Review of 29 Studies Finds Most Previously Studied Herbs Ineffective for Treating Menopause

After examining the results of 29 independent studies, researchers at Columbia University and George Washington University have concluded that black cohosh is the only natural substance, among those studied, proven to have a beneficial effect on women who experience menopause symptoms. In their report, Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Menopausal Symptoms: A Review of Randomized, Controlled Trials, the researchers state that other herbal treatments—including ginseng, red clover, dong quai and evening primrose oil— had no discernible effect on various menopause symptoms, according to a Nov. 19 article in The Boston Globe online.

An abstract of the recent study—which reviews previous research on 12 studies on the effects of soy and soy extracts, 10 studies on various herbs, and seven studies on the effects of complementary and alternative modalities on menopause symptoms—states the study was intended to “better inform practice and guide future research.”

The American Herbal Products Association's Steven Dentali, Ph.D., VP of scientific and technical affairs, says, “This is a snapshot of the available data, which is just the beginning of the story. There's a lot more work be done. I think we can safely draw a conclusion that there's inadequate research on all of these herbs.”