Name: Common Name: Yams Botanical Name: Discorea villosa L.
D. alata and D. escfulenta (grown in Southeast Asia)
D. routandatra and D. Cayenensis (grown in Africa)
D. composita, D. mesicana and D. floribunda (grown in Mexico)
Family: Dioscoreaceae
Parts Used: Roots
Sources
The yam is a very common food. The
contents of the Yam can synthetically produce hormones such as testosterone
and estrogens. After yams are harvested, they are chopped into small
pieces and allowed to ferment for several days. They are then soaked
in acid and a chemical compound named sapogenins, to be used for
making hormones, are extracted. Many different sapogenins exist,
but the two of them, diosgenin and yamogenin, are important.
By laboratory studies and clinical trials, Saponins combine with
cholesterol in the intestines and prevent its absorption, resulting
in lower blood cholesterol concentrations. Yams contain diosgenin,
like soy, which has estrogenic effect and considered to be used
for osteoporosis and menopause.
Concerns
Saponins in large quantities can irritate
the stomach, otherwise it seems to be no other adverse effects when
use.
Summary
Yams use as food for long time, recently,
they have been used as diet supplement to lower the blood cholesterol.
Its estrogenic component also benefits the menopause symptoms.
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