Supplement
Black cohosh is a North American herb whose root may act on serotonin receptors and have weak estrogen-like effects. People mostly look at it for menopause symptoms, where the evidence is rated strong, though single trials found no clear difference in anxiety or in the inflammation marker CRP. Those studies were small, and a review in women with breast cancer found symptoms eased, but that evidence is limited.
Sources: PMID 19745648; PMID 17430734
- Updated
- How we grade
- 19 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade C
- Conditions studied
- 9
- Outcomes
- 23
- Graded outcomes
- 0018
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
General Cardiovascular Health
- Blood glucose
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood glucose No effect | NoneNo effect | 1 study | 351 people | |||
Studies that measured blood glucose | ||||||
High Cholesterol
- Blood glucose
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL): improves
- Insulin: changes; see studies
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood glucose No effect | NoneNo effect | 1 study | 351 people | |||
Studies that measured blood glucose | ||||||
| High-density lipoprotein (HDL) | Improves (the measure goes up) | 351 people | ||||
| Insulin | Changes; see studies | 351 people | ||||
| Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) | Changes; see studies | 351 people | ||||
| Triglycerides | Changes; see studies | 351 people | ||||
Cognitive Improvement
- Cognition
- Memory: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognition No effect | NoneNo effect | 1 study | 66 people | |||
Studies that measured cognition | ||||||
| Memory | Improves (the measure goes up) | 66 people | ||||
Metabolic Health
- C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-Reactive Protein (CRP) No effect | NoneNo effect | 1 study | 124 people | |||
Studies that measured c-reactive protein (crp) | ||||||
General Liver Health
- Blood Flow
- Menopausal Symptoms: changes; see studies
- Liver Enzymes: changes; see studies
Bone Health
- Bone Mineral Density: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bone Mineral Density | Improves (the measure goes up) | 1 study | 128 people | |||
Anxiety Disorders (Other)
- Anxiety Symptoms: changes; see studies
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anxiety Symptoms | Changes; see studies | 1 study | 28 people | |||
Studies that measured anxiety symptoms | ||||||
Key findings
- Menopausal SymptomsImproves (the measure goes down)
- Anxiety Symptoms
- C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
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- Grade C
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Studies cited
19 studies from PubMed
- Review & meta-analysis: isopropanolic black cohosh extract iCR for menopausal symptoms - an update on the evidence.
- [Efficacy and safety of remifemin compared to tibolone for controlling of perimenopausal symptoms]
- First-time proof of endometrial safety of the special black cohosh extract (Actaea or Cimicifuga racemosa extract) CR BNO 1055
- Efficacy of black cohosh-containing preparations on menopausal symptoms: a meta-analysis
- Black cohosh with or without St. John's wort for symptom-specific climacteric treatment--results of a large-scale, controlled, observational study
- Menopause: a standardized isopropanolic black cohosh extract (remifemin) is found to be safe and effective for menopausal symptoms
- Treatment of vasomotor symptoms of menopause with black cohosh, multibotanicals, soy, hormone therapy, or placebo: a randomized trial
- Phase III double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial of black cohosh in the management of hot flashes: NCCTG Trial N01CC1
- Effects of a supplement containing isoflavones and Actaea racemosa L. on asymmetric dimethylarginine, lipids, and C-reactive protein in menopausal women
- Physiological investigation of a unique extract of black cohosh (Cimicifugae racemosae rhizoma): a 6-month clinical study demonstrates no systemic estrogenic effect
- Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Cimicifuga racemosa (black cohosh) in women with anxiety disorder due to menopause
- Cimicifuga racemosa treatment and health related quality of life in post-menopausal Spanish women
- Influence of black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) use by postmenopausal women on total hepatic perfusion and liver functions
- Randomized trial of black cohosh for the treatment of hot flashes among women with a history of breast cancer
- Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) in tamoxifen-treated breast cancer patients with climacteric complaints - a prospective observational study
- Digitized assessment of mammographic breast density--effects of continuous combined hormone therapy, tibolone and black cohosh compared to placebo
- Effect of exercise and Cimicifuga racemosa (CR BNO 1055) on bone mineral density, 10-year coronary heart disease risk, and menopausal complaints: the randomized controlled Training and Cimicifuga racemosa Erlangen (TRACE) study
- The effects of black cohosh therapies on lipids, fibrinogen, glucose and insulin
- Effects of botanicals and combined hormone therapy on cognition in postmenopausal women