Summary
Dioscorea villosa is one of the species of yam referred to as ‘wild yam’.
Dioscorea villosa has been claimed to alleviate symptoms of menopause, but there is currently no evidence to support this effect.
Animal evidence suggests Dioscorea villosa can increase skin thickness after low-dose supplementation. This effect suggests Dioscorea villosa is a potentially useful supplement for skin care, but more research is needed before it can be specifically recommended as a cosmetic supplement.
Dioscorea villosa is claimed to alleviate symptoms of menopause because the molecular structures of the yam are similar to many steroid-like compounds. Dioscorea villosa may have effects similar to Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA).
Unfortunately, Dioscorea villosa extracts are associated with kidney and liver fibrosis, a condition characterized by excessive scar tissue. Though this effect is weak, it appears to be both time and dose-dependent. For this reason, chronic supplementation of Dioscorea villosa is not recommended.
What are other names for Wild Yam
- Wild Yam
- Dioscorea Villosa
- Common Yam (Dioscorea Rotundata)
- Purple Yam (Dioscorea Alata)
Dosage information
Animal studies suggest Dioscorea villosa supplementation provides benefits when 9.8 – 37.7mg/ kg of bodyweight is given to mice. This translates to an approximate human dosage range of 0.8 – 3mg/kg of bodyweight.
Rat studies show that doses of 790mg/kg of bodyweight (126mg/kg of bodyweight in humans) are associated with fibrosis. Lower doses have not been confirmed to be safe.
Since more research is needed to determine whether Dioscorea villosa is safe for supplementation, it cannot currently be recommended.
Research FeedRead all studies
Eating yam paste with a low or medium glycemic index 30 minutes before a rice meal resulted in lower postmeal peak glucose and mean glucose at 0–60 min after the meal. However, co-ingestion of the yam paste with rice generated a response similar to that of eating white rice alone.