A double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology (2006;107(2, Part 1):247–255) evaluated the effects of a combination of St. John’s wort and black cohosh on menopausal symptoms. The study included 301 women experiencing a mix of menopausal symptoms along with psychological symptoms, such as depressed mood.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or a standardized herbal combination consisting of St. John’s wort extract (providing 250 micrograms of hypericin) and black cohosh extract (providing 1 mg of triterpene glycosides). The trial lasted 16 weeks. Women in the supplement group took the herbal combination twice daily for the first eight weeks and once daily for the remaining eight weeks.
Women receiving the herbal combination experienced a 50% reduction in menopausal symptoms as measured by the Menopause Rating Scale, along with nearly a 42% improvement on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. In comparison, the placebo group showed improvements of 19.6% and 12.7%, respectively.
These findings suggest that certain botanical combinations may influence both physical and psychological symptoms associated with menopause, although further research is needed to clarify mechanisms and long-term outcomes.
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