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Wild Yam Root
Benefits of Wild Yam Root
Wild Yam Root is used to treat:
- High cholesterol
- Menopause
- Menstrual cramps
- Vaginal dryness
In traditional medicine, it has also been used to treat:
- Coughs
- Gastrointestinal upset
- Nerve pain
- Morning sickness
How does wild yam root work?
Pharmacologists can use wild yam root to create drugs helpful for treating
menopause and other hormone-related conditions. The saponins, or soap-like chemicals,
from wild yam can be converted into compounds similar to the hormones cortisone,
estrogen, and progesterone. Cortisone is an anti-inflammatory hormone; estrogen
produces female secondary sex characteristics; progesterone prepares the uterus
for pregnancy. These compounds are extracted from wild yam and related plants
for medicinal use. In the early days of oral contraception, wild yam extracts
constituted the active ingredients of the birth control pill. Note that these
hormonal extracts must undergo a chemical conversion in a laboratory—the body
will not automatically take hormone-like compounds from wild yam root and convert
it for its own use. Thus, a woman should not depend on wild yam root extract
as an estrogen or progesterone supplement. Rather, she should ask her doctor
or pharmacist for a medicinal drug made from wild yam extract.
Wild yam root also contains a compound called dioscorentine, which lowers blood
sugar levels. One clinical trial involving elderly adults found wild yam root
to raise levels of HDL, the “good” kind of cholesterol. This same study found
that wild yam root can work as an antioxidant. Antioxidants destroy free radicals,
harmful compounds that break up stable molecules in the body and eventually
lead to cell damage and disease.
How much wild yam root should I take?
Wild yam root is available in tincture or in dry, powdered root forms. Take
up to 2–3 ml of wild yam tincture three to four times daily. Alternatively,
take 1 gram of dried, powdered root three times daily.
Are there any side effects?
Some people may experience nausea or vomiting when taking larger-than-recommended
amounts of wild yam.
Who should use caution with wild yam?
Wild yam should not be used by pregnant or lactating women, as its effects
on newborns or fetuses has not been studied.
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