What Does Black Cohosh Help With?

Black cohosh is primarily used for treatment of menopausal symptoms like hot flashes. This is the only use it has been scientifically studied for, although it has historically been used to aid in other women's health problems such as menstrual irregularity, miscarriage, troubled labor, and infertility.

History

• Black cohosh was used in Native American medicine for a wide variety of health complaints. It was used for gynecological problems, to induce lactation, and to aid malaise, kidney disorders, malaria, rheumatism, and cold and cough symptoms. It was a popular herbal remedy in 19th-century America as well, used for similar purposes, including for rheumatism and fever, as a diuretic, and to help menstrual regularity.

Description

• Black cohosh is a flowering root plant related to the buttercup, and is native to North America. It is also called black snakeroot, macrotys, squaw root, bugwort, rattleroot and rattleweed. It is not to be confused with blue cohosh, which has different properties, uses and side effects. Blue cohosh has been shown to have negative effects on the heart and blood pressure. Black cohosh does come in varying preparations, usually in a tincture of its root. It is also available as tablets, under the commercial name Remifemin.

Menopause Symptoms

• Study results of the effectiveness of black cohosh in reducing hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness as menopause symptoms have been mixed. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health is conducting a more definitive yearlong study to examine the issue. Meanwhile, the herb is still often used by menopausal women for the relief of these symptoms and others. See the website of the National Institutes of Health for details of studies.

Labor Induction

• Black cohosh is used by some midwives to induce labor in combination with blue cohosh. This combination has produced adverse effects in some newborns, while other herbalist midwives have used it without negative effect and swear by it. The safety of cohoshes for this use is not proven, and they should be used with caution as they may induce abortion instead of labor. Using black and blue cohosh have resulted in some cases of cardiac damage to the mother and neurological damage to the child. They are still popular as a way to "naturally" induce labor, although there is not a nationally recognized protocol in midwifery for their use.

Warnings

• Black cohosh carries warnings that individuals with liver disorders should not use the herb. Some cases of liver failure have been reported in people using black cohosh, although a conclusive link to the herb has not been established. Milder side effects of stomach upset and headache are more common when using black cohosh. Whether black cohosh has an estrogen-like effect on the body has not yet been determined, but if it does, then long-term use would not be recommended. It also is not recommended for use by pregnant women or those with a history of breast cancer unless supervised by a doctor.