Black cohosh is most commonly used for symptoms associated with menopause. Introduced into Germany in the 1950s, it has been actively promoted as an alternative to estrogen, since it is believed to have estrogen-like benefits without the unpleasant or harmful side effects. Black cohosh has been adopted for a variety of menstrual, menopausal, and reproductive maladies, and was an essential ingredient in Lydia Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound, a popular patent remedy for “female complaints.” The herb has also been used traditionally for rheumatism and inflammatory conditions.