SEATTLE, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- A U.S. study found the herb black cohosh is no better than a placebo in treating hot flashes during menopause.
A one-year, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial compared the effects of three formulations of black cohosh with hormone therapy and placebo for relief of hot flashes.
"Many women are looking for alternatives to hormone therapy, which is the most proven remedy for hot flashes, and many are using alternative medicines," said lead author Katherine M. Newton of Group Health in Seattle. "The most commonly used alternative is black cohosh. But we found that black cohosh was no better than placebo in treating hot flashes."
The frequency and severity of symptoms declined by about 30 percent over 12 months regardless of whether women were taking black cohosh or placebo, according to the study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
