(Relaxnews) – The herb black cohosh has long been a popular alternative treatment to menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, but now a new Australian study finds that it offers no benefit.
Researchers from the University of South Australia evaluated 16 studies involving more than 2,000 menopausal women. On average, subjects took a daily supplement of 40mg of black cohosh for an average of 23 weeks.
Lead researcher Matthew Leach and his team found "insufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of black cohosh for menopausal symptoms," according research news source Health Behavior News Service. "There was no significant difference between it and the placebo groups in changing hot flash frequency."
"I was a little surprised of the outcome of the review given the large number of perimenopausal women that use the herb across the globe for the management of menopausal symptoms, as well as the many manufacturers and therapists that promote the herb for this purpose," said Leach. The study was published online in the journal The Cochrane Library.
The research follows prior studies conducted jointly by the University of Illinois at Chicago and Northwestern University, published in the journal Menopause, that found that black cohosh and red clover have no effect on hot flashes or cognitive function in menopausal women.