Yams as an alternative to hormone preparations?
Menopause is characterized by strong hormonal changes and can bring with it various physical and psychological symptoms, some of which significantly affect the quality of life.
In recent years, yam has received increased attention as a potential natural remedy for menopausal symptoms. Study results suggest that extracts from the plant may regulate human hormone levels.
Many women desire a natural alternative to the use of hormone preparations, as synthetic hormones can cause severe side effects, ranging from breast cancer to thrombosis and other cardiovascular problems. Yam root could be such an alternative. However, there are currently few studies investigating its use in humans.
What is yam?
Yam ( Dioscorea ) is a genus of plants within the yam family, comprising approximately 800 species. It is cultivated primarily in Africa and South America. By far the largest cultivation area is Nigeria. However, some species also occur in Europe and Asia (1).
Yam species often grow as climbing plants several meters tall and form underground, tuberous storage organs rich in starch, fiber, and protein, as well as various micronutrients (e.g., potassium, magnesium), and secondary plant compounds. These storage organs are called rhizomes or yam roots. The rhizomes are dug up and used as food or medicine (1).
Most species are poisonous when raw and can therefore only be consumed after cooking or other heating. Yams have a floury consistency and a flavor reminiscent of potatoes and sweet potatoes, but are not related to these plants (1).
Traditional use
Yams have been used in traditional medicine in South America and China for centuries. Yams are particularly well-known for their use in various women's ailments, such as menstrual cramps, pain during childbirth, or to relieve menopausal symptoms. Furthermore, the plant's constituents are said to have rejuvenating effects, strengthen bones, reduce inflammation, promote circulation, and more. The traditional uses are therefore diverse.
What is the effect of yams based on?
The various yam species contain a variety of secondary plant substances. Secondary plant substances are important for plant growth and development, act as signaling substances, and serve as defense against predators and pathogens (1).
Substances from the classes of flavonoids, phenols, saponins, tannins, and alkaloids were detected. All of these classes encompass a variety of different substances, and different combinations of these secondary plant substances were detected in different yam species (1).
Secondary plant substances have diverse effects on human health. For example, some of these substances have antioxidant, antimicrobial, or anti-cancer effects, or they influence the immune system, the hormonal system, digestion, or other processes in our body.
Diosgenin to support the hormonal system
With regard to the hormonal system and its potential influence on menopausal symptoms, diosgenin, a substance belonging to the saponin class, is of particular scientific interest. Diosgenin is found in high concentrations, especially in Mexican and Chinese yams (1).
Diosgenin's chemical structure is similar to human steroid hormones. These include sex hormones such as progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone, as well as adrenal cortex hormones such as cortisone.
How diosgenin is metabolized in the human body and whether hormonally active components can be produced from it is still unclear. Furthermore, it is not clear whether other components of the plant besides diosgenin are responsible for the possible effects on the hormonal system.
Yams for menopausal symptoms
Menopause is characterized by declining estrogen and progesterone levels and hormonal fluctuations. Yam root is said to have a balancing effect on the hormonal system, especially at the onset of menopause. Numerous patient reports can be found online, but the number of human studies is small.
Below we present some studies that examined the effects during menopause:
In a study from Taiwan, 50 women with menopausal symptoms received either an extract of the water yam ( Dioscorea alata ) or a placebo. The study lasted 12 months. After just six months, the women taking the extract showed improvements in psychological symptoms, sleep quality, and various pain symptoms. Furthermore, their blood hormone profile improved. The women in the study took 24 mg of the extract per day (2).
Another Taiwanese study showed that even the consumption of the entire yam root as a food can have a positive effect, for example, positively influencing the blood hormone profile and cholesterol levels in menopausal women. The women in the study ate 390 g of yam root daily, spread over several meals (3).
In the studies mentioned, a balancing of declining estrogen levels was observed. Other patient studies from Asia also show an estrogenic effect of yam root (1) (4).
In cell and animal studies, diosgenin has also been successfully used to protect against accelerated skin aging during menopause (5).
Other possible effects
In addition to an influence on the symptoms of menopause, studies also show a possible effectiveness of yam root against, among other things, osteoporosis (6), neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's (7), cancer (1), as well as obesity and diabetes (1).
It is important to note that research into the use of yam extracts in humans is still in its early stages and data on the optimal effective dose and safety profile are not yet available.
Intake and dosage of yams
Yam root is available in various forms. The most common are capsules, creams, and tinctures. These preparations typically contain concentrated amounts of diosgenin and are mostly marketed for the treatment of menopausal symptoms.
The dosage and intake of yam root should be based on the recommendations of a qualified healthcare professional. This is especially important if you are already taking synthetic hormone preparations. It should not be taken during pregnancy. Typical dosages for capsules vary between 300 and 600 mg of the extract per day.
Does yam root have side effects?
Side effects from using yam supplements are rare. Unwanted effects may include digestive problems when taking capsules or skin reactions after applying yam creams.
Yams from Allvital
Our Yams preparation contains the extract and powder of the Mexican yam root, which has a very high diosgenin content of 20%. It also contains Indian gooseberry, a natural source of vitamin C and other micronutrients and phytochemicals, thus supporting the effectiveness of the yam root.
Sources
- Obidiegwu JE, Lyons JB, Chilaka CA. The Dioscorea Genus (Yam)-An Appraisal of Nutritional and Therapeutic Potentials. Foods . 2020;9(9):1304. Published 2020 Sep 16.
- Hsu CC, Kuo HC, Chang SY, Wu TC, Huang KE. The assessment of efficacy of Diascorea alata for menopausal symptom treatment in Taiwanese women. Climacteric . 2011;14(1):132-139.
- Wu WH, Liu LY, Chung CJ, Jou HJ, Wang TA. Estrogenic effect of yam ingestion in healthy postmenopausal women. J Am Coll Nutr . 2005;24(4):235-243.
- Lu J, Wong RN, Zhang L, et al. Comparative Analysis of Proteins with Stimulating Activity on Ovarian Estradiol Biosynthesis from Four Different Dioscorea Species in vitro Using Both Phenotypic and Target-based Approaches: Implication for Treating Menopause. Appl Biochem Biotechnol . 2016;180(1):79-93.
- Tada Y, Kanda N, Haratake A, Tobiishi M, Uchiwa H, Watanabe S. Novel effects of diosgenin on skin aging. Steroids . 2009;74(6):504-511.
- Alcantara EH, Shin MY, Sohn HY, et al. Diosgenin stimulates osteogenic activity by increasing bone matrix protein synthesis and bone-specific transcription factor Runx2 in osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. J Nutr Biochem . 2011;22(11):1055-1063.
- Cai B, Zhang Y, Wang Z, et al. Therapeutic Potential of Diosgenin and Its Major Derivatives against Neurological Diseases: Recent Advances. Oxide Med Cell Longev . 2020;2020:3153082. Published 2020 Mar 6.
