Wild Yam

Wild yam plants are found across the midwestern and eastern United States, Latin America (especially Mexico), and Asia. Several different species exist, all of which possess similar constituents and properties. The root is the part of the plant used medicinally.

Wild yam has been used by herbalists as an expectorant in people with coughs. It was also traditionally used for gastrointestinal upset, nerve pain, and morning sickness. Eventually, it was discovered that the saponins in wild yam could be converted industrially into cortisone, estrogens, and progesterone-like compounds. Wild yam and other plants with similar constituents continue to be a source for a number of pharmaceutical drugs.

Some of the biological activity of wild yam is attributed to its steroidal saponins, including diosgenin. Another compound found in wild yam, dioscoretine, has been shown in animal studies to help lower blood sugar levels. In addition, a clinical trial found that wild yam extract exhibited antioxidant activity and increased levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol in older adults.