Sleight of Herb: Black cohosh mislabeled in medicinal products

A sizable fraction of the herbal supplements marketed as preparations of black cohosh contain none of that North American plant, researchers report. Some past studies suggested that black cohosh lessens menopausal symptoms, but 3 of 11 recently tested products instead contained related Asian species not known to have this effect.

Hundreds of thousands of women use black cohosh to combat hot flashes, estimates chemist Steven Dentali of the American Herbal Products Association, a trade group.