Research
Wild yam for Menopause: Evidence, Interactions and Cautions
Wild yam is an ingredient used in menopause supplements marketed to women. Below is what it has actually been studied for, how strong that evidence is, the drug interactions and cautions on record, and the primary source our grade rests on — all drawn from the HerWellReport ingredient dataset.
Also sold as: Dioscorea villosa; colic root; rheumatism root; diosgenin
What the evidence says about Wild yam
Wild yam is sold on the claim that its plant steroid diosgenin turns into progesterone in the body; Memorial Sloan Kettering states plainly that there is no evidence the human body can make that conversion, which happens only in a laboratory. One clinical trial of a yam cream for hot flushes reported no significant benefit, and human data overall come from a few small studies with mixed results. The Menopause Society's 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement names wild yam on its not-recommended list (Level II) and warns that tested yam creams often contain no yam extract at all and have been adulterated with undisclosed steroids.
The grade "very limited for hot flushes; none for stress incontinence" means: very limited — Mostly animal, laboratory or anecdotal evidence, with at most a single weak human study. none — No human trial evidence we could find for this use. Grades are explained in full on our methodology page.
Read the primary source this grade rests on (opens in a new tab).
Wild yam drug interactions
No documented drug interactions in the sources we checked. That is not the same as proof of safety alongside your medication — it usually means the question has not been studied. Ask a pharmacist before combining it with prescription drugs.
Who should be careful with Wild yam
- Yam creams have been found adulterated with undisclosed steroid hormones, so the product may not contain what the label claims
- discuss with your doctor if you have a hormone-sensitive cancer
- Dioscorea villosa has caused chronic kidney injury in animal models
Read more on HerWellReport
- Best Menopause Supplements: What Is Actually In Them
- Happy Mammoth Hormone Harmony Review: The Claims a Regulator Told Them to Drop
- Does Ashwagandha Help Menopause Symptoms?
- Hot Flushes: What Actually Works, Ranked by Evidence
- Does Cranberry Actually Help Urinary Health?
This entry is generated from row "Wild yam" of the HerWellReport ingredient dataset (v2.1, updated 2026-09-23). The dataset is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 — how to cite it. Ingredient evidence is not evidence for any finished product, and nothing here is medical advice.