Wild yam
Wild yam

Background

Wild yam is a plant that has been promoted as natural DHEA because it contains diosgenin, which can be used in the lab to create estrogen and DHEA.

There are over 600 species of wild yams. About 12 species are edible. Some people use wild yam as a source of steroids, but the body can't make steroids such as estrogen and DHEA from eating wild yam. This conversion has to be done in a lab. There might be other chemicals in wild yam that act like estrogen in the body.

People most commonly use wild yam as a "natural alterative" to estrogen therapy for symptoms of menopause, infertility, menstrual problems, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support any of these uses.
When taken by mouth: Wild yam is possibly safe when used for up to 12 weeks. It's usually well tolerated, but taking large amounts might cause vomiting, upset stomach, and headache.

When applied to the skin: Wild yam is possibly safe when applied to the skin.

Special Precautions & Warnings:

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if wild yam is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Hormone-sensitive condition such as breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids: Wild yam might act like estrogen. If you have any condition that might be made worse by estrogen, don't use wild yam.

Effectiveness

NatMed Pro rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate.
Likely effective Effectiveness definitions
Possibly effective Effectiveness definitions
Likely ineffective Effectiveness definitions
Possibly ineffective Effectiveness definitions
  • Symptoms of menopause. Applying wild yam cream to the skin doesn't seem to help symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats. It also doesn't seem to affect levels of hormones that play a role in menopause.
There is interest in using wild yam for a number of other purposes, but there isn't enough reliable information to say whether it might be helpful.
Insufficient evidence Effectiveness definitions

Dosing & administration

There isn't enough reliable information to know what an appropriate dose of wild yam might be. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult a healthcare professional before using.

Interactions with pharmaceuticals

Estrogens

Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.

Wild yam might have some of the same effects as estrogen. Taking wild yam along with estrogen pills might decrease the effects of estrogen pills.

Interactions with herbs & supplements

There are no known interactions with herbs and supplements.

Interactions with foods

There are no known interactions with foods.
O-Lift
Practitioner product
Yin Tonic Formula
Practitioner product
Empty Heat Formula
Practitioner product
Rehmannia Eight Vitality Formula
Practitioner product
Glycemic Support Formula
Practitioner product
Sexual Function Formula
Practitioner product
Lung Function 2 Formula
Practitioner product
Organo BowelDigest
0.0 ()
5.0 (1)
Per serve:
Practitioner product
vital.ly has licensed monographs from TRC Healthcare.
This monograph was last reviewed on 17/06/2024 10:00:00 and last updated on 16/07/2020 19:27:13. Monographs are reviewed and/or updated multiple times per month and at least once per year.
Natural Medicines disclaims any responsibility related to medical consequences of using any medical product. Effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this monograph is accurate at the time it was published. Consumers and medical professionals who consult this monograph are cautioned that any medical or product related decision is the sole responsibility of the consumer and/or the health care professional. A legal License Agreement sets limitations on downloading, storing, or printing content from this Database. No reproduction of this monograph or any content from this Database is permitted without written permission from the publisher. It is unlawful to download, store, or distribute content from this site.