Black cohosh for other symptoms of menopause One study found no significant difference between participants who took black cohosh and those who took a placebo. “Not all black cohosh plants express the gene-encoding enzyme required to make this phytochemical,” Dr. One of the phytochemicals in black cohosh has a serotonin-like effect, which may impact your body’s ability to regulate temperature and ultimately help to reduce hot flashes - but it’s not a sure thing. “The application of black cohosh for hot flashes is relatively new to the 20th century, but research as a whole has not been supportive of this use,” Dr.

Symptoms can range from mild to severe and include:īut can black cohosh actually help get rid of hot flashes? Researchers aren’t convinced. Hot flashes, which are due in part to estrogen withdrawal, are the most common complaint during menopause, impacting up to 80% of women and people assigned female at birth.

Today, the roots and underground stems of black cohosh are turned into herbal supplements - in the form of capsules, powders and teas - and marketed as a way to reduce hot flashes. And in the 20th century, some physicians began using black cohosh for pain associated with gynecological disorders. North American Indigenous peoples have also long used black cohosh to treat the pain associated with periods, childbirth and menopause symptoms.

Symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), including headaches and body aches.

Western herbal tradition uses black cohosh in similar ways, specifically to reduce pain associated with:

Reduce musculoskeletal pain and spasms.

Traditional Chinese medicine has turned to black cohosh to: “Both traditional Chinese medicine and Western herbal tradition have long used black cohosh to reduce pain and calm the nervous system.” “In recent years, black cohosh has been touted as a treatment for hot flashes, but this is not the way it has been traditionally used,” Dr. Today, it’s sometimes used to reduce the muscle aches and body pains associated with menopause, perimenopause and postmenopause.īut while you may think it’s a new trend in wellness circles, it has actually been used since ancient times by healers and medical practitioners all over the world. Studies show that black cohosh binds to your body’s opioid receptors, giving it a painkilling effect. A member of the buttercup family, it grows in the woodlands of the eastern United States and Canada. What is black cohosh?īlack cohosh (scientifically known as actaea racemosa or cimicifuga racemosa) is a flowering perennial plant with fragrant white blooms on a stem, forming a spike-like structure of up to 5 feet tall. Integrative medicine specialist Yufang Lin, MD, explains what black cohosh is, how it’s used and what it can - and can’t - do for your menopause. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.

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