Hardwood forests are full of plants that are regularly harvested for medicinal purposes, but watch out! Use of many of these plants began as home remedies, and although some plants look similar or have similar common names, they have drastically different effects on the body. Although many plant compounds are commercially packaged and available as "alternative medicine", often the purported medicinal uses of these drugs have not been experimentally tested, or the results are conflicting. Many people also don't appreciate that many of these plant compounds can have dangerous side effects when taken in combination with other drugs.
Blue, black, and white cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides, Actaea racemosa, and Actaea pachypoda, respectively) are three species from two different genera that look similar during certain parts of their life cycles. Because these and other species look very similar, herbal remedies that are packaged as one species may actually contain extracts and compounds from multiple species, which can be very dangerous! All three have been taken as home remedies for various ailments, but the negative side effects of any species (and particularly in combination) can range from mild to lethal! Home remedies for the three species above include inducing labor or menstruation and relieving associated pains. However, people have also taken blue or black cohosh to relieve hiccups, remove warts, and cure acne! Interestingly, white cohosh (also known as "doll's eyes" or "white baneberry") has reportedly been used to revive those near death - even though it is the most toxic of the three species and ingesting it can actually lead to death! Blue cohosh can be very dangerous if taken in combination with other prescribed drugs, because the alkaloids and saponins in the plant inhibit enzymes involved in drug metabolism. Black cohosh can be similarly dangerous, particularly when used with those drugs that influence activity in the liver. The fruits and roots of a white cohosh plant are very poisonous, and the berries contain glycoside protoanemonin, which has an immediate sedative effect on cardiac tissue - eat this plant and you could completely stop your heart!
The lesson: Cohosh are not the only plants that may lead to positive and negative side effects if ingested. If you want to use herbal remedies, be careful and DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Make sure you know what compounds are active in the plant, and pay special attention to any potential drug-drug interactions if you are already taking medication!
--Danielle Racke