The Maryland Native Plant Society

The Maryland Native Plant Society
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  • Western Mountains Chapter: February Meeting & Program

Western Mountains Chapter: February Meeting & Program

  • 02/16/2017
  • 7:00 PM
  • Frostburg State University, Compton Science Center, Room 327

Topic: The  Potential Dangers of Black Cohosh Dietary Supplement Use and How to Address Safety Concerns with Botanical Education 

Speaker: Laura Price, Undergraduate Ethnobotany Student, Biology Department, Frostburg State University

Black cohosh is a herbaceous, perennial herb native to North America. A resurgence of black cohosh in dietary supplement markets today has resulted in regained popularity among women trying to combat the symptoms of menopause. This leads to health concerns that lie in a lack of vigorous medical testing, non-stringent regulation of dietary supplement labels, and contamination with other species. The potential for dietary supplement contamination is more likely with herbs like black cohosh, which have not been successfully cultivated on a large scale and must be obtained through wild harvest. There are several look-alike species among North American Actaea which can easily lead to misidentifications among the genus. Laura Price will describe an educational flow-chart developed with the assistance of Dr.Sunshine Brosi and other FSU students, that will assist herb harvesters in the field and address both health and ecological issues that result from black cohosh harvest.  

This free program will begin promptly at 7:00 pm; the public is welcome to attend. 

Directions: From I-68 take exit 33 (Braddock Rd & Midlothian Rd exit). Follow Braddock Road approximately 1.3 miles to stop sign. Turn left onto Park Avenue. Drive a short distance and turn left, following signs for the Compton Parking Lot.

No registration.


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