Black Cohosh Root Helps Hot Flashes and Much More

Black cohosh root has been consumed by women over many years in the US for conditions related to women's health, such as menstrual cramps or menopause symptoms. Since then, black cohosh has had a reputation for helping women through problems as varied as premenstrual syndrome, hot flashes and menstrual cramps.  

Since about the beginning of the Twentieth Century, black cohosh, grown indigenously in the US, has been used to prepare a particular type of tonic used for many women with problems related to the female reproductive system.  The wildflower, black cohosh, is related to the buttercup and, over the years, it has been found to be useful for many conditions beyond those of the female respiratory tract.  Conditions like insect bites and eczema are known to be treatable with black cohosh.

Black cohosh today

While black cohosh was once popular, it was less popular for a number of years before  it regained its popularity as a natural treatment for female symptoms  such as menopausal hot flashes,  When it was discovered that the modern way of treating hot flashes, estrogen replacement therapy, carried its own health problems, physicians began recommending the black cohosh herb for menopausal issues, with some success.  

In addition, the black cohosh herb is believed to carry some anti-inflammation properties so that it can provide relief for sore muscles.  It was also found to have slight sedative properties.  For those with respiratory problems, the herb has been found to break up nasal congestion and reduce the cough reflex.

An Important Herb

For women with painful menstrual cramps, black cohosh can be a wonderful way of controlling them.  Black cohosh has been shown to be a mild antispasmodic which is probably why it helps for those with menstrual problems.  Finally, the herb is believed to improve the vasculature of the uterus, increasing blood flow and preventing the uterus from cramping.  Many women are convinced that black cohosh works wonders in the treatment of PMS.

You can buy black cohosh root in a number of ways.  It is found as a tincture, extracts in capsules, tablets and dried loose herbs. The loose herbal form is often mixed with hot water in order to make a type of black cohosh tea.

Shopping for Black Cohosh

If you are in the market for the extracted tablets or capsules of black cohosh, make sure you look on the back of the package to make sure it has been standardized to a concentration of 2.5% triterpenes glycosides.  These are considered the active ingredients of black cohosh.  This is the amount of active ingredient found in research studies to be the most effective concentration.

If you are planning to purchase black cohosh in liquid form, look for a bottle that has been standardized to around 5% triterpene glycosides.  This is a slightly higher concentration than you'll find in liquid form.

Another great choice for those who want black cohosh is the freeze dried version of the black cohosh root.  These come in capsules that carry the best components of the black cohosh root.  Because we don't yet know all of the components of black cohosh, you want to purchase the type of root that carries the highest probability of having all of the healthful components of the root. Freeze drying will provide that for you.