An extract of the herb, black cohosh, marketed as Remifemin, is effective in relieving menopausal symptoms, German researchers report.

The herbal compound works best on hot flashes, night sweats and subsequent sleep disturbances but other complaints such as nervousness and depressive moods are also improved

This study “adds considerable credibility” to this herb’s perception as a safe therapy for bothersome menopausal symptoms, said Dr. Hans-Heinrich Henneicke-von Zepelin. The researcher is with Schaper and Bruemmer GmbH and Company KG, Salzgitter, Germany, the maker of Remifemin.

Most studies of this herbal remedy were conducted in the 1980s and 1990s.

To gain more up-to-date information, researchers randomly assigned 304 women with various climacteric complaints to Remifemin 40 milligrams per day or placebo.

At 12 weeks, depending on symptom onset, Remifemin was significantly more effective than placebo in relieving symptoms, the team reports in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology this month.

The “effect size”, say the investigators, was comparable to that seen in a recent hormone replacement study and “may be considered clinically relevant.”

In particular, they note, the agent was more helpful in women in the early menopausal years and seemed to be most effective in reducing hot flushes.

SOURCE: Obstetrics and Gynecology May 2005.