Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa)

Native to eastern North America, wild yam habitat spans from the southern Provence of Ontario, Canada to Florida and from the Great Plains to Rhode Island. Bitter to taste, wild yam is not consumed as food but is widely used for its beneficial properties. Dioscorea villosa is a twisting, climbing vine with heart-shaped, deeply veined leaves and long, tuberous rhizomes. A perennial and dioecious member of the Dioscoreaceae family, wild yam likes to grow in damp, sandy soils along the borders of woodlands and thickets.

Some of the potential medical uses of wild yam include:

Menopause symptoms

Some traditional medicine practitioners suggest using wild yam as an alternative to estrogen replacement therapy for treating symptoms of menopause. The theory is that wild yam may increase or stabilize estrogen levels in the body to help relieve a person’s symptoms.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Some traditional medicine practitioners believe that wild yam has anti-inflammatory properties and use it to treat rheumatoid arthritis. 

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic condition that causes inflammation of the joints. This can cause pain and stiffness that restricts mobility in people with the condition. It is possible that wild yam might reduce this inflammation and have a positive effect on symptoms.

Blood sugar regulation

Wild yam also contains a chemical called dioscoretine, which some people have noted that it helps with the regulation of blood sugar levels. Wild yam could be useful in regulating blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. 

Cramps and muscular pain

Other proponents of wild yam, has anti-spasmodic properties, which are substances that reduce muscle spasms. This anti-spasmodic property means that wild yam might be useful for reducing cramps and muscular pain related to premenstrual syndrome (PMS),

Safety and side effects

Wild yam is a natural substance, but this does not mean it is free from side effects. In small doses, wild yam is considered safe for most people. However, large amounts of wild yam can lead to side effects, including:

nausea

vomiting

headaches

digestive issues

People who have hormone-sensitive conditions, such as breast cancer or uterine fibroids, should not use wild yam. It is possible for wild yam to influence estrogen production and worsen the condition. Doctors recommend people avoid using wild yam during 

Pregnancy, breast-feeding, or for young children. 

Wild yam has been shown to interact with certain medications. For example, it can interact with estradiol, which is a substance used in certain birth control pills or hormone replacement therapies.

Wild yam has been employed in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years since the time of the writing of the Divine Husbandman's Classic of the Materia Medica. The roots and rhizomes of wild yam have also been utilized in North American indigenous healing practices for their wellness-supporting qualities. Later, European settlers took to the healthful properties of the root and incorporated it into American folk herbalism.

Typical preparations of wild yam root include decoction or maceration as a liquid extract. Oftentimes wild yam is incorporated into multi-herbal formulations.