What happened, then, in a widely publicized
study of black cohosh published in December 2006 in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine that concluded, «Black cohosh, used in isolation, or as part of a multibotanical regimen, shows little potential as an important therapy for relief of vasomotor symptoms.»
Not exact matches
While it may sound like something from Harry Potters wizarding world, this remedy is not all hocus - pocus: Some
studies suggest that
black cohosh may indeed reduce hot flashes, according to guidelines re-released last year by the American College
of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
For example, in a recent sampling
of black cohosh products, one third contained plant species that were related to
black cohosh but had not been
studied and used for human supplementation.
One
of the most extensively
studied key ingredients in Menoquil is
black cohosh.
Still, some preliminary research (including a rat - based
study published in the Journal
of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2007) indicates that
black cohosh may help reduce menstrual pain.
The efficiency
of these ingredients is believed to be due to their estrogenic effect, but recent
studies show that this is not the case with
black cohosh.
According to one systematic review [3]
of the effectiveness
of BDS in the treatment
of menopausal symptoms, the most extensively
studied ingredients for menopause symptom relief are
black cohosh and soy.
Black cohosh is frequently used as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy, and some
studies suggest that the herb acts as phytoestrogen, binding to estrogen receptors and influencing the release
of pituitary hormones.