A Slow Process For treating any condition, ginkgo takes time to build up in your system. You may have to take the herb for weeks before you begin noticing the benefits, says Dr. Theron. For long-term use, ginkgo is considered a relatively safe herb. Many people mistakenly believe that plants commonly contain animal-type hormones, but only a few have been discovered. Wild yams do not contain progesterone.
Some yams do contain a sapogenin called diosgenin that is used to manufacture progesterone.
Diosgenin is extracted from the Mexican wild yam in the laboratory. The diosgenin is then converted to pregnenalone and then progesterone, utilizing various reagents and enzymes. Its therapeutic value currently lies in common use for the treatment of PMS, uterine cramps, abdominal colic, and menstrual irregularity. It is interesting to note that the yams that we eat contain high amounts of beta-carotene. Nature's Way Traditional therapeutic uses of wild yam include abdominal colic, spasmodic hiccough, painful vomiting, gastritis, irritable bowel symptoms, dysmenorrhea, indigestion, chronic hepatic congestion, flatulence, urinary tract spasms, and rheumatism.