Black Cohosh deemed safe yet again for hot flashes

A study published in the journal Menopause has confirmed that black cohosh, the natural plant alternative used to support hot flashes, is safe and will not cause liver damage. Some recent reports have questioned its safety, but this study confirms that menopausal women can safely use it safely to help alleviate hot flashes, night sweats, and other menopause symptoms.

In the study, subjects did not experience visible signs of liver damage. Actually, 62 percent of those taking it had indicators of liver problems prior to the study and saw these indicators normalize at the completion of the study.

Numerous studies have shown that black cohosh is efficacious. A 2004 study from the Mayo Clinic, for instance, found that black cohosh reduces weekly hot flash averages by more than 50 percent. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists supports the use of black cohosh for treating menopause symptoms.

P.S. - for additional support, a study from Acupuncture in Medicine found that acupuncture useful in reducing the severity of hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause. Half of the subjects received traditional acupuncture treatment. The rest were treated with “sham” acupuncture needles. A five-point scale was used to measure the severity of hot flashes, vaginal dryness, urinary symptoms, mood swings, and other symptoms in the postmenopausal women.

The women who received traditional acupuncture had significantly lower scores on the scale of menopausal symptoms after 10 weeks, compared to those in the sham treatment group. Researchers also found that the severity of hot flashes and psychological symptoms decreased significantly in the traditional acupuncture group after 10 weeks compared to the sham acupuncture group. Estrogen amounts were significantly higher, while luteinizing hormone levels were significantly lower in the group that received traditional acupuncture compared to the sham acupuncture group after 10 weeks.