Black cohosh is a prized herb with deep roots in traditional American medicine.
This therapeutic plant has a bitter root that is used medicinally for numerous health issues.
Traditionally, black cohosh was used for painful and inflamed joints, women’s gynecological issues, and menopause symptoms.
This article will look at the health benefits of black cohosh, its safety, and history.
Table of Contents
What is Black Cohosh?
Black cohosh is the pungent, bitter rhizome of the bugbane plant. The plant is known for its characteristic black “roots” that set it apart from other species in the cohosh family.
The scientific name for black cohosh is Actaea racemosa (formerly Cimicifuga racemosa). Black cohosh is a time-tested herb that was and is a medicinal staple for indigenous North Americans.
In traditional herbal medicine, black cohosh was used to support gynecological complications, induce perspiration, and manage inflammation of the joints. Traditional accounts also suggest that black cohosh was used to soothe intense coughs like whooping cough.
Modern research shows that black cohosh may help to support female reproductive organs and hormones, reduce arthritis symptoms, and relax the nervous system. Active constituents in black cohosh, like triterpenes, saponins, and phytoestrogen, may be responsible for some of these health-supporting properties.
While black cohosh is the common name for the whole plant, the only medicinal part of the plant is the black rhizome. A rhizome is an underground part of the stem that provides both roots and stem with nutrients.
Due to its native location, black cohosh was essential to North America’s ancient medicinal systems as a treatment for internal complications or external trauma like bites from poisonous snakes.
Numerous scientific human trials, animal studies, and traditional accounts summarize the many benefits of black cohosh.
Health Benefits of Black Cohosh:
Traditional medicine systems and modern herbalists have observed various black cohosh benefits.
Below are the top expert accounts from traditional and professional herbalists describing the benefits of black cohosh and its active constituents.
1. May Support the Female Reproductive System
Traditional evidence describes black cohosh as having highly supportive effects on the female reproductive system, especially for women experiencing menopause symptoms (like hot flashes).
The female reproductive system consists of the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, vagina, and vulva and is responsible for producing eggs, certain sex hormones, and supporting a fertilized egg until birth. Optimal functionality is required by all organs to provide reproductive functions and hormonal balance.
In particular, it appears that black cohosh supports women suffering from menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, and migraines. It’s also thought to potentially be used as a hormone replacement therapy for women.
In a comparative trial observing women with menopausal hot flashes, taking a black cohosh root supplement reduced the number and severity of hot flashes compared to evening primrose oil. While both supplements improved quality of life, black cohosh significantly decreased hot flashes and produced better results than evening primrose oil.
In an animal study involving rats undergoing hot flushes, Actaea racemosa effectively reduced the severity of hot flushes. The rats received 50mg or 100mg of the black cohosh supplement and both produced results.
Another animal study found that black cohosh extract acts like estrogen in rats without ovaries. The estrogenic effects were observed in bones and fat tissue, but not in the uterus. Researchers believe that black cohosh extract could be an alternative to human hormone replacement therapy.
In a clinical trial observing menopausal women and rats without ovaries, researchers discovered that black cohosh significantly reduces levels of luteinizing hormone, which triggers ovulation and other reproductive functions.
Traditional accounts mention that black cohosh was frequently used to promote menstruation, induce contractions, and support efficient labor.
In their traditional herbal text, Dr. Felter and Dr. Lloyd mention that black cohosh “plays a very important part in the therapeutics of gynecology.” They describe the herb as “surpassed by no other drug” for painful menstruation and extremely helpful for “irritat[ed] and congest[ed] conditions of the uterus.”
AHG Registered Herbalist, David Hoffmann, describes Actaea racemosa as helpful for managing menopausal symptoms. He states that it’s helpful for easing “the physical and mental changes associated with perimenopause and menopause, as well as hormonal deficits resulting from ovariectomy or hysterectomy in younger women.”
He also mentions that a number of scientific studies claim the herb is supportive of “menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, headache, vertigo, heart palpitations, ringing in the ears, and a range of associated psychological symptoms.” He also states that black cohosh extract “has been used successfully in women younger than 40 years for the treatment of hormonal deficits resulting from ovariectomy or hysterectomy”.
Revered herbalist, Mauve Grieve, mentions in her text A Modern Herbal that black cohosh is an emmenagogue, meaning it will bring on absent or late menstruation.
The European Medicines Agency, a government organization that evaluates and supervises medicinal products, suggests the use of black cohosh for “relief of menopausal [symptoms] such as hot flushes and profuse sweating.”
Summary:
Both scientific evidence and registered herbalists confirm that black cohosh may work to benefit the female reproductive system and reduce symptoms of menopause. Additional human studies are needed for verification of these findings.
2. May Support the Nervous System
Scientific trials and traditional evidence show that black cohosh may support nervous system conditions and may be helpful for issues such as