The Benefits of Dioscorea
NutraPlus™, with the proprietary Wild Yam Complex from NutraVine™, is a Dioscorea formula in an all natural, whole food supplement for full support of the endocrine system, bringing immediate results in overall hormonal balance and vital energy. Extensive research using the Wild Yam Complex shows superior results in improvement of stress, aches & pains, memory, sleep, energy production, immune support, weight management, mental focusing, liver function, depression, menopausal symptoms, PMS, osteoporosis, DHEA levels, and strength. NutraPlus™ is a favorite of just about everyone, including body builders, athletes, teens, dieters, aging “baby boomers,” and those with chronic diseases such as arthritis, allergies, fatigue, and irritability. The NutraVine™ Company has found that NutraPlus™ is the #1 favorite supplement choice for all who have tried it. As one of our signature products, we are excited to be able to offer it to our clients, for the benefits are truly astounding. But how could one simple food supplement do so much? Is it impossible to expect these good results for everyone? And what is “Dioscorea” anyway? Is it harmful or addictive? Could it be for me? And what about my spouse, my parents, and my children?
“Dioscorea villosa,” better known as the Wild Yam, is a fascinating plant, valued as a medicinal herb for more than 2,000 years. It is the most prolific herb in all of the plant kingdom throughout the world! Japanese researchers discovered the value of the Wild Yam in 1936 when they realized that “diosgenin” was an extract of the yam that was remarkably similar to some of the adrenal hormones, such as pregnenolone, progesterone, testosterone, estradiol, aldosterone, cortisone, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Because of its pharmaceutical use in the formulation of synthetic hormones, the Wild Yam has become the most widely used herb in the world today. It provides 50% of the raw materials for the manufacture of synthetic steroids, after the Wild Yam has been chemically altered. As documented in a 1992 National Geographic article entitled “Under the Spell of the Trobriand Islands,” the Wild Yam is considered the most prized commodity in their culture. Indeed, wherever the Wild Yam is eaten in great quantities, the peoples are remarkably free from many of the terrible diseases, such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, jaundice, cancers, arthritis, and mental disorders, that plague our American society. Medical research has focused primarily on the effects of the hormonal precursor dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, which the body can manufacture naturally from the Dioscorea. Over 6,000 articles have been published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) regarding the safety, efficacy and benefits of naturally-produced Wild Yam DHEA, and other extracted substances from the Dioscorea wild yam. However, natural substances which are manufactured from whole foods or herbs, without an altered, synthetic molecular substance, are unpatentable, and are therefore unappealing to the pharmaceutical companies. The current use of DHEA supplements are synthetically manufactured in the lab, and can be toxic to the liver. However, the NutraPlus™ Wild Yam Complex is a whole food, which the body can safely convert to DHEA and the other necessary hormonal precursors that may be lacking or missing in our diet; then, the body will more effectively balance our hormones to each person’s unique requirements.
DIOSCOREA RESEARCH AND DISEASE
Science has discovered that those with low levels of progesterone and DHEA have a greater incidence of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, resulting in heart attacks, angina pectoris, strokes, paralysis, senility, amputations, gangrene, kidney failure, impotence, vascular disease and blindness. The Medical College of Virginia found that increasing progesterone and DHEA levels can reduce cholesterol levels, atherosclerosis and blockage of the arteries of the heart.
Raising DHEA levels can be helpful in certain viral illnesses, including common colds and flu by buffering the stress response and building strength and stamina. As people age, they become more susceptible to infectious diseases and environmental toxins. An older or compromised immune system has difficulty fighting new viruses, so illnesses can be more severe. Then, the immune system appears to be overloaded with toxins, heavy metals, and begins to attack the body’s own organs, resulting in an autoimmune disorder. The deterioration of the immune system may be a direct result of the decline in DHEA and other hormonal imbalances. The Israel Institute for Biomedical Research has found that this deterioration can be reversed by increasing DHEA levels, which reversed the immune deficiency. Temple University School of Medicine found that Dioscorea prevents infections of the Epstein-Barr virus, the virus responsible for infectious mononucleosis. The University of Utah School of Medicine found that Dioscorea can protect immune function in the midst of a direct attack on immune cells.
It is a known fact that DHEA levels are lower in humans who develop cancer. John Hopkins University has stated that raising DHEA levels will reduce this risk significantly. According to the Townsend Letter for Doctors, December, 1998, Dr. John Lee, M.D., has documented that the natural precursors found in the Wild Yam Complex can prevent and reverse many cancers, including cancers of the prostate, uterus, ovary, breast, lung, colon, thyroid, skin, and liver. However, it was found that taking the synthetic hormone form of DHEA can produce serious side effects, notably damage to the liver. Therefore, a natural, whole food supplement of Dioscorea such as NutraPlus™ is preferred.
DHEA levels are lowest in those with the greatest degree of senility, but when Dioscorea was given to old mice, their memory processes increased to the high levels of young mice. One study strongly suggests that correcting DHEA levels may prevent or improve Alzheimer’s conditions. The Zurich School of Medicine in Switzerland found that wild yam greatly increases the number of nerve cells and their ability to establish connections to other nerve cells. Researchers at the University of California increased the DHEA levels of 30 men and women, aged 40-70, for 3 months. They found that 67% of the men and 84% of the women reported that they felt better emotionally and physically. They had more energy, were more alert, and had a more positive outlook on life because of their increase in levels of natural hormones. Stability of thought processes and mental clarity have also been noted in those with ADD, ADHD, and depression, even in children as young as 7 years of age. The Dioscorea Wild Yam has proven to be beneficial for emotional support and sense of well-being, bringing balance to the various hormonal receptors and organs of the body.
It is believed that Dioscorea may cause fat and carbohydrates to be used more efficiently, creating more energy and decreasing fat storage. The last decade has proven substantially and without a doubt that the topical application of Wild Yam cream, containing natural progesterone, produces remarkable improvement in PMS symptoms, including the elimination of water retention and weight gain. As published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), Dr. John Lee, M.D., found that when synthetic estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) is used in pre- and post-menopausal women, a woman is forced to deal with the new problems of irregular vaginal bleeding, endometrial hyperplasia, and cancer. The cancer risk persists for 15 years after the ERT is terminated! However, with Dioscorea supplementation, blood estrogen levels increased to normal without fluid retention, breast tenderness, weight gain, depression. The beneficial side effects of the Dioscorea were lower blood cholesterol levels, relief from night sweats, hot flashes, palpitations, arthritis, an increase in bone density, reversal of osteoporosis, and significant reduction in fractures of the elderly.
THE DIOSCOREA WILD YAM COMPLEX of NutraPlus™
The proprietary Wild Yam Complex found in the NutraPlus™ supplement is a scientifically controlled blend of species of Dioscorea, containing the bioactive Wild Yam components of diosgenin, dioscorins, saponins, dioscoretines, and other phytonutrients. The timed-release mixture also contains specific essential oils, amino acids, herbs, and enzymes, including schizandra berry, and is pH adjusted for proper absorption. A proprietary process for identifying the active constituents and preparing the formula makes the NutraPlus™ Wild Yam Complex the most complete wild yam supplement available in the marketplace today. The NutraPlus™ contains wild yam precursors for many different hormones that are integral to maintaining optimal health characteristics and efficient body function, normalizing the body’s production of nucleic acids and mobilizing the body’s efficient burning of excess fat. Independent laboratory studies by hormone experts at various clinics in the U.S. came to the confirming conclusion that various components of the NutraPlus™ Wild Yam Complex also had an insulin-stabilizing effect to balance blood glucose levels and prolong normal lifespan.
The latest medical research has shown that the NutraPlus™ Wild Yam Complex has superb antioxidant activity, lipid normalization properties, eliminates toxicities in the liver and kidney cells through the death of the cancer cell mitochondria, is anti-fungal, and contains numerous vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Doctors throughout the world have continually documented the wild yam’s antitumor and cytotoxic activity, blood sugar and blood pressure normalizing effects, and even ACE-inhibiting benefits of these amazing tubers. The newest studies have proven that the Wild Yam Complex supports adrenal function, relieves PMS and menopausal symptoms, reverses most prostate disorders, and provides the raw materials needed by the body for healthy hormonal balance. Indeed, NutraPlus™ is an overall nourishing supplement for the whole family, a proprietary Dioscorea Wild Yam Complex food that deserves the highest priority in those who desire optimal health!
