Willa Shaffer, in her booklet, Wild Yam, Birth Control without Fear, makes a strong case for the use of Mexican wild yam root.

Willa Shaffer's recommendation for using Mexican wild yam:

Take 1650 mg. of Mexican wild yam twice daily morning and evening. Take for two months before it is effective. Do not take the birth control pill during this time. Antibiotics and herbal antibiotics including goldenseal, echinacea, garlic, oregon grape and more than 6,000 mg. of vitamin C weakens the desired effect. St. John's Wort may also weaken the desired effect of the wild yam. Tylenol® and other acetaminophens such as panadol and aspirin-free Anacin® may also interfere with the desired action of the wild yam. It is possible that ANY drug may interfere with the wild yam.

What other herbalists say about wild yam root

As with many herbs, traditionally, there have been many uses for wild yam root. Wild yam root is described by Dr. John Christopher as having the following therapeutic actions - antispasmodic, relaxant (sedative,) stimulant, antibilious, diaphoretic, expectorant, diuretic, hepatic, chologogue, stomachic, tonic, anti-emetic, anti-rheumatic, anti-asthmatic and emetic (large doses.) Dr. Christopher goes on to describe some of the actions more specifically and then lists no less than two dozen specific conditions in which wild yam root has proven effective. (See School of Natural Healing, by Dr. John Christopher.)

Humbart Santillo maintains that wild yam root is used in many gland-balancing formulas because of the presence in its chemical make-up of the steroid-like substances used to make pharmaceutical birth control pills. He goes on to list many of the same uses and conditions listed by Dr. Christopher. At the end of his entry on wild yam, Mr. Santillo includes the following note - "When given for afterbirth pains, it is better to use ten drops of the tincture in cold water. The hot decoction causes too great of relaxation to the uterus and could permit hemorrhage. (See Natural Healing with Herbs, by Humbart Santillo.)

If you ever have occasion to sample it, you will find that the decoction or tea is particularly unappetizing because of the strong bitter taste of the herb.

Welsh herbalist, David Hoffman, gives a short entry on wild yam that briefly echoes some of the uses set forth by both Christopher and Santillo. (See The Holistic Herbal, by David Hoffman.)

Excerpt from Nature's Field July/August, 1995 pg. 7
Mexican wild yam is a popular herbal contraceptive. Wild yam does not interfere with the normal monthly cycle. Women taking it continue to ovulate as usual. It is speculated that this herb's mechanism of action renders the unity of the egg and sperm ineffective, although it is not known how this is possible. One benefit of using the wild yam for contraception is that a woman can become pregnant as soon as one or two months after discontinuing use of the herb. Wild yam is not known to have negative side effects.

The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated these statements. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The material referenced above is provided as educational source material only, and the various authors are responsible for the accuracy of the statements made.