Wild yam comes from the Dioscorea villosa, a twining perennial vine that grows across Asia and North and South America. It is a popular women’s wellness herb, and Piping Rock's Wild Yam selection includes:
What is Wild Yam?
For hundreds of years, folk wellness practitioners across North America, South America and Asia have used wild yam to promote women’s reproductive health. Also known as Mexican yam, devil’s bones or colic root, the rhizomes, or roots, of this herb have long been used for many other traditional health applications. Notably, early American colonists used the root to aid in childbirth, ease morning sickness, alleviate cramping and hot flashes.**
Scientists turned their attention to wild yam in the mid-1900s and discovered that the root supplies pregnenolone and concentrated amounts of diosgenin, a phytoestrogen. Studies found that diosgenin offered a cost-effective way to synthesize the female hormone progesterone in laboratories, leading to the development of the first oral contraceptives in the 1960s.**
Since then, diosgenin’s potential influence on female hormones, along with its inflammation-modulating properties, has been used to assist with a range of women’s wellness concerns, including PMS symptoms, heavy menstruation and menstrual cramps. In menopausal and postmenopausal women, the herb is also believed to help balance estrogen levels, thereby easing hot flashes and promoting overall health and comfort. Further studies have suggested diosgenin might be a precursor for synthesizing DHEA, an essential hormone that may support cognitive abilities, promote a bright mood and optimize anti-aging efforts.**
Some additional research has suggested that diosgenin found in the root may block the body’s ability to absorb cholesterol and modulate triglycerides, thus promoting cardiovascular health.**
Wild Yam Products
Supplements are sourced from the roots of the Dioscorea villosa vine. The supplement is available in various forms, including capsules, tinctures, liquids, teas, and creams or gels for topical use.**
Wild Yam Directions for Use
Seek advice from a health care provider before adding wild yam to your supplement regimen. There is no standard recommended amount; doses vary by supplement form. Capsules typically supply 800 mg to 1000 mg per serving; creams are usually applied topically in half-teaspoon servings twice per day.**
