Dosage
Intervention: 1 to 1,5 ml, 3 times per day, maximum 2 weeks.
Treatment: 2 ml, 3 times per day.

Directions for use
Shake before using. Take in a mouthful of water, 15 to 30 minutes
before meals. For long-term treatment, use 6 days out of 7.

Mode of Action

Steroidal Saponins (diosgenin and its glycoside dioscin) appear to be constituents primarily responsible for therapeutic effects. Dioscin, the glycoside form of diosgenin and has been shown to possess antioxidant and anti-cancer properties.

Diosgenin is absorbed, distributed into liver, adrenals and walls of gastrointestinal tract, metabolized in the liver, and eliminated via the bile. It has structural similarities with cholesterol and other endogenous steroids, and has been used as a precursor for synthetic steroids in the pharmaceutical industry including estrogens and DHEA. Note that the steroidal saponin disocin yields diosgenin which is used for the commercial manufacturing of progesterone, hydrocortisone, and other hormones. This process requires microbiological fermentation, organic solvent extraction, and acid hydrolysis. It is not clear that the body can convert disogenin to progesterone or other hormones.

Several preclinical studies have implicated the potential use of diosgenin in several ailments like cancer, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, gastrointestinal disorders, and inflammatory conditions.

A clinical study demonstrated that Dioscorea extract was effective in relieving human menopausal syndromes by increasing serum estrogen levels without reported side effects.

Isolated storage proteins (dioscorin) from Dioscorea spp. have been found to increase estrogen biosynthesis and upregulate the translational levels of aromatase in animal studies. A study in rats was found to stimulate estradiol biosynthesis in ovarian cells, induce estradiol and progesterone secretion by upregulating expressions of follicle-stimulating hormone receptor and ovarian aromatase, counteract the progression of osteoporosis and augment bone mineral density, and improve cognitive functioning by upregulating protein expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the prefrontal cortex. Dioscorin may also have potential for the control of hypertension.

Diosgenin and dioscin have been reported to show ant-ifungal, anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic, and mild expectorant properties.

Helpful Associations

Sage herbal tea, Lady's mantel extract (available at Blissdorf), Magnesium Spray (available at Blissdorf)

Red Poppy extract (availbale at Blissorf), Raw Cacao (available at Blissdorf)

Ethnobotany

Wild Yam contains Steroidal saponins (diosgenin & dioscin), Proteins (dioscorin) & Starch, Alkaloids (dioscorine & dihydrodioscorine), Tannins, Phytosterols

History

In the 18th and 19th centuries, herbalists used wild yam (Dioscorea villosa) to treat menstrual cramps and problems related to childbirth, as well as for upset stomach and coughs. In the 1950s, scientists discovered that the roots of wild yam -- not to be confused with the sweet potato yam -- contain diosgenin. Diosgenin is a phytoestrogen, or plant-based estrogen, that can be chemically converted into a hormone called progesterone. Diosgenin was used to make the first birth control pills in the 1960s. Early Americans used wild yam to treat colic, a reason for another name for the plant, colic root. Traditionally, it has been used to treat inflammation, muscle spasms, and a range of disorders, including asthma. However, there is no scientific evidence that it works. Several studies show wild yam has powerful antifungal properties and may help fight yeast and other fungal infections.

Also known as colic root, wild yam is a twining, tuberous vine. One species is native to North America; another is native to China. Both contain diosgenin and have similar medicinal properties. There are an estimated 600 species of yam in the genus Dioscorea. Many of them are wild species that flourish in damp woodlands and thickets, and not all of them contain diosgenin. Wild yam is a perennial vine with pale brown, knotty, woody cylindrical rootstocks, or tubers. Unlike sweet potato yams, the roots are not fleshy. Instead they are dry, narrow, and crooked, and bear horizontal branches of long creeping runners. The thin, reddish-brown stems grow to a length of over 30 feet. The roots initially taste starchy, but soon after taste bitter and acrid.

The wild yam plant has clusters of small, greenish-white and greenish-yellow flowers. The heart-shaped leaves are long and broad and long-stemmed. The upper surface of the leaves is smooth while the underside is downy.

Contra-Indications
Use caution in hormone-sensitive conditions (eg. Breast cancer), diabetes, tendency to clot, and overt LIV/KID disease.

Use caution in pregnancy and lactation.

Interactions

Anticoagulants due to antiplatelet activity (theoretical), Anti-diabetic agents (may decrease blood sugar).