Using Black Cohosh to treat
menopausal symptoms
Menopause occurs when a woman's ovaries stop releasing eggs in her
early 50's and her menstrual cycle stops. When a woman has
not
had a period in six months, it is considered that she has completed
menopause. Even though menopause should not be considered as
a
disease, it can have unpleasant symptoms. Before a woman has
her
last period, she can experience menstrual irregularities, hot flushes
and irritability. After menopause, vaginal dryness, loss of
bone
mass and an increased risk of heart disease can occur. This
happens because the ovaries stop manufacturing estrogen and
progesterone.
To try and counter these problems, women in general opt for hormone
replacement therapy (HRT). Recent studies have however
increased
concern that long-term HRT can cause breast cancer, and many women are
searching for a natural alternative.
One of the natural herbal alternatives is Black Cohosh which is widely
used to help stabilize hormone levels.
The healing abilities of Black Cohosh were recognized centuries ago
when Native American women started using the root of this plant to
treat a variety of ailments, specifically problems related to the
menstrual cycle and menopause.
Black Cohosh was the main ingredient in one of the most popular folk
remedies in the early 1900's. Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable
Compound
was sold as a women's tonic and is still available today.
The Black Cohosh plant is a member of the buttercup family and is
recognized by its tall stalks of fluffy white flowers. This
perennial plant is native to North America and has quite a few other
common names such as black snakeroot, bugbane, bugwort, rattleroot,
rattletop and rattleweed.
Traditional uses of Black Cohosh included treating
menstrual problems
and reducing the symptoms of menopause. Today, Black Cohosh
is
used for similar purposes, but also as an anti-inflammatory that can
relieve muscle aches and pain.
In Europe and increasingly in the United States, Black Cohosh is
recommended by homeopaths to treat hot flushes, vaginal dryness and
other menopausal symptoms. A hormone called LH (luteinizing
hormone) is produced by the brain's pituary gland and when the levels
of LH rise, it can cause hot flushes. Scientific studies have
revealed that Black Cohosh can reduce the levels of LH in the body.
In addition, Black Cohosh contains phyto-estrogens which are plant
compounds that have a similar effect to that of estrogen produced by
your body. When these phyto-estrogens bind to hormone
receptors
in the uterus and breast it can ease menopausal symptoms without
increasing your risk of breast cancer, which is a possible side effect
of conventional hormone replacement therapy. Some experts
even
believe that Black Cohosh can prevent breast cancer by keeping the
body's own estrogen from locking onto breast cells.
Black Cohosh is very effective to alleviate menstrual cramps due to its
antispasmodic properties. This herbal remedy increases the
blood flow to the uterus and reduces the intensity of uterine
contractions, which also makes it useful during labour and after
childbirth.
Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, Black Cohosh might be valuable
in treating muscle aches and pain, joint inflammation and nerve-related
pain. More scientific studies are being done to prove the
herb's value as a pain killer.
Black Cohosh is often recommended by homeopaths to assist in clearing
mucus from the body. This makes it an effective herbal
medicine to treat sinus infections, coughs and bronchitis.
What are the side effects of
Black Cohosh?
Please consult your medical practitioner prior to using any herbal
medications should you be under their care.
Black Cohosh has basically no toxic effect, although a few
people have reported stomach upsets. If you are
taking medicine for high blood pressure, make sure that you consult
your health care practitioner before taking Black Cohosh as this herb
can lower your blood pressure.
Do not increase dosages of Black Cohosh as this can have serious side
effects such as nausea, vomiting, headaches, heavy perspiration and a
reduced pulse rate.
How do I take Black Cohosh?
Make sure that you purchase capsules or tablets that are standardized
to contain 25 percent of triterpenes which are the active components in
Black Cohosh.
For menopausal symptoms, take 40 mg of Black Cohosh twice a
day. To ease menstrual cramps and PMS, start taking 40 mg of
this herbal remedy a week to 10 days before your period.
Black Cohosh can be taken at any time of the day but to minimize the
chance of a stomach upset it is best to take it with a meal.
Allow four to six weeks to see the benefits of this herbal
remedy. Some experts have recommended that Black Cohosh not
be used longer than six months continually, but more recent studies
have shown that longer use seems safe and that there are no significant
side effects to long term use.
Compresses soaked in Black Cohosh tea can be applied to sore muscles
and joints to ease pain. Boil dried root in water for 20 to
30 minutes and let it cool off until it is warm enough for you to
tolerate holding a compress against your skin. Apply the warm
compress for 20 minutes, repeating this every 4 hours if the pain does
not improve.
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