You might think that wild yam
is some kind of sweet-potato-flavored salsa dish at the local nouveau American eatery.
Luckily, it's not. A true yam (meaning it is unrelated to sweet potatoes), wild yam is
derived from the long, twisting roots or rhizome of a perennial vine native to North
America. In the early 1940s an American scientist in Mexico found that a related species
(D. mexicana, barbasco or Mexican yam) was an unexpected plant source for a saponin,
diosgenin, that could be used to make progesterone in the lab. Diosgenin was thus useful in the
manufacture of synthetic hormone products, such as birth control pills, progesterone creams, and other medicines. This application
soon made Mexican yam at least temporarily the source for some of the most widely used
drugs in the world. Other plants (notably soy) have since overtaken Mexican yam as the
source for hormone precursors. Wild yam is now a popular herb for alleviating menstrual
cramps, uterine pain, and gynecological conditions.
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- Modern uses
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- Many women today use wild yam to reduce the symptoms of PMS and
alleviate discomforts associated with menopause. It is often taken to relieve menstrual
or uterine cramps. Wild yam promotes the secretion of bile and may help to alleviate liver
ailments. The herb has anti-inflammatory properties that could make it useful against
rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions. Wild yam may also help to prevent or treat
dysmenorrhea and indigestion.
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| Recent findings |
| Scientists recently tested a wild yam
extract to see whether it increased blood levels of a compound of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA),
the steroid precursor hormone that has become a hot anti-aging substance. After three
weeks of dioscorea supplementation, researchers found no effect on levels of this
important bodily compound. The researchers did find, however, that dioscorea has
significant antioxidant activity and was associated with increased levels of the
"good" HDL cholesterol and reduced levels of certain blood fats. |
| Scientists in Texas studied fifty
patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia and/or chronic fatigue syndrome who had received some
form of medical treatment without experiencing enduring success. Subjects who consumed
nutritional supplements including a dioscorea complex experienced, according to the
researchers, "a remarkable reduction in initial symptom severity, with continued
improvement in the period between initial assessment and the follow-up." |
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Product Recommendations |
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- References
Araghiniknam, M., et al,
"Antioxidant activity of dioscorea and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in older
humans," Life Sci. 1996, 59(11):147-57
- Dykman, K.D., et al., "The effects of
nutritional supplements on the symptoms of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue
syndrome," Integr Physiol Behav Sci (1998), 33(1):61-71
Abstracts
Title: The effects of nutritional supplements on the
symptoms of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome
Author: Dykman KD; Tone C; Ford C; Dykman RA
Address: Mannatech Inc., Coppell Texas 75019, USA
Source: Integr Physiol Behav Sci, 33(1):61-71 1998 Jan-Mar
Abstract: This article reports the results of a within-subject design. Fifty subjects with
a physician diagnosis of fibromyalgia (FM) and/or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) were
interviewed using a structured interview from. Each subject was interviewed initially, and
again nine months later (follow-up). Subjects had, on their own, consumed nutritional
supplements including freeze-dried aloe vera gel extract; a combination of freeze-dried
aloe vera gel extract and additional plant-derived saccharides; freeze-dried fruits and
vegetables in combination with the saccharides; and a formulation of dioscorea complex
containing the saccharides and a vitamin/mineral complex. With medical treatments,
approximately 25 percent of FM patients improve, but the beneficial effects of medical
treatment rarely persist more than a few months. All subjects in this study had received
some form of medical treatment prior to taking the nutritional supplements, but none with
enduring success. Nutritional supplements resulted in a remarkable reduction in initial
symptom severity, with continued improvement in the period between initial assessment and
the follow-up. Further research is needed to verify these results, specifically crossover
designs in well-defined populations.
Language: Eng
Unique Identifier: 98256712
MESH Headings: Adult; Dietary Supplements *; Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic *DT; Female;
Fibromyalgia *DT; Follow-Up Studies; Human; Male; Pain Measurement
Publication Type: CLINICAL TRIAL; JOURNAL ARTICLE
ISSN: 1053-881X
Country of Publication: UNITED STATES
Title:Antioxidant activity of dioscorea and dehydroepiandrosterone
(DHEA) in older humans
Author: Araghiniknam M; Chung S; Nelson-White T; Eskelson C; Watson RR
Address: Arizona Prevention Center, University of Arizona, School of Medicine, Tucson
85724, USA
Source: Life Sci, 59(11):PL147-57 1996
Abstract: Dioscorea is a yam steroid extract used in commercial steroid synthesis and
consumed by people. DHEA is a steroid which declines with age, but without known activity.
This study was designed to determine whether dioscorea supplementation could increase
serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) in humans and modulate lipid levels in older
people. The subjects were selected volunteers aged 65-82 years. The serum DHEAS level,
lipid peroxidation and lipid profile were assessed. Three weeks of dioscorea
supplementation had no affect on serum DHEAS level. However DHEA intake of 85 mg/day
increased serum DHEA levels 100.3%. DHEA and dioscorea significantly reduced serum lipid
peroxidation, lowered serum triglycerides, phospholipid and increased HDL levels. Both
DHEA and the steroid yam extract, dioscorea, have significant activities as antioxidant to
modify serum lipid levels.
Language: Eng
Unique Identifier: 96388308
MESH Headings: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antioxidants; Female; Human; Lipid Peroxidation
DE; Lipids *BL; Lipoproteins, HDL BL; Lipoproteins, LDL BL; Male; Phospholipids BL;
Prasterone AD/BL/*PD; Steroids AD/*PD; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Triglycerides BL
Publication Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE
ISSN: 0024-3205
Country of Publication: ENGLAND
CAS Registry Number: 0 (Antioxidants); 0 (Lipids); 0 (Lipoproteins, HDL); 0 (Lipoproteins,
LDL); 0 (Phospholipids); 0 (Steroids); 0 (Triglycerides); 53-43-0 (Prasterone)
