Special edition: Botanicals
Black cohosh
Black cohosh has been in the market for more than 60 years, and interest in the ingredient has increased at an accelerating rate. The herb (Actaea racemosa; synonym, Cimicifuga racemosa) is frequently used as a support in cases of menopause symptoms and other conditions relating to female reproductive health.
The botanical has been the subject of adulteration claims, with reports of Asian Actaea being found in products. “Although theses Asian species are in the same genus as North American black cohosh, they are not botanically or chemically identical,” Mark Blumenthal from the American Botanical Council told us last year.