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Also known as- Cimicifuga racemosa, Actaea Macrotys, Actaea Racemosa, Baneberry, Black Snakeroot, Bugbane, Bugwort, Cimicifuga, Cimicifuga Racemosa, Phytoestrogen, Rattle Root, Rattle Snakeroot, Rattlesnake Root, Rattleweed, Squawroot. Do not confuse with the potentially toxic blue cohosh.
Introduction
Black cohosh is a graceful woodland plant bearing spikes of white flowers, native to New England and eastern Canada. Native Americans occasionally used the herb to treat snakebite and joint problems, but primarily used the herb for women,s health.
Settlers adopted the herb for the same purposes, and in the late 1800's it became the key ingredient in Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound, a wildly popular over the counter medicine for menstrual problems, infertility, and unpleasant symptoms of menopause.
Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound continued to be sold in the latter half of the twentieth century. Today, black cohosh remains one of the most popular remedies in the world for women's natural health. Black cohosh is a perennial plant that is a member of the buttercup family. It has several other common names, including black snakeroot, bugwort, rattleweed and others.
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Black cohosh. This traditional women’s herb is most known today for its role in preventing hot flashes. However, it was used by Native Americans for treating snakebite, and it slows and strengthens the heartbeat, calming women with anxiety accompanied by an increased heart rate.
Chamomile. With a long history of use in France, this tiny flower is a safe source of the amino acid tryptophan, useful in treating insomnia. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology reported using chamomile tea in a hospital to induce relaxation and sleep when other drugs were not working. For ten out of twelve patients, chamomile worked like a charm. This is one of the safest herbs for children; however, it may cause reactions for some who are allergic to ragweed.
Damiana. Also useful for bronchitis and emphysema, hot flashes, impotence, and low sex drive, damiana supports the endocrine system and is useful for mid-afternoon anxiety. First used by the Mayan Indians of the Yucatan peninsula, they called it mizi-coc, which means herb for asthma. Asthma frequently has a stress factor as a trigger as well as environmental stimuli; damiana helps maintain relaxation of the bronchials, adrenals, and nervous system. Traditionally taken in the afternoon.
Ginseng. Generally recommended for women in their thirties and beyond, morning application of ginseng can eliminate nighttime insomnia as well as giving the energy and endurance to handle the stresses of everyday life. My friend Linda has had insomnia off and on her whole life. When we did a scan for herbs for her, we came up with ginseng. She wondered how an herb taken at breakfast time would help her sleep at night, but she tried it, and sure enough, she slept like a baby from the very first night.
Licorice. This is an excellent herb for adrenal support and is also helpful for quitting smoking. It promotes calmness and endurance, with a sense of inner strength and tranquility, and is especially useful for women with low blood pressure. When used inappropriately for patients with hypertension or kidney disease, or to excess, the side effects include water retention and swollen ankles, which will disappear when the use of licorice is discontinued. In China, licorice is used in almost every herbal formula, in minuscule amounts, as an endocrine support and to increase energy.
Passionflower. A highly effective nervine, passionflower was discovered on the central American islands by the Spanish in the 1500s, who named this thorny plant with the beautiful red-splashed white flowers after the Passion of the Christ. Renewed interest in passionflower has occurred due to its use in racehorses in Australia and New Zealand by the premier horse veterinarian in that part of the world. He uses passionflower and valerian for horses with mental fidgets," passionflower and hops for horses with restless legs, who can’t stand still, and passionflower and chamomile for horses with a tendency to develop colic. The principals of his herbal medicine work well for people too.
The botanical name for black cohosh is Cimicifuga racemosa or Actaea racemosa. North American Indians used black cohosh as a remedy for a variety of disorders, including depression, menstrual disorders, kidney problems, malaria, rheumatism and sore throats.
It was used in America in the 1800's as a fever reducer, as a diuretic and to bring on menstruation. It was an extremely popular treatment for reproductive disorders, and alternative practitioners used it to treat a range of conditions associated with the female reproductive system. It was often used as a treatment for infertility, to prevent miscarriage and to relieve labor pains.
More recently, black cohosh has gained popularity as a treatment for symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, anxiety and depression. It has also been found to effectively relieve headaches, vertigo, heart palpitations and sleeplessness associated with menopause.
Black cohosh supplements are derived from the roots and underground stems (called rhizomes) of the black cohosh plant. The herb contains several active compounds, including triterpene sponins. The roots and stems of black cohosh are extracted with alcohol.
Standardized preparations of black cohosh should contain 1 mg of 26-deoxyactein (triterpene saponins) per 20 mg. Standardized tinctures of black cohosh should be taken at doses of 2-4 ml per day. Tablets containing standardized extracts are usually available in 20 mg doses with a recommended dose of 20-40 mg per day. Black cohosh can also be taken in crude form. The recommended amount of dried roots or stems ranges from 300-2,000 mg per day. The herb is available in dried powder form as well. Black cohosh should not be taken for longer than six months.
Though not proven, black cohosh is believed to have possible estrogenic effects that make it a popular remedy for symptoms of menopause. When a woman enters menopause, estrogen production decreases due to less efficient communication between the brain and the pituitary gland.
Constituents
Actein, cimicifugin, formononetin, salicylic acid, tannins, vitamin C.
Parts Used
Root.
Typical Preparations
Finely chopped, dried root in tablets, teas, or tinctures.
Summary
Black cohosh is a popular remedy for hot flashes, mood swings, and vaginal dryness of menopause. The herb does not stimulate the production of estrogen, but it may compensate for low or highly variable levels of estrogen during menstruation or in the menopause.
In one well-designed study, 62 women going through menopause received black cohosh, estrogen, or a placebo for 90 days. Women who took black cohosh had the same reduction in hot flashes as women taking estrogen. Black cohosh did not stimulate growth of cells in the uterus, suggesting that, unlike estrogen, the herb does not increase the risk of uterine cancer. Black cohosh also increased the thickness of the vaginal wall. The study also suggested that black cohosh could help prevent osteoporosis.
Precautions
In menopausal women, black cohosh is not likely to cause any complications other than mild stomach upset. Black cohosh must be avoided during pregnancy because of its potential ability to stimulate uterine contractions. The safety of black cohosh in breastfeeding mothers and the degree of transmission of black cohosh in breast milk has not been established. There is controversy regarding the safety of black cohosh in women with a personal history or strong family history of breast cancer.
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