Wild Yam
Benefits of Wild Yam
- Menopause
- Form: Extract
- Where its from: North America, Asia
What is Wild Yam?
Wild Yam is a plant native to North America and Asia, the root of which has been used in traditional herbal practice for centuries. It has a place in Ayurveda (a form of traditional medicine practised in India and Nepal), and Native American peoples have traditionally used the root, including in relation to women's health. Wild Yam root contains a plant compound called 'diosgenin', which has attracted a good deal of research interest.
What does the research say about Wild Yam?
Wild Yam is one of the botanicals covered in reviews of herbal preparations used around the menopause. Wild yams have also been studied for their antioxidant activity. And a study in healthy post-menopausal women looked at the effects of eating yam on hormone levels.
Looking after your bones matters at every stage of life, and especially around the menopause, when oestrogen levels fall.
You may enjoy reading 'Mental health effects of menopause', '12 most common signs of menopause', '8 Unusual Signs of the Menopause' and 'Why is bone health so important in menopause?'. You may be interested in 'Menopause resources for home and work'.