Wild yam is a North American tuberous vine that contains saponins, which can be chemically altered to produce progesterone. It has been used to treat menstrual pain, menopausal symptoms, and digestive inflammation. However, it should be avoided during pregnancy and by those with certain health conditions.
Wild yam (Dioscorea villosa) is a species of tuberous vine in the Dioscoreaceae family. It is native to the eastern half of North America. The plant is not creeping and fickle and can tolerate medium to poor soils. Wild Yam’s signature is its knotted and twisted root stem, vines, and large heart-shaped leaves. Other names for the plant include Chinese root, colic root, and rheumatism root.
Wild yam is most famous for its saponins, which can be chemically altered to produce progesterone, a steroid hormone involved in the female menstrual cycle. Wild yam is believed to contain similar properties to dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). These properties act as precursors of estrogen and progesterone, both female sex hormones. Based on this information, many products containing some form of the plant have been manufactured.
Wild yam extract has been used to treat pain associated with menstruation and many menopausal symptoms. Its active ingredient, diosgenin, is used to synthesize a number of steroids, including estrogen and progesterone. However, this conversion can only take place in the laboratory through chemical processes. The body cannot naturally convert diosgenin into progesterone.
In traditional herbal medicine, wild yam extract is used to treat inflammatory conditions such as inflammation of the digestive tract. It is also considered an antispasmodic and has a balancing effect on the entire digestive system. It is used to effectively treat colon spasms, stomach cramps and for pain relief.
Early settlers in North America once used the root to treat colic. It has also been used to treat a wide variety of muscle ailments and asthma. Related species of the common North American wild yam have been used to treat colds, boils, arthritis, hemorrhoids, rheumatism, and fever in Central America and the Amazon. However, modern science has yet to study the plant in enough detail to determine how effective it is for such ailments.
Wild yam is often prepared at home to be used for an upset stomach. A popular alternative medicine preparation method is to pulverize the herb and put it into capsules. Two capsules are taken daily until the stomach problems disappear. A tincture of wild yam can also be taken for this purpose.
Wild yams should be avoided during pregnancy or if you have a peptic ulcer. Weed can make these ulcers worse in some people. People suffering from thyroid disorders, diabetes, hypoglycemia, urinary tract infections, leukemia and hepatitis should also avoid consuming wild yams.
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