| Latin Name: | Dioscorea villosa |
| Common Name: | Wild Yam Root, Colic Root, North American Wild Yam |
| Family: | Dioscoreaceae |
| Plant Part(s): | Root |
| Origin: | USA |
Dioscorea villosa is a twisting vine with heart-shaped leaves. Native to eastern North America, the roots and rhizomes of wild yam have been utilized in indigenous healing and folk herbalism for their wellness-supporting qualities. Our wildharvested wild yam root can be decocted, macerated as an extract, and incorporated into herbal formulations.
There is a great deal of misinformation among consumers, practitioners, and natural product vendors alike about the connection between wild yam (Dioscorea villosa) and progesterone. The female hormone progesterone was first synthesized in a laboratory in 1934, but the materials needed for the process were so expensive that the hormone, that could only be made in very small batches, was priced at $1000 per gram, or about $10,000 per gram in current dollars. Researcher Russell Marker developed a way to derive progesterone from diosgenin, a compound found in the Mexican plant cabeza de negra, Dioscorea macrostachya. This made progesterone extremely cheap and led the way to the development of oral contraceptives. While diosgenin can be converted into progesterone in the laboratory, it cannot be converted into progesterone in the human body. Wild yam contains no progesterone, natural or otherwise.
Wild yam also goes by China root, colic root, North American wild yam, and rheumatism root. Traditional Chinese Medicine has used wild yam for at least 2,000 years, since the time of the writing of the Divine Husbandman's Classic of the Materia Medica.
- Precautions
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No known precautions. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.
This product has not been evaluated by the CFIA or Health Canada. This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. We recommend consulting with a certified health practitioner before beginning use.
