SO DYK
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GUT HEALTH

Wild Yam

Dioscorea villosa

also known as colic root

Moderate (traditional) — important to clarify what wild yam does and does not do

A North American climbing vine whose root has a long traditional use for menstrual cramps, digestive complaints, and joint pain. Wild yam contains diosgenin, a plant compound that pharmaceutical chemists used in the 1940s as a starting point to synthesize progesterone, cortisone, and birth control hormones in the lab. But the body cannot do this same conversion — wild yam itself does not produce hormones in the body, despite extensive marketing claims to the contrary.

  • Traditional use for menstrual cramps and painful periods — the antispasmodic effect is the genuine traditional use
  • Long traditional use for digestive cramping and irritable bowel-type complaints
  • Mild anti-inflammatory action useful for joint and muscle discomfort
  • Diosgenin (the plant steroid) was the laboratory starting point for synthetic progesterone, cortisone, and the first birth control pills — a real piece of pharmaceutical history
  • Topical wild yam creams have been marketed for menopause and PMS, though the human body cannot convert diosgenin to progesterone — any effect from these creams comes from added synthetic progesterone, not the wild yam itself
Wild yam does not raise progesterone or estrogen in the body — claims that it 'naturally balances hormones' are inaccurate
Some products labeled wild yam cream actually contain added synthetic progesterone — read labels carefully
Skip with hormone-sensitive cancers and conditions — even though wild yam itself doesn't act as a hormone, products may contain added hormones
Use caution with hormonal medications including birth control
Skip during pregnancy — limited safety data
Skip during nursing
May lower blood sugar slightly
Use caution with blood thinners
Research

Memorial Sloan Kettering About Herbs · EMA Herbal Medicinal Product Monographs · American Botanical Council HerbMedPro · Memorial Sloan Kettering About Herbs · EMA Herbal Medicinal Product Monographs · American Botanical Council HerbMedPro

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The curious few.
50 founding spots left

Know what you're putting in your body.

158 herbs, nutrients, and compounds. What the science says, what tradition knew, and what to watch for. Founding members keep this running.

$60 /year

Founding rate — locked for life. Regular price after launch: $96/year.

  • ✓ Full access to all 158+ entries
  • ✓ Print-ready reference card for every herb
  • ✓ Monthly curated set — 5 herbs, one body system
  • ✓ The Sunday Letter — weekly research digest
  • ✓ Bookmarks synced across devices
  • ✓ Founding rate locked forever
Become a founding member

Cancel any time. No questions asked.