Dioscorea villosa
(Wild yam)

Therapeutic Actions:

• Anodyne
• Anti-inflammatory
• Antispasmodic
• Autonomic nerve relaxant useful in painful gastrointestinal conditions due to irritation and spasm, neuralgic conditions and restlessness
• Carminative
• Cholagogue
• Estrogenic
• Mild diaphoretic

Clinical Indications:

• Amenorrhea
• Cholecystitis
• Cholelithiasis
• Cystitis
• Dysmenorrhea
• Endometriosis
• Fertility/Infertility
• Fibrocystic breast disease
• PMS
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
• Flatulence
• Hormonal imbalance
• Low progesterone/high estrogen related problems
• Menorrhagia
• Nausea of pregnancy
• Neuralgia due to poor circulation
• Paroxysmal pain due to contraction of non-striated musculature of tubular organs caused by irritation and gradually relieved by pressure
• Spontaneous abortions
• Threatened miscarriage
• Uterine cramps
• UTI

Contraindications:

• None

Drug/Nutrient Interaction:

• Limited data

Chemical Constituents:

• Alkaloids:
  
  Dioscorine
• Phytosterols
• Tannins
• Starch
• Steroidal saponins:
  
  Botogenin
  Dioscin and Trillin which yield Diosgenin, a constituent possessing potential hormonal effects

Toxicity:

• May cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea in very large doses

Copyright 1998 - 2008 by L. Vicky Crouse, ND and James S. Reiley, ND. All rights reserved (ISSN 1527-0661).