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Cohosh
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Scientific Name(s): Actaea gyrostachya Wender., Actaea monogyna Walter, Actaea orthostachya Wender., Actaea racemosa L., Botrophis actaeoides Raf. Ex Fisch. & C.A.Mey., Botrophis pumila Raf., Cimicifuga americana Muhl., Cimicifuga racemose, Cimicifuga racemose L. (Nutt), Thalictrodes racemose (L.) Kuntze
Common Name(s): Baneberry, Black cohosh, Black snakeroot, Bugbane, Cimicifuga, Rattleroot, Rattletop, Rattleweed, Shengma (China), Squawroot, Traubensilberberze, Wanzenkr
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Benefits
Today, black cohosh is most commonly used for menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes (also called hot flushes) and night sweats (together known as vasomotor symptoms), vaginal dryness, heart palpitations, tinnitus, vertigo, sleep disturbances, nervousness, and irritability.
Also for pain relief.
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It is native to eastern North America from the extreme south of Ontario to central Georgia, and west to Missouri and Arkansas.
The roots and rhizomes were used in traditional medicine by Native Americans. Its extracts are manufactured as herbal medicines or dietary supplements. Thereof, most of the dietary supplements containing black cohosh are not well-studied or recommended for safe and effective use in treating menopause symptoms or any disease.[
2] In contrast, some herbal medicinal products containing black cohosh (cimicifuga racemosa) extract hold a marketing authorization in several states of the European Union are well-studied and recommended for safe and effective use for the relief of menopausal symptoms (i.e. in the years around menopause) such as hot flushes and profuse sweating attacks.[3] Such differentiation between the product types seems to be important.
It is also excellent for severe pain.
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HISTORY
Native Americans used black cohosh to treat gynecological and other disorders.[2][10][12] Following the arrival of European settlers in the U.S. who continued the use of black cohosh, the plant appeared in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia under the name "black snakeroot".[2] In the 19th century, the root was used to treat snakebite, inflamed lungs, and pain from childbirth
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Nowadays, extracts from the underground parts of the plant —the rhizome (Cimicifugae racemosae rhizoma) and the root (Cimicifugae racemosae radix)— are used medicinally. The rhizomes and roots contain various saponins (triterpene saponins/triterpene glycosides such as actein) as well as cimifugic acids and other phenol carboxylic acids.[3][14] The active substance comprises the total extract.[3]
In most European countries, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Argentina and some other countries, black cohosh products are available as herbal medicinal products which have been approved by regulatory authorities ensuring reliable pharmaceutical quality, safety and efficacy for the relief of menopausal complaints such as hot flushes and profuse sweating.[3] In the U.S., India, and some other countries, Black cohosh is used as a dietary supplement marketed mainly to women for treating menopausal symptoms and other gynecological problems.[10][15] Meta-analyses of contemporary evidence support these claims on menopausal complaints only for products holding a marketing authorization for this indication,[4][5] whereas there is no high-quality scientific evidence to support such uses for other products.[12][8][16]
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