Herbal Menopause Remedies Ineffective
Recent media headlines state, "Except for an herbal remedy developed by American Indians, most of the exotic berries, teas, herbs and oils frequently taken by women to ease menopause symptoms have been ineffective in clinical trials."

If the health concerns of women were the main interest of the research, the media would have written headlines that state, "Researchers at Columbia University and George Washington University have found a safe and effective alternative to synthetic drugs." Researchers examined the results of 29 independent studies on alternative treatments for hot flashes and found excellent support for the effectiveness of the herb Black cohosh.

Women are rightly fearful of synthetic hormone replacement therapy (HRT) since Government scientists at the National Institutes of Health abruptly halted the nation's biggest study on HRT in July 2002, saying long-term use of synthetic estrogen and progestin drugs increase a women's risk of breast cancer by 26%, her risk of a heart attack by 29%, and her risk of stroke by 41% (SOURCE: JAMA. 2002;288:321-333).

Black cohosh
Black cohosh, a member of the buttercup family, is among the most popular of alternative treatments for menopause. Most clinical studies involved a concentrated brand called Remifemin, manufactured and sold as a natural prescription drug in Germany since the mid 1900's, first by Schaper and Brummer (GmbH) and more recently by GlaxoSmithKline. Black cohosh has been used safely and effectively in Germany for almost 50 years with no evidence of any serious side effects, contraindications, or drug interactions.

Benefits
In several clinical trials, Black cohosh has been shown to provide significant improvement in 86% of all patients within 4 weeks of onset of therapy. Studies show that Black cohosh reduces menopausal symptoms of hot flashes, perspiration, headache, vertigo, heart palpitations, ringing in the ears, nervousness, irritability, sleep disturbances, weariness, and depressive moodiness, while increasing motivation and emotional stability. A recent study also suggests that black cohosh may protect animals from osteoporosis (Phytomed 1996/7;3:379-85). Human studies have not confirmed this action.

How much is needed?
The recommended amount is 20-40 mg twice per day. The best-researched extract provides 1 mg of deoxyactein per 20 mg of extract.

Side effects
Very large amounts (over several thousand milligrams daily) of this herb may cause abdominal pain, nausea, headaches, and dizziness. In large scale clinical trials, none of the patients in clinical trials receiving Remifemin discontinued taking the supplement due to side effects. There are no known drug interactions with Black cohosh. Black cohosh is considered to be similar to Estriol, the healthy, protective estrogen, because it acts as a weak or partial antagonist to Estradiol (which is associated with increased risk of breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancer). Black cohosh is not recommended for pregnant or breast-feeding women due to lack of clinical studies on these women.

For more information about ESPROGEN, Dr. Hansen's herbal female hormone balancing formula with Black cohosh, please click here.