Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 1

Dioscorea, commonly known as wild yam, has a longstanding history of use in traditional herbal medicine, particularly in the Americas and Asia. It has been promoted by herbalists as a natural support for the estrogen system, especially in the context of women’s health issues such as menopause and menstrual discomfort. The rationale for its use is primarily based on its content of diosgenin, a plant steroid that is chemically similar to precursors of human hormones like estrogen and progesterone.

However, the belief that dioscorea or diosgenin can support estrogen levels in the human body is not strongly supported by scientific evidence. While diosgenin can be converted into steroidal hormones in the laboratory, the human body does not have the necessary enzymes to accomplish this conversion internally. Therefore, consuming wild yam or diosgenin does not directly increase estrogen or progesterone production in humans. Clinical trials investigating the effectiveness of wild yam extracts for menopause symptoms or hormone balance are limited and have not demonstrated significant benefits over placebo. Thus, its use for supporting the estrogen body system is based on traditional practice rather than rigorous scientific validation.

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