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Activities (Wild Yam) — Analeptic (1; HHB); Analgesic (f; APA; FAD); Antiinflammatory (1;
APA; PNC; WAM); Antioxidant (f; SKY); Antirheumatic (1; APA; PED); Antispasmodic (1; APA;
PH2; SKY; WAM); Antiulcer (1; PH2); Bitter (f; PED); Cholagogue (f; PNC); Diaphoretic (f; APA;
FEL; PH2; PNC); Diuretic (f; HHB); Emetic (f; TOM); Estrogenic (f; PH2); Expectorant (f; APA;
FEL; HHB); Hepatoprotective (1; PH2); Hypocholesterolemic (1; PH2); Hypoglycemic (f; SKY);
Mastogenic (1; PH2); Myorelaxant (f; APA).
Indications (Wild Yam) — Angina (f; MAD); Appendicitis (f; MAD); Arthrosis (f; APA; PED);
Asthma (f; FEL); Atherosclerosis (f; MAD); Biliousness (f; FEL; TOM); Childbirth (f; DEM;
FAD); Cholecystosis (f; PHR); Cholera (1; MAD); Colic (1; APA; PH2; PNC; SKY; TOM;
WAM); Conjunctivosis (f; FEL); Cramp (f; APA; MAD; PH2; SKY; WAM); Dysentery (f; MAD);
Dysmenorrhea (f; APA; MAD; PH2; PNC); Enterosis (1; HHB; MAD; PH2); Fever (f; APA;
FEL; PH2; PNC); Frigidity (f; HHB); Gallstone (f; APA; MAD); Gas (1; MAD; WAM); Gastrosis
(f; FAD; FEL); Headache (1; WAM); Hemorrhoid (f; MAD); Hepatosis (1; FEL; PH2); Hiccup
(f; FAD; MAD); High Cholesterol (1; PH2; SKY); High Triglycerides (1; APA; SKY); Hyper-
glycemia (f; SKY); Hysteria (f; MAD); IBS (f; PED); Impotence (f; HHB; MAD); Inflammation
(1; APA; FNF; PNC; TOM: WAM); Ischiosis (f; MAD); Jaundice (f; FEL); Low HDL (1; APA);
Menopause (f; SKY); Morning Sickness (f; APA; FAD; FEL; TOM); Myosis (f; SKY); Nausea
(f; FEL; TOM); Nephrosis (f; MAD); Neuropathy (f; HHB; MAD); Neurasthenia (f; HHB; MAD);
Pain (f; APA; DEM; FAD; MAD); Parturition (f; APA); Rheumatism (1; APA; HHB; MAD;
PED; PNC; TOM); Spermatorrhea (f; MAD); Stomachache (f; MAD); Syphilis (f; MAD);
Tenesmus (f; MAD); Tension (1; WAM); Ulcer (1; PH2); VD (f; MAD); Vomiting (f; FEL;
TOM); Water Retention (f; HHB).
Dosages (Wild Yam) — 250–500 mg root/day (APA); 2–4 g powdered root (HHB); 40–400 mg
powdered root (MAD); 1–2 tsp fresh root (PED); 2–4 g dry root (PED); 3 g dry root:15 ml
alcohol/15 ml water (PED); 2–3 ml root tincture 3–4 ×/day (SKY); 0.5 tsp root tincture 2 ×/day
(APA); 20–60 drops root tincture (FEL); 2–4 ml liquid root extract/day (APA); 2 (505 mg)
capsules/day; 1 (505 mg) StX capsule/day (JAD); 2–4 fluid oz decoction.
Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Wild Yam) — Class 1. Large doses of
tincture are emetic (AHP). While the medicinal yams may be so rich in saponins as to be
distasteful, overconsumption is not to be recommended. Reichert (1996) reports GI distress in
volunteers taking high doses of wild yam, after saying that the investigators (Araghiniknam et
al, 1996) he was reviewing “noted no adverse effects.” Gruenwald warns that overdoses could
lead to picrotoxin-like poisonings due to dioscorin (PHR). Diosgenin may reduce antiinflamma-
tory effects of indomethacin (PH2). May be additively estrogenic with true estrogen (PH2). Use
may be inappropriate in hormonal disorders (WAM). Use during pregnancy not advised (WAM).
Limit children’s use to 1 week (WAM). Starter material for progesterone, testosterone, and other
steroids and corticosteroids. Steroids used for arthrosis, dysmenorrhea, menopause (PMS). Not
covered in Commission E (KOM).