It is a wild shrub-like plant. A
herbaceous perennial plant, smooth with large compound leaves. It has
underground rhizomes that can reach the height of 60 centimeters. Its basal
leaves are broad, coarsely toothed margin. The leaves reach up to one meter in
length. It has repeated sets of three leaflets. The stem will reach height of
250 centimeters.
The flower does not have any petals
(sepals). The flowers are in tight clusters with white in color. It has sweet
fetid smell. The fruit contains dry follicles. One carpel has several seeds. It
has black roots.
It grows best in moist place with
heavy soil. The dried roots, rhizome becomes an alternative herbal medicines
for many diseases. Herbal extracts serves as analgesic, anti-inflammatory and
has sedative action. It found to have the ability to treat gynecological
disorders of women (dysmenorrheal, memorrhagia), pre-menstrual tension,
menstrual cramps. It can relieve sore throat and other respiratory infection.
It consist property that benefits kidney and
other urological disorder. It can treat psychological and mental problem like
depression, anxiety and stresses of life. It relieves painful muscles,
rheumatism and arthritis including nervous disorders. It is the alternative
source to produce and increase production of breast milk. It is best source of
dietary supplements. It is good source of calcium for better bone health and
treats osteoporosis and other age-related disorders.
It can treat symptoms of hormonal
imbalance and other hormonal deficiency. Phytocrine, a chemical compound to
boosts the ability of women to balance estrogen in the body. It gives promise
for breast cancer prevention, the terminal disease of women. It induce normal
menstrual period. It can induce labor during childbirth easy for pregnant women
to give birth to a child and prevent sluggish labor pains that cause tiredness,
weakness, physical fatigue and lack of uterine power to give birth.
It prevents pregnant women to feel
restless, muscle tension, menstrual cramps, stomach pain and body pains during
the period of her pregnancy. It has the ability to prevent premature delivery
that results to miscarriage. It is used as muscle relaxant and best tonic to
the nervous system.
The plants contains many chemical
compounds like triterpene glycosides and isoflavones, aromatic acids, resins,
tannins, starch, fatty acids, sugars, acetin, formononetin, 27-deoxyacterin,
caulophylline, laburnine, magnoflorine, saponins (steroidal). It was found to
have symptomatic relief of hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, irritability
and nervousness.
Take the plant with caution. It
cause minor damage to the liver in individual that cannot tolerate the herbal
effect of black cohosh. Other side effect known especially if taken over the
required dosage (overdosage) or used in longer period of time are headache, seizures,
dizziness, diarrhea, sweating, nausea, abdominal pain, constipation, vomiting,
sweating. It causes low-blood pressure and slow heartbeat. It has effect on
weight.
It should not use in lactating
mothers or pregnant women. It may affect its breastfeeding or her pregnancy.
Over-dosage may affect condition of stomach especially the intestines. It
causes high blood pressure. It affects menstrual cycle of women beyond the
normal condition. It may cause allergic reaction to those having allergy of the
plant like swelling of the lips, face and tongue.
Herbal tincture can be taken in the
dosage of 4ml 3 times daily for period not more than 6 months. The herbal
extract can be taken 40 mg 2 times a day. Use dried roots or rhizomes 2,000 mg
per day. Use herbal decoction 1 gram of powder with boiling water 3 times
daily. Use herbal infusion about 30ml every 2-4 hours.