Is black cohosh a safe and effective substitute for hormone replacement therapy - Article Example

Black Cohosh Substituted For HRT Black Cohosh Substituted For HRT Becker, E., Letham, T. & Stoehr, J. (2009). Is black cohosh a safe and effective substitute for hormone replacement therapy? Retrieved from http://media.haymarketmedia.com/documents/10/cat0909_2389.pdf This article clearly explains a scenario whereby a 50-year-old woman was seeking advice regarding hot flashes that were associated with her menopause. According to the woman, she received an average of eight hot flashes on a daily basis.

This affected her sleeping pattern, and she had even lost her sexual interest (Becker, Letham & Stoehr, 2009). After conducting a research on various herbal products associated with menopause, she came along black cohosh. She tries to evaluate if black cohosh is an effective and safe substitute for hormone replacement therapy. According to the facts presented in the editorial, it is rather palpable that approximately 85% of women in the world experience night sweats and hot flashes, which are closely associated with menopause.

These symptoms are triggered by the hormones in the body of the individual. Research asserts that black cohosh is a herb that is used to deal with vasomotor symptoms as a substitute for the hormone replacement therapy. The herb is widely used in the United States and Europe (Becker, Letham & Stoehr, 2009). However, black cohosh has numerous side effects to the women. As stated above, there are several inconsistencies that have been associated with the use of black cohosh. Some of these discrepancies are related to the dosing and side effects of the drug.

Some of the complications that are able to result from the use of black cohosh include hepatitis, muscle damage and liver failure among other conditions. Several experts have critically evaluated the efficacy of the black cohosh for the vasomotor symptoms (Becker, Letham & Stoehr, 2009). In the clinical trials, there were several adverse effects of the drug to the women.