black cohosh

Remedies For Menopause

Black Cohosh For Menopause

Is black cohosh effective as a  menopause remedy , or is it just marketing? What does black cohosh do?

For many women, the side effects of HRT have made it a less desirable option to manage the symptoms of menopause. However, the discomfort of these symptoms mean some treatment is necessary.

Hot flashes, night sweats, panic attacks, headaches, and mood swings can make life difficult for a menopausal woman, as well as affecting her relationships with her family. When we feel ill, our whole outlook on life can be affected, making it more challenging to engage the levels of spiritual transformation that are associated with menopause.

  Is black cohosh for you? 

 

 
Fortunately, there are a number of options available to women who’d prefer to experience menopause naturally. It’s important to note though, that medication may still be needed for some. Dr Christiane Northrup has written of some menopausal patients of hers that were adamant they were not taking HRT. But after exhausting the herbal and nutritional options, the symptoms were still so bad that in the end they opted to take hormone replacement therapy.

One well known herbal treatment for menopause is black cohosh. Also known by the botanical name of Cimicifuga racemosa, this powerful herb is a phytoestrogen. Phytoestrogens were originally thought to work by binding to the estrogen receptors in the body. Phytoestrogens are similar to natural estrogen in chemical structure, though they have a milder effect on the body. Thus, when they locked into the estrogen receptors, they were thought to have an effect that mildly mimicked estrogen, thus counterbalancing the reduced levels of estrogen in a woman’s body.

However, this is now not believed to be the main way phytoestrogens like black cohosh work. Whilst they do in fact bind to at least one subtype of estrogen receptor, they may actually work to block that receptor, rather than activate it. It is now believed that black cohosh regulates the hormonal system in the body.

Despite a lack of clear understanding in how black cohosh works, scientists have found that it works very well. One study comparing black cohosh with HRT and valium found that it was just as effective in helping both the physical and psychological symptoms of menopause. A Japanese study also found that black cohosh increased bone mineral density, which makes it very useful in preventing age related osteoporosis.

Top Menopause Information 

Find out everything that you need to know.

 Black Cohosh For Hot Flashes 

Black cohosh is an herbal remedy that is used for several different reasons. One of the main reasons people consume this herbal remedy has got to be the use of black cohosh for hot flashes. Menopause can be a difficult time.

Black Cohosh Root: A Natural Remedy For Menopause Symptoms

More women are turning to fef natural menopause remedies, and the medical community is taking notice. Black cohosh extract is popular for natural menopause relief.   

Herbal Menopause Treatment

Another popular herbal treatment is black cohosh. Black cohosh has been used to treat menstrual irregularities and premenstrual syndrome when a woman is still menstruating; to induce labor in pregnant women; and for vaginal dryness.

Black Cohosh: Mixed Breast Cancer Findings

Black cohosh, a supplement taken to ease menopausal symptoms, may have a mixed relationship with breast cancer, according to a study published in Cancer Research. 

Black cohosh has been found to help 76 to 93% of women find an improvement with the symptoms of irritability, hot flushes, heart palpitations, depression, headaches, and sleep problems. These women took a standardized extract, twice a day.

For more natural remedies for menopause, click here. For HRT and menopause information, click here.

   By Rebecca Prescott
Published: 10/17/2006
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