Verified
“Standardized to 2.5% triterpene glycosides”
The label specifies an 80 mg extract standardized to 2.5% triterpene glycosides, the marker actives used in black cohosh research.
Reviewed
Verified by SAC team
+20
XP on completion
Best Standardized Value
Source Naturals
Source Naturals Black Cohosh Extract, 120 Tablets Review
7.1/10SAC Product Score™
Source Naturals delivers 80 mg of black cohosh extract standardized to 2.5% triterpene glycosides in a 120-tablet bottle, which is a genuinely long supply. You get the same class of standardized actives as the pricier picks, at a materially lower cost per serving. It doesn't carry a marquee third-party seal, which keeps it below the tested and trial-grade options, but for a standardized extract at this price it's the best value on the board.
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Read the complete Black Cohosh guide →How we built the SAC Product Score™ — 7.1/10
Standardization & Actives30%8/10
80 mg extract standardized to 2.5% triterpene glycosides puts the same marker actives on the label as the trial-grade products.
Third-Party Testing20%5/10
Made in the USA to the brand's internal QC, but no public USP/NSF/independent seal — the main reason it sits behind Natural Factors.
Dose vs Clinical Range25%7/10
80 mg per tablet lands squarely in the studied extract range at one tablet, or a full 160 mg at two, without doubling up as smaller-dose picks require.
Tolerability & Safety15%7.5/10
Single-herb standardized tablet, no added stimulant or hormone-affecting botanicals. Standard black cohosh liver caution applies.
Value10%8.5/10
Roughly $16.50 for 120 tablets is the best cost-per-standardized-dose in the lineup — a long supply for the money.
The product at a glance
- Form
- Tablet
- Dose
- 80 mg extract per tablet (2.5% triterpene glycosides)
- Count
- 120 tablets
- Standardization
- 2.5% triterpene glycosides
- Testing
- Brand internal QC; made in USA (no public third-party seal)
- Cost per dose
- ~$0.14/day at 1 tablet
Marketing claims vs. reality
Partial
“Consistent active content batch to batch”
Standardization targets consistent glycoside content, but without a published independent third-party assay it relies on the manufacturer's own testing.
Partial
“Effective for hot flashes vs placebo”
Standardized extracts show modest, inconsistent vasomotor benefit; independent trials such as HALT (Newton 2006) found no advantage over placebo.
What our test actually found
01The best cost-per-dose of any standardized option
At around $16.50 for 120 tablets of 80 mg standardized extract, the per-serving cost undercuts every other standardized pick. If black cohosh works for you, this is the cheapest way to stay on a properly standardized product long-term.
02You are trusting the brand's own QC
Unlike Natural Factors' Isura program, there is no public independent verification here. Source Naturals is an established manufacturer, but in a category with a real adulteration problem the absence of a third-party seal is a meaningful gap.
Pros & cons, no sugar-coating
Pros
- 80 mg standardized extract hits the clinical range in a single tablet
- Lowest cost per standardized dose in the lineup
- 120-tablet bottle is a long supply
- Single-herb formula, no confounding botanicals
Cons
- No public third-party (USP/NSF/independent) verification
- Efficacy is the category's modest, mixed story
- Tablet form disperses slower than a liquid phyto-cap
The value play for standardized black cohosh
Source Naturals is the pick if you want real standardization without paying premium prices. It delivers the studied dose and actives at the best cost per serving here; the compromise is trusting in-house QC instead of an independent seal. Reasonable for a low-stakes trial — just observe liver caution and set modest expectations.
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Sources & further reading
- Newton KM, Reed SD, LaCroix AZ, et al. Treatment of vasomotor symptoms of menopause with black cohosh, multibotanicals, soy, hormone therapy, or placebo. Ann Intern Med. 2006;145(12):869-879.Newton KM, Reed SD, LaCroix AZ, et al. · 2006 · Annals of Internal Medicine · PMID 17179056
Treatment of vasomotor symptoms of menopause with black cohosh, multibotanicals, soy, hormone therapy, or placebo
Black cohosh 160 mg/day showed no significant benefit over placebo for vasomotor symptoms across 12 months.
- Leach MJ, Moore V. Black cohosh (Cimicifuga spp.) for menopausal symptoms. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;(9):CD007244.Leach MJ, Moore V · 2012 · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · PMID 22972105
Black cohosh (Cimicifuga spp.) for menopausal symptoms
Insufficient evidence to conclude black cohosh outperforms placebo for menopausal symptoms.