Black cohosh is the root of a member of the buttercup family, found found growing wild in most of the forested areas of the eastern United States, although most commercially grown plant is from Europe. I have it growing wild in our hardwood forest areas of our woods, it has a distinctive flower cluster spike in mid-summer of small white flowers in a spike formation, the whole plant stands about 3 to 4 feet tall.

As a traditional medicine, it was used by Native Americans and early settlers as an aid for menstrual irregularities, an aid to childbirth, and for nervous disorders. The medical community adopted it's use early in the 1800's as an ant-inflammatory for arthritis and rheumatism, for normalizing the mestrual cycle, and for relieving the pain of childbirth. It was an official drug in the US Pharmacopia from 1820 to 1926.

Black cohosh is approved for use in Germany (where the use of herbs is a real science and far ahead of the US) for the treament of premenstrual symptoms, painful menstruation, and for menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes. A number of studies have confirmed it's mild sedative and anti-inflammatory activity. An isoflavone in the root binds to estrogen receptors, producing estrogenlike activity, and has a direct effect on negative prostaglandin production, reducing inflammation.

It is available in capsules, tincture, and tablet form. Follow label directions for commercial preparations, generally two capsules three times a day.

No contraindications or drug interactions are reported, though some women experience mild stomach upset from the use of black cohosh. Take with food or a meal to prevent this from happening.

Even though most of the actions of black cohosh have been studied in women, it is equally effective in men for the anti-inflammatory action it has.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), December 03, 2001

Answers

Thanks for this post Annie. It's my experience that black cohosh does indeed work wonders for menopause.

-- Cindy (SE. IN) (atilrthehony@hotmail.com), December 03, 2001.

Thank you Annie, I will start an herb section in the archives!

-- Melissa (me@home.net), December 03, 2001.

"An isoflavone in the root binds to estrogen receptors, producing estrogenlike activity, and has a direct effect on negative prostaglandin production, reducing inflammation"

More recent publications point out the receptor binding is not the mechanism that explains the therapeutic activity observed by taking this plant.

-- charles (cr@dixienet.com), December 03, 2001.

Thanks Charles for the update, but I thought it was better to offer what the medical community thought the best explaination of the plant's activity was than to say that "They don't really know HOW the plant works, but it does". It does involve prostagladin production however, that much the doctors will admit to.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), December 04, 2001.

You know what its Portuguese name is?

-- Randal (motivo@hotmail.com), December 05, 2001.

Hi Randall, no, I don't know the Portugese name, but the Latin name is Cimicifuga racemosa, does that help?

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), December 05, 2001.

It's a good starter, anyway. Thanks for that!

-- Randal (motivo@hotmail.com), December 05, 2001.