Wild yam, hot flashes.

Botanical name: 
Dioscorea villosa
Glycine max
Problems: 
Menopause

Newsgroups: misc.health.alternative,alt.com,alt.folklore.herbs
From: hrbmoore.rt66.com (Michael Moore)
Date: 01 Dec 1995 17:56:06 GMT
Subject: Re: Herbal Sub for Estrogen???

> BTW, there are plant sources of estrogen (soybean) and progesterone (Brazilian Wild Yam) you can get by prescription if you're like me and can't (well won't) use PREgant MAres uRIN. I am not sure if is any safer than Premarin in terms of breast cancer risk though.

These plants are NOT sources of estrogen or progesterone, but sources of cheap RAW materials for the PHARMACEUTICAL manufacturing of these hormones. Humans make steroid hormones from blood low density cholesterol OR recycled native steroid hormones.

> You can get creams at health food stores with Wild Yam extract in it. They were FABULOUS for me. Worked better than Vit E or Soy for my hot flashes & insomnia & migraines. Some say the pill form you can get by prescription is better though, because it is easier to control the dose that is absorbed.

The creams with Wild Yam extract in them ALSO contain pharmaceutically-manufactured "Natural Progesterone" (the pharmaceutical name for "native" progesterone, although it is either synthesized from plant saponins or...derived from pregnant mare urine). This progesterone is the source of the benefits (and side-effects) of the "Wild Yam Cremes"...because the FDA does NOT consider topical progesterone to be bio-available (they are CLEARLY incorrect), they couldn't care less if it is used in cosmetics...or even if it is clearly labeled as: Natural Progesterone, U.S.P.. Therefore, if you are looking to see if the N.P. is, in fact, IN the creme, you MAY have some difficulty finding the ingredient on the label that is the hormone. If it's there, it works (by whatever name)...if it ONLY has Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa or D. quadrangularis) in it, it WONT work...Wild Yam is NOT a hormone or hormone precursor in humans....only in the test tubes, circa 1950.

> I also started paying closer attention to my diet. I rapidly realized that I would always get a hot flash ~45 minutes after ingesting refined sugar or caffeine.

Right On!

Michael Moore (hrbmoore.rt66.com)