What is the difference between natural progesterone USP and normal wild yam cream?

You know, just about every woman looking to source a premium progesterone cream has, at one time or another, been falsely sold on the notion that wild yam extract creams and progesterone creams are one and the same. The fact is, they are not. Each represents the same compound - diosgenin - at two very different stages of conversion.

And this confusion is not limited to lay women. Members of the medical fraternity, when arguing vehemently against the efficacy of natural progesterone, constantly make reference to homeopathic wild yam extract creams containing only diosgenin.

Here’s a little overview which I hope will help you get your head around what can be a rather perplexing subject matter.

There exists at least two mainstream references to the word ‘natural’:

• natural in that a substance is found in the body, and
• natural in that it is found in nature.

Progesterone creams are referred to as ‘Natural Progesterone’ because the hormone is found in the body. And the body sees as ‘natural’ that which has the same molecular configuration.

The progesterone that goes into a tube or jar of cream has undergone a process in a laboratory whereby it is converted from one substance - diosgenin - into United States Pharmacopeia (USP) grade progesterone.

It is referred to as ‘natural’ because the end result represents the same bio-identical molecule chemically identical to progesterone made by our ovaries. It can, therefore, be introduced into the body with a relative margin of safety as progesterone replacement therapy with minimal side effects because the body recognises it.

Of equal importance is the fact bio-identical progesterone, once introduced into the body, can also be utilised by the body as a precursor to manufacture other steroid hormones. This is NOT the case with synthetic hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Since the 1940’s scientists have been using wild yams, soya beans and other plants from the tuber family to extract plant sterols (oils & fats) that make USP progesterone in the laboratory.

We know that wild yam creams containing diosgenin appear to have a ‘estrogenic’ effect on the body, but there is no scientific proof that these creams when applied to the skin (or ingested in tablet or powder form) can be converted by the body into the hormone progesterone.

Why is this so? Well, because the active ingredient [diosgenin] is not bio-identical to the progesterone molecule found in the body, hence these wild yam extract creams cannot do the work of progesterone.

As stated above, bio-identical, natural-to-the-body progesterone is manufactured from diosgenin in a laboratory with the aid of an enzyme.

Progesterone USP is used by major pharmaceutical companies as the base from which they synthesise their estrogen, testosterone, cortisone, and progestin products.

In Australia progesterone is classified an S4 drug, available only on prescription. In other words, we need our doctor’s cooperation to get a prescription to purchase cream from a compounding pharmacist or pharmaceutical company. But here’s the rub! The Australian RX Drug Guide written by Dr. Jonathon Upfal does not even have a listing for natural progesterone, only artificial progestin analogs. The irony here is, even though presently classified as a “drug”, the large majority of doctors are unlikely (or unwilling) to prescribe natural progesterone because they know little or nothing of its applications.

The importation of natural progesterone cream into Australia is permitted for personal use ONLY - with a current doctor’s prescription. Distribution of cream is illegal. Furthermore, Australian women will need a doctor’s prescription to legally obtain progesterone cream through a local pharmacy.

Regulatory laws on natural progesterone exist in the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Australia (interestingly, all members of the British Commonwealth of Nations), however, a doctor’s prescription is NOT required in the USA and other countries not mentioned here.

Meanwhile … manufacturers of wild yam extract creams, who are by law unable to get access to USP grade progesterone, continue to sell women the notion that wild yam creams containing diosgenin in its ‘natural’ state can be converted into progesterone in the body. These claims fly in the face of the facts - that this is physically impossible because there’s no enzyme in the body to take up diosgenin.

These wild yam extract creams that contain absolutely no USP grade progesterone are sold through health food outlets and by some naturopaths as complying with the late Dr John Lee’s protocol and research on progesterone. This simply isn’t true.

According to the publication Herbal Medicine, Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy, Modern Herbal Medicine: “claims have arisen in the popular literature that the female body can manufacture progesterone from diosgenin, particularly if a wild yam cream is applied to the skin. No evidence exits for mammalian enzymes which are capable of effecting what is a difficult chemical conversion. The evidence that does exist strongly disputes the possibility of this conversion. In fact, diosgenin appears to have estrogenic properties in mice and lacks progesteronic effects.”

One popular brand of wild yam extract cream making these claims here in Australia some years back was put to the test by a reputed research institute. They concluded that there was no evidence that the body could convert diosgenin into natural progesterone.

Some women have been encouraged by their natural therapists to stop using natural progesterone on the basis that natural progesterone creams have involved chemical processes that could be harmful. But they omit to mention that a chemical extraction process is involved even with the ‘purist’ of natural wild yam extract creams containing diosgenin. They argue that wild yam extract creams are more ‘natural’ because the molecule is unaltered and, therefore, safer to use as the body’s precursor to progesterone. This argument doesn’t logically make sense given that, by definition, an ‘extract’ means that a chemical extraction process is required to remove these saponins from the wild yam and soy plants.

Is wild yam something to be avoided? Not necessarily. I believe the fundamental point here is that IT IS NOT the fact that cream contains wild yam extract; it is what the manufacturer is claiming the extract will do.

Mind you, wild yam has been used in female-related herbal formulations for years. A recent search of several herbal books on women’s health revealed wild yam used in many formulas for pregnancy, nursing, menopause, and other female-specific issues. Master herbalists tell us that wild yam is known as an adaptogen herb. It would be like using fertilizer on a garden. If the plants need it they use it.

So don’t be surprised to discover that some premium progesterone creams INCLUDE wild yam. At the end of the day, you need to make up your own mind as to which cream what works best for you, ideally in consultation with your cream manufacturer

The bottom line today is simply this: If you cannot see the words ‘Progesterone USP‘ or ‘Progesterone BP‘ on your cream’s list of ingredients, it’s probably doesn’t contain any progesterone.

And progesterone creams that contain less than 800 milligrams per 2 oz jar will not be effective if you are truly progesterone deficient.