Yams are a beloved staple food in many tropical countries. Here in the West, standardized extracts of wild yams are also a secret remedy for women's health. Read on to learn more about this traditional tuber's benefits.
What are wild yams?
The wild yam (Dioscorea villosa) is a species of twining, tuberous vine with heart-shaped leaves, which can grow up to seven meters high. This leafy crop also forms thick rhizomes underground, which store the plant's valuable nutrients.
Sources
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K. Lok Wong et al. 2015. A Novel, Stable, Estradiol-Stimulating, Osteogenic Yam Protein with Potential for the Treatment of Menopausal Syndrome, Sci Rep, Bd. 5, Juli 2015.
Wu, W. H. et al. 2005. Estrogenic effect of yam ingestion in healthy postmenopausal women. J Am Coll Nutr. 24(4):235-243.
Komesaroff, P. A. et al. 2001. Effects of wild yam extraction on menopausal symptoms, lipids and sex hormones in healthy menopausal women. Climacteric. 4(2):144-50.
Yen, M. L. et al. 2005. Diosgenin induces hypoxia-inducible factor-1 activation and angiogenesis through estrogen receptor-related phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways in osteoblasts. Mol Pharmacol. 68(4):1061-73.
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