✓ No active regulatory warningsFDA MedWatch, EMA EudraVigilance, WHO VigiBase, WADA Prohibited List · 2026-05-29
📰Read the full Wild Yam evidence review on GMJ News →Complete clinical article, references and updates on news.gmj.ge. This page is the structured safety summary.⚠ Patient using wild yam cream believing it's 'natural progesterone' — biochemically impossible [1]
⚠ Wild yam cream producing real hormonal effects — may contain undeclared synthetic progesterone (adulteration) [1]
⚠ Patient refusing prescription progesterone in favor of wild yam — missing effective treatment [1]
⚠ Healthcare provider recommending wild yam for menopausal symptoms — no evidence; 1 negative RCT [1]
ℹ️ Not obtained from food. A botanical, not a dietary nutrient; there is no daily food target.
🔬 Lab interpreter
ℹ️ No validated blood test. There is no established laboratory test to assess status or guide dosing for this ingredient. Clinical response and symptoms are the practical guide.
⚕ For professionals — confirm ranges against your local laboratory.
Clinical verdict
Wild yam is the most important myth-busting entry in the supplement database. The body CANNOT convert diosgenin to progesterone — this requires industrial chemical synthesis (Marker degradation). The only RCT found NO hormonal effects. Some wild yam creams contain UNDECLARED synthetic progesterone (FDA-documented fraud). Patients using wild yam for 'natural hormone balance' are either experiencing placebo effect or unknowingly using adulterated products [1].
1 How much do I need?
👤 Adults: Specific dosage data under clinical review
👴 Elderly: Specific dosage data under clinical review
🤰 Pregnancy: See guidance
Avoid. No safety data. Potential adulteration with undeclared hormones [1].
👦 Pediatric: See guidance
Not indicated [1].
🏃 Athletes: Standard dose
⚖️ Obesity: Standard dose
Fat-soluble compounds may require dose adjustment in obesity.
🩺 Renal: Consult specialist
Dose adjustment may be needed in renal impairment.
🌱 Vegan: Standard dose
How to take
🍽 Timing: N/A — not recommended [1].
💊 With food: N/A [1].
🚫 Avoid: Using as 'natural progesterone.' Replacing evidence-based hormone therapy. Products that may contain undeclared hormones [1].
2 Which form?
| Form | Bioavailability | Vegan | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| ['Wild yam cream (topical)', 'most marketed', 'Applied to skin. Marketed for menopausal symptoms. Some products secretly ADD synthetic progesterone (not declared) [1].'] | Standard | Check label | |
| ['Wild yam capsules (oral)', 'common', "500–1,000 mg/day. For 'hormonal balance.' No clinical evidence [1]."] | Standard | Check label | |
| ['Diosgenin extract', 'concentrated', 'Isolated sapogenin. Still cannot be converted to progesterone by the body [1].'] | Standard | Check label |
3 Common questions
Can my body convert wild yam to progesterone? ▼
NO. The conversion of diosgenin to progesterone requires the Marker degradation — a multi-step industrial chemical process involving acids, oxidation, and catalysts that do not exist in human biochemistry. No enzyme in the human body can perform this conversion. This is the single most important fact about wild yam supplements [1].
Then why do some women feel better using wild yam cream? ▼
Three possible explanations: (1) Some wild yam creams have been found to contain UNDECLARED SYNTHETIC PROGESTERONE — FDA has identified this fraud in multiple products; (2) placebo effect (strong in menopausal symptom studies); (3) the cream base itself may soothe dry skin [1].
Is wild yam completely useless? ▼
For hormonal purposes: yes, the evidence is negative. Wild yam does contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, and it has traditional use for GI complaints ('colic root'). But its primary marketing claim — hormonal support — is based on a biochemical impossibility [1].
What's the difference between wild yam and bioidentical progesterone? ▼
Bioidentical progesterone (as in prescription products like Prometrium®) IS real progesterone — identical to what the body produces. It is SYNTHESIZED from diosgenin in a laboratory. Taking the yam/diosgenin itself does NOT produce progesterone in the body. The supplement and the pharmaceutical are completely different products [1].
4 Clinical evidence
Strong
Industrial diosgenin-to-progesterone conversion: well-established pharmaceutical chemistry (Marker degradation, 1940s). The body does NOT have the enzymes for this conversion [1]. HIGH
Moderate
None for wild yam as a supplement [1]. MODERATE
Insufficient
Menopausal symptoms: 1 small RCT (n=23) of wild yam cream vs placebo found NO significant difference in menopausal symptoms, lipids, or hormone levels [1]. Hormonal effects: no change in progesterone, estrogen, FSH, or LH with wild yam supplementation [1]. PMS: no RCTs [1]. Libido: no evidence [1]. LOW
5 Safety, toxicity & adverse events
Relative
⚠ Does NOT convert to progesterone in the body — 'natural progesterone' creams only work if progesterone has been added (then hormonal contraindications apply)
⚠ Hormone-sensitive conditions — caution with any added hormone
⚠ Pregnancy and lactation — avoid
🚩 Red flags
● Patient refusing HRT for wild yam — missing effective treatment [1]
● Wild yam cream with unexplained hormonal effects — test for adulteration [1]
6 Interactions
Drug interactions
7 Regulatory
United States (FDA): Available as dietary supplement. FDA has warned about wild yam creams containing undeclared hormones [1].
Consumer protection: Several wild yam cream brands found to contain undeclared USP progesterone — a regulatory violation [1].
8 US supplement products
94
on-market products containing Wild Yam (NIH DSLD)
Brands carrying Wild Yam (65)
Click a brand to see its Wild Yam products.
9 Frequently paired with
10 Cite this page
Vancouver: Pkhakadze G. Wild Yam — safety profile [Internet]. Tbilisi: PHIG; 2026 [cited 2026 Aug 15]. Available from: https://supplement.ge/ingredients/wild-yam/
APA 7th: Pkhakadze, G. (2026). Wild Yam — Safety profile. Public Health Institute of Georgia. https://supplement.ge/ingredients/wild-yam/
📋 Editorial information
Author: Prof. G. Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD
Institution: Public Health Institute of Georgia (PHIG)
Affiliation: David Tvildiani Medical University (DTMU)
First published: January 2026
Last reviewed: 2026-05-29
Next review: February 2027
References: 3 cited sources
COI: SupplementIndex receives no funding from supplement manufacturers. All content independently authored by PHIG.
Process: Systematic literature review
📄 License & reuse
Published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). You may share and adapt for any purpose with attribution.
Pkhakadze G. "Wild Yam — Safety Profile." SupplementIndex, PHIG, 2026. https://supplement.ge/ingredients/wild-yam/ CC BY 4.0.
GP
Prof. G. Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD
Professor of Public Health · Head of Department, DTMU
Editor-in-Chief, Georgian Medical Journal (ISSN 3088-4322)
Chair, Public Health Institute of Georgia · UEMS Public Health Section
Educational and public health purposes. CC BY 4.0. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement. Corrections: info@accreditation.ge. Publisher: PHIG