Black Cohosh For Menopause & More

Many women suffer from the symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, mood swings and weight gain. They often turn to treatments like hormone replacement therapy, or try to treat individual symptoms with drugs like Prozac. But there may be a better option for getting relief from menopause symptoms - black cohosh.

Black cohosh also has several benefits for men and there are some ways that it can benefit anyone.

What is black cohosh?

Black Cohosh, native to North America, is a plant in the buttercup family. The flowers and roots have been used for generations by native Americans to treat various conditions. Recent studies have proven the effectiveness of black cohosh in reducing menopause symptoms.

Black cohosh for menopause symptoms and benefits for men

Menopause symptom relief

For many women, menopause symptoms are more than just an annoyance. Severe symptoms can impact quality of life and even contribute to other health issues. Many women will try to relieve these symptoms.

There have been numerous studies that have shown the benefits of black cohosh for menopause symptoms. It acts as a phytoestrogen, a plant based substance that mimics the effects of estrogen.

Many studies have shown that women had fewer and less severe hot flashes than when not taking the supplement.

Several studies showed that it was effective in improving mood swings.

It has been shown to improve sleep in menopausal women, but that could be due to the reduction of night sweats and reduced anxiety

Benefits for Men

While the benefits of black cohosh for menopausal women have been extensively studied, preliminary research is also showing the benefits for men:

Has been shown in the lab to reduce the size of prostate cancer tumors
May help prevent prostate cancer
Helps to reduce hot flashes and bone loss in men undergoing testicular cancer treatment

Other benefits

https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/black-cohosh

Benefits in other areas are less well studied than the benefits provided for menopause symptoms. Here are some of the potential benefits:

May improve fertility and help to regulate menstrual cycles for women with PCOS
Can reduce the size of fibroids in postmenopausal women
Can help to reduce menstrual cramps and PMS symptoms
Helps to treat inflammation and may be helpful in treating osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
Has an antioxidant effect
Risk of breast cancer could be reduced if black cohosh is used and it may help to reduce symptoms caused by breast cancer treatments
There also may be a potential for black cohosh to slow osteoporosis bone loss or lower blood pressure
May help to reduce anxiety and depression

Side effects and cautions

Common side effects of black cohosh include breast tenderness, irregular menstrual cycle, and nausea. More serious side effects like liver damage or allergic reactions are rare but can occur.

Black cohosh can interact with certain medications and is not compatible with some medical conditions so you should consult your health care provider before use.

Black cohosh is a dietary supplement. In the US dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA in the same way that pharmaceuticals are. This means that you need to get it from a reputable source to avoid contamination and make sure the dose is correct.

How I can help

Supplements like black cohosh have many uses in balancing hormones, losing weight, and improving health. But it is important to have a reputable source and to understand the interactions with medications, medical conditions, and your diet. I can help you develop an overall plan that includes changes to your diet and lifestyle and a supplement plan that can boost your efforts. However, I find most of my clientele do not need supplements as the diet does the heavy lifting for hormone control.

Book a free nutrition assessment

Warm wishes,

About Vicki:

Vicki Witt is a Clinical Nutritionist, Holistic Health Coach, and Reiki Master. She has been practicing over 25 years and specializes in holistically customizing diet and lifestyle plans to each individual for weight loss and hormonal control. Her clientele often report they feel the best they have ever felt and wish they had started sooner. One of the USA and Australia's top Nutritionists, she has won multiple awards for her services in the industry.

Certified and Registered Nutritionist