Does Wild Yam Cream Increase Progesterone? What the Evidence Shows

Does wild yam cream increase progesterone?

Available evidence does not establish that a cream containing wild yam extract but no progesterone increases progesterone. That result does not apply to every product marketed as wild yam cream. A product that lists progesterone as an active ingredient is not just wild yam cream, and the trial does not establish whether or how much that specific formulation changes progesterone levels.

The study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial of 23 menopausal women. After a four-week baseline period, participants used wild yam cream and a matching placebo for three months each, in randomized order. Researchers reported no change in serum or salivary progesterone after use of the wild yam cream.

The study’s design does not establish long-term effects. The study does not provide evidence about a cream with progesterone as an active ingredient. Its findings therefore cannot tell you whether a progesterone-containing product works or is safe for you.

Why doesn’t wild yam act like progesterone?

Wild yam contains diosgenin, a plant compound; its presence does not mean a cream acts like progesterone in the body.

A manufacturing process is not the same as a conversion that happens in the body after someone applies a cream. The North American Menopause Society’s 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement describes the evidence for wild yam in menopause as limited.

How can you tell what a cream contains?

Read the full ingredient and product information, but treat it as the manufacturer’s declaration—not independent confirmation of the contents. A product name or front-label claim cannot establish what is in a cream.

1. Look for the active ingredient. Check whether the label lists progesterone by name, separately from wild yam extract or diosgenin. A progesterone listing means the product contains a different declared active ingredient from wild yam.
2. Read the complete label. Review the full ingredient list and any regulatory statements, not just the front of the package. A DailyMed listing provides product-specific labeling information. Review any regulatory statements on the label.
3. Do not treat a label as verification. It can help identify what the manufacturer says the product contains, but it cannot confirm that the contents match the declaration. If you are considering a hormone product, ask a qualified clinician to review the exact product and its label before you use it.

A DailyMed entry concerns a specific product and should not be treated as evidence about all creams labeled as wild yam.

What do U.S. FDA rules and warnings mean?

The following rules and examples describe the U.S. FDA framework; they do not establish the legal requirements in other countries. The FDA distinguishes cosmetics intended to affect appearance from drugs intended to affect the body’s structure or function. A product can fall into both categories.^[1] Cosmetic wording or marketing does not by itself show that a product is an FDA-approved hormone treatment.^[1]

FDA rules and warnings should be considered in relation to the specific product and its labeling.

How should you decide what to do?

• Do not infer a product’s ingredients from its name or marketing. Read the full label to see what the manufacturer declares, while recognizing that the declaration is not independent verification.
• Do not start, stop, or change hormone treatment based on a wild-yam label or the results of this trial. The evidence described here does not answer whether a progesterone-containing cream is appropriate for you.
• Before using a progesterone-containing cream, ask a qualified clinician to review the exact product, including its ingredient list and labeling. Do not assume an over-the-counter cream can replace prescribed hormone therapy.
• If you already use hormone treatment, speak with your clinician before changing how you use it. The trial’s findings should not be used to guide prescribed treatment.

Frequently asked questions

Does the trial establish long-term safety?

No. The study’s design does not answer questions about long-term effects.

Does a DailyMed listing mean the FDA approved the product?

No. A DailyMed listing is product labeling and does not by itself confirm FDA approval.

References

1. Komesaroff PA, Black CV, Cable V, Sudhir K. “Effects of wild yam extract on menopausal symptoms, lipids and sex hormones in healthy menopausal women.” Climacteric. 2001;4(2):144–150.

2. The North American Menopause Society. “The 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society.” Menopause. 2023;30(6):573–590.

3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Is It a Cosmetic, a Drug, or Both? (Or Is It Soap?)” FDA guidance on product classification.

4. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Warning letter to Homeocare Laboratories concerning “BIOIDENDICAL USP PROGESTERONE CREAM.”

5. DailyMed. Product labeling for a progesterone cream listing micronized progesterone and wild yam; the label includes the FDA statement quoted in this article.