Clover and Cohosh Don't Alleviate Vasomotor Symptoms — But Standardized Compounds Are Safe

Many women seek natural remedies for relief of menopausal vasomotor symptoms; red clover and black cohosh are two key botanicals that are used for this purpose. Investigations of black cohosh have yielded conflicting efficacy results, and limited data on red clover have shown, at best, modest improvement of symptoms. In a 12-month double-blinded trial, 89 women were randomized to receive one of four treatments: red clover, black cohosh (both compounded to strict specifications), placebo, or conjugated equine estrogens plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (CEE/MPA). All participants (mean age, 53; mean time since last menstrual period [LMP], 4.3 years; 50% black; 4% Latina) had intact uteri and experienced ≥35 vasomotor events (hot flashes and n…