Black Cohosh Warnings May Be Falsely Based

During Mid-July, NutraIngredients.com reported the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA) issued a warning on black cohosh, an herbal remedy popular for menopausal symptoms, due to unspecified liver toxicity concerns. However, chief science officer of American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), Steve Dentali, is stating these warnings may be based on false pretences.

Apparently, the culprit of the liver rumors may be Aristolochiaceae, which is of the same genus as black cohosh, aka Actaea racemosa, but Aristolochiaceae  s often used as a counterfeit for Actaea racemosa, and could be the reason for their warning.

There is no real botanical connection between black cohosh and Aristolochiaceae which is a different plant family from where black cohosh residest, Dentali said.

NutraIngredients.com stated, A subsequent review of these five adverse events found causality lacking in four of them, and no confirmation of black cohosh identity was determined."