Herbal supplements failed to ease the hot flashes associated with menopause.

That’s the conclusion of a one-year study that compared the effectiveness of plant-based supplements like black cohosh with replacement hormones and an inactive placebo for easing hot flashes. Results were released Monday and reported in Tuesday’s issue of the medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine. Here’s the black cohosh plant.

The study involved 351 women ages 45 to 55. All were approaching menopause or had completed it. All reported suffering at least hot flashes or night sweats daily.

A year later the herbal supplements proved no better than an inactive pill for easing those symptoms.

In comparison, hormone replacement therapy cut episodes dramatically. Women who received either supplemental estrogen or a combination of estrogen and progestin averaged more than four fewer hot flashes each day. The problem is that the replacement hormones increase a woman’s risk of other health problems, including breast cancer and heart disease.

Three natural supplements were included in this study. One contained black cohosh alone. Another included black cohosh, alfalfa, boron, chaste tree, dong quai, false unicorn, licorice, oats, pomegranate and Siberian ginseng. The third included that multi-ingredient supplement with counseling designed to increase consumption of soy-rich foods.

The research was funded by the National Institute of Aging and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. It was directed by researchers based at Seattle’s Group Health Center for Health Studies and the University of Washington.

So, how disappointed are you? Does the natural approach seem to be working for you? Let us hear from you, particularly how you’re managing symptoms.