Uterine fibroids, generally benign growths in smooth uterine muscle tissue, can become large enough to cause pain by impacting other pelvic structures. Fibroids can also interfere with pregnancy if they grow in areas where implantation normally occurs or if they decrease the amount of room a fetus has to grow in the uterus. Black cohosh, an herb often used to treat menstrual and menopausal symptoms and approved in Germany for that purpose, has weakly estrogenic effects. Its effectiveness in treating uterine fibroids has not been clinically proven.
Fibroid Causes
Estrogen and progesterone, two of the dominant female hormones, can stimulate uterine fibroid growth. Fibroids contain more estrogen and progesterone receptors than other types of uterine tissue do, according to MayoClinic.com, so they grow more in response to estrogen and progesterone, which rise each month during the reproductive cycle.Some fibroids remain the same size or shrink over time, while others continue to grow larger. Fibroids often shrink after menopause, when estrogen and progesterone hormone levels drop.
Black Cohosh Effects
Black cohosh contains phytoestrogens, which are weak estrogens that compete with estrogen hormones for estrogen receptors. Phytoestrogens can help with both low and high estrogen levels, according to naturopathic physician Ronald Steriti, N.D. Since fibroids often shrink during menopause, depriving the estrogen receptors of estrogen by occupying the sites may also help shrink fibroids, many alternative practitioners believe.
Possible Risks
Because black cohosh may stimulate estrogen receptors, the University of Maryland Medical Center recommends that women with fibroid tumors as well as those with endometriosis or breast, ovarian or uterine cancers avoid black cohosh, since the herb could stimulate tissue growth. Side effects of black cohosh include dizziness, weight gain, nausea, dimming vision,diarrhea, joint pain, slow heart rate, nausea and vomiting.
Studies
No studies on the effects of black cohosh on fibroid tumors are available. A review of 16 available studies on the effects of black cohosh on menopausal symptoms, conducted by the University of Florida College of Medicine and reported in 2009 in the journal "Drugs and Aging," found no conclusive proof that black cohosh helps menopausal symptoms. Do not take black cohosh to treat fibroid tumors without your medical practitioner's approval, especially if you're also taking prescription drugs that reduce estrogen levels.
References
- DoctorMurray.com; Uterine Fibroids; Michael Murray, N.D.
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Black Cohosh; Steven Ehrlich; December 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Uterine Fibroids; June 2011
- NaturDoctor.com; Nutritional Support for Uterine Fibroids; Ronald Steriti, N.D.
- "Drugs and Aging"; Black Cohosh for the Management of Menopausal Symptoms: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials; C. Palacio, et al.; 2009
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