Black Cohosh is a plant which is native to North America and was often used by the Native Americans for medicines. The plant extracts were used for their analgesic, anti-inflammatory and sedative properties. They were therefore used to treat things like sore throats, gynaecological problems, depression and kidney problems. It was commonly used in the nineteenth century in homes in America as a home remedy and was often used in the past for rheumatism.
These days Black Cohosh is often sold as a dietary supplement and recommended for use by women going through the menopause or suffering from pre menstrual tension. The clinical research does not provide good evidence for its effectiveness for the use. The clinical testing has at least been able to prove that it is safe to take. It tends to be administered in tea, capsules, pill or tinctures.
Some recent studies have shown it is useful for osteoporosis but more studies need to be carried out in order to clarify this finding.
There are some rare side effects including headaches and stomach problems. It has not been tested on pregnant women and so may not be safe for them to take especially as it has been used, in the past to induce labour. This is obviously not something that should be taken too early on in pregnancy or without consultation with a doctor or midwife first.
Like many herbal remedies there is not a lot of evidence from clinical studies as to its effectiveness. Many studies are criticised as they use low strengths of the remedy or they are not administered properly. Therefore more and better research needs to be done before firm conclusions can be drawn.
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