Black Cohosh Extract Found Safe and Effective for Menopause Symptoms.

A study conducted at the University of Missouri, Columbia, investigated the possible estrogenic influence of black cohosh extract (BCE) on the breast (Lawrence Erlbaum Association, Inc. 2007; 59(2):269-77). Women's Health Initiative findings have indicated that hormone replacement therapy may increase the risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Studies on black cohosh have had mixed results and the estrogenic influence of BCE on the breast has not been well investigated. Black cohosh is standardized to triterpenes, and the activity and mechanism of these compounds are not fully understood.In this study, BCE was administered to postmenopausal women for 12 weeks, followed by a 12-week washout. Participants taking BCE with 2.5% triterpenes had relief from menopausal symptoms, with reversion toward baseline after washout. BCE had no effect on estrogenic markers in serum and no effect on pS2 or cellular morphology in nipple aspirate fluid. Researchers concluded that, while triterpene content in commercially available black cohosh preparations varies, BCE standardized to 2.5% triterpenes relieved menopausal symptoms without systemic or breast-specific estrogenic effects.Bio-Design Mid-Femin is a concentrated extract of Cimicifuga racemosa (Black Cohosh) standardized to 2.5% triterpene glycosides.