HHS HealthBeat

Black cohosh, red clover

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Some people think the herbal supplements black cohosh and red clover can reduce hot flashes during menopause. But researchers find the supplements didn't work.

The researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago checked that among 89 women over 12 months. They found no difference between the number of hot flashes reported by women who took the supplements and those who took fake medication as a comparison.

In a related study, Pauline Maki looked at data on 66 of the women, to see if women who took the botanicals had better ability to remember words and short stories.

[Pauline Maki speaks] "None of the botanicals had a beneficial effect on memory. Red clover and black cohosh were neutral to memory."

The research in the journal Menopause was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

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HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: September, 15 2009