The benefits of wild yam supplements are touted in relation to many health conditions. The proven health benefits a person can count on deriving from this vegetable, however, come from its nutritional value when it is eaten whole. Scientific evidence is lacking for treating health conditions with wild yam supplements, according to Aetna's InteliHealth.
Vitamins and Fiber
Wild yams are a good source of potassium, which is a mineral that helps to control blood pressure, vitamin C, which is an important antioxidant, and of vitamin B6, also important for heart health, according to the nonprofit George Mateljan Foundation for the World's Healthiest Foods. Vitamin B6 also is taken as a supplement to ease premenstrual syndrome by many women, but eating yams is unlikely to give enough B6 to reach the recommended dose for this use, which is 50 to 100 mg a day. That's much higher than the recommended Daily Value of 2 mg for B6. One cup of baked yams has 15.5 percent of the DV. Yams are also a good fiber source, which helps with satiety, digestive health and in slowing the rate that sugars get released into the blood stream.
Cholesterol Lowering Benefits
Some tout wild yam supplements for cholesterol-lowering benefits. Wild yam has shown such effects in animal research, and a few low-quality trials have been done with people, reports InteliHealth. Thus, more research is needed before a recommendation for or against this use can be made. Any cholesterol-lowering effects that wild yam has may be enhanced if it's used with other supplements or herbs with cholesterol-lowering properties, like garlic.
DHEA
Wild yam extract is used to synthesize the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA. DHEA can be used to treat depression, adrenal insufficiency and systemic lupus erythematosus and to induce labor, according to the Mayo Clinic. However, research indicates that wild yam cannot be converted into DHEA in the body, so it might be inaccurate to market wild yam as a "natural DHEA." Also, there have been reports of supplement manufacturers adding progesterone to their wild yam products, according to InteliHealth.
Menopause Symptoms
Wild yam is sometimes marketed for its ability to ease menopause symptoms as a supplement or in a "natural progesterone cream." InteliHealth reports that some studies do suggest wild yam may helps with hot flashes, menstrual cramps and headaches that come along with menopause. The studies, however, were small and flawed in design, so the true benefit remains unclear, according to InteliHealth.
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