Medicinal Properties of Wild Yam Root

Birth Control

• The wild yam root has had a role in birth control since scientists in the 1950s found it contained diosgenin, a plant-derived estrogen that can be chemically converted into the hormone progesterone. The first birth control pills used progesterone from the diosgenin found in wild yam roots to prevent pregnancy.

Menopause and Osteoporosis

• Herbalists claim that as a natural source of estrogen, wild yam root is an effective treatment for symptoms of menopause and for osteoporosis. However, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, studies suggest that wild yam root does not reduce menopausal hot flashes or increase estrogen or progesterone levels since it is not naturally converted to these hormones by the body. However, a synthetic version of progesterone is added to commercial preparations of wild yam root.

High Cholesterol

• Researchers have theorized that wild ram root might help reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. The University of Maryland Medical Center found mixed results from several studies. Diosgenin blocked the absorption of cholesterol in animal studies, but cholesterol levels remained the same in human studies, though triglycerides in the blood decreased.