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One of Black Cohosh Benefits - Menstrual Cramps

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<span class="dropcaps">N</span>ative to eastern 
North America, black cohosh thrives in moist, shaded woodlands. Over 
time, it has also become a popular garden perennial that rarely goes 
unnoticed. Shortly after midsummer, black cohosh begins sending up tall 
flower stalks covered with tiny, pearl-shaped buds. As the buds open, 
the stalks take on the look of soft, white bottlebrushes towering above 
the dark green foliage. The fact that honeybees scorn the flowers but 
flies and beetles love them may be the source of at least two of black 
cohosh’s other common names, bugbane and bugwort, respectively. Another 
is black snakeroot. To understand this nickname’s source, dig around the
 base of the plant and expose its twisted rhizomes, which look like dark
 little snakes.</div>
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<b>Therapeutic Uses</b></h2>
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<i>Menopause</i></div>
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<i>Premenstrual syndrome</i></div>
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<i>Menstrual cramps</i></div>
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<i>Arthritis</i></div>
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<i>Mild depression (melancholy)</i></div>
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The primary use for black cohosh is to treat 
menopause-related symptoms. Germany’s health authorities recognize its 
use for menopausal symptoms (hot flashes, night sweats, and sleep 
disturbances), as well as for premenstrual syndrome and menstrual 
cramping. Early studies suggested that black cohosh acted like a natural
 estrogen, or phytoestrogen, gently reducing hot flashes and vaginal 
dryness. But newer research has found no hormonal effects of black cohosh in menopausal women.</div>
More than 20 published clinical trials have evaluated 
the effectiveness of black cohosh for menopausal hot flashes. While some
 studies show a modest reduction in symptoms, not all clinical trials 
have been positive. There may be added benefit when black cohosh is 
combined with St. John’s wort. One clinical trial of 301 women reported a
 50 percent reduction in symptoms with the combination, compared with 19
 percent reduction in the placebo group. Current research has not yet determined the effectiveness of black cohosh for hot flashes.
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Scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago 
have demonstrated that compounds in black cohosh act as antidepressants 
and reduce pain sensitivity, lending support to the traditional use of 
black cohosh as a treatment for melancholy, or depressed mood, as well 
as its widespread use as a remedy for arthritis and menstrual pain. No 
clinical trials have evaluated its effectiveness for these conditions.</div>
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<b>How to Use</b></h2>
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<i>Tea:</i> Simmer 2 teaspoons of chopped root and rhizome in 2 cups water for 10 minutes. Strain. Drink ¼ cup, 2 to 3 times per day.</div>
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<i>Capsules:</i> 40 to 200 mg of dried rhizome taken daily, in divided doses.</div>
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<i>Tincture:</i> Generally, 1 to 2 ml, 3 times per day.</div>
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<i>Standardized extract:</i> 20 to 40 mg black cohosh extract twice daily.</div>
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Products are often standardized to provide 1 to 2 mg of 27-deoxy-actein.</div>
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<b>Precautions</b></h2>
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Except for minor gastrointestinal upset, clinical 
trials have shown black cohosh to be free of side effects. A few reports
 have suggested black cohosh may, in rare cases, cause damage to the 
liver, prompting European, Australian, Canadian, and 
British health authorities to require product labels suggesting 
conferral with a health-care provider by anyone with any type of liver 
disease. Safety during pregnancy and breast-feeding is not known.</div>
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