 13(5): 102 - "The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of a new herbal preparation (Menopause Relief EP®), the hybrid combination of Actaea racemosa L. (black cohosh, BC) and Rhodiola rosea L. (RR) root extracts, compared with the most effective dose of BC extract in women with menopausal complaints ... A total of 220 women were randomly assigned to receive two capsules either BC (6.5 mg), BC500 (500 mg), Menopause Relief EP® (206,5), or placebo once per day for 12 weeks. The efficacy endpoints were relief of menopausal symptoms, measured using the Kupperman Menopausal Index (KMI), Menopause Relief Score (MRS), and menopause Utian Quality of Life (UQOL) index ... The menopause symptom relief effects of RR-BC were significantly superior in all tests to the effects of BC and placebo after their repeated administration for 6 and 12 weeks. There was no statistically significant difference between the effects of BC and BC500 over time. RR-BC significantly improved the QOL index in patients, compared to BC, BC500, and placebo, mainly due to the beneficial effects on the emotional and health domains ... BC is more effective in combination with RR in relief of menopausal symptoms, particularly psychological symptoms" - [Nutra USA] - See black cohosh at Amazon.com and iHerb and Rhodiola rosea at Amazon.com and iHerb.
• Black cohosh and fluoxetine in the treatment of postmenopausal symptoms: a prospective, randomized trial - Adv Ther. 2007 Mar-Apr;24(2):448-61 - "At the end of the sixth month of treatment, black cohosh reduced the hot flush score by 85%, compared with a 62% result for fluoxetine"
• Botanical and dietary supplements for mood and anxiety in menopausal women - Menopause. 2006 Dec 28 - "Black cohosh significantly reduced depression and anxiety in all studies reviewed"