30/11/2023
A clinical trial found Rhodiola rosea appeared to add to the activity of black cohosh (BC) in relieving menopausal symptoms. The study, from the country Georgia, was published in 2020 in the journal Pharmaceuticals and utilised four groups of 55 women: low dose BC (13 mg extract), high dose BC (1000 mg extract), combined low dose BC and 400 mg Rhodiola extract, and a placebo, all taken daily. Menopausal symptoms were evaluated using indices like Kupperman Menopausal Index (KMI), Menopause Relief Score (MRS), and menopause Utian Quality of Life (UQOL) at 6 and 12 weeks.
From other published data, the Rhodiola extract was standardised to contain at least 5% rosavins and 1.8% salidrosides. Hence 400 mg of this extract would have a dried herb equivalent (DHE) of around 2 g of dried root. No information was available regarding the BC extract.
Results showed significant improvements in all groups compared with the placebo by 12 weeks. The combination of both herbs demonstrated the most substantial improvement, reducing the KMI score by 71.2% compared to baseline. This was a highly significant difference compared to placebo (p < 0.0001). The low and high-dose BC groups experienced reductions of 50.5% and 59.1%, respectively, while the placebo group showed a 26.3% reduction. Interestingly, there was no notable difference between the two BC doses, although the higher dose generally trended towards a better outcome. The combined herbal treatment notably enhanced emotional health and sexual activity-related quality of life subdomains.
The findings align with the adaptogenic stress-relieving effect of Rhodiola and experimental data suggesting its potential benefits for menopausal symptoms. However, whether Rhodiola has a standalone effect or acts only when combined with BC requires further investigation.
For more information: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32455817/
