Yam – 1 lb (454 g)

Yam, known in Chinese as 山药 (Shānyào) and scientifically as Rhizoma Dioscoreae, is a valued herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This TCM herb has been traditionally used to support natural wellness, maintain vitality, and encourage holistic balance. At TCMforyou.com, we provide premium-quality Yam carefully sourced to preserve its therapeutic properties.

As a herbal supplement, Yam helps promote overall well-being and supports natural energy, immunity, and balance. Integrating this herb into your wellness routine offers a gentle, time-tested approach to enhancing daily health. Whether brewed as tea, added to herbal remedies, or taken as part of a TCM formula, Yam provides a safe, natural way to experience the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine.

Trusted for centuries, Yam has been used in TCM to harmonize the body and encourage optimal functioning of key systems. At TCMforyou, we prioritize authenticity and quality. Each batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure purity and potency, delivering an herbal product aligned with traditional practices.

Experience the natural support of Yam, promoting immune health, vitality, and holistic well-being. Embrace the wisdom of TCM and incorporate this gentle, effective herbal remedy into your daily wellness journey.

[Overview] This herb is also known as Shanyu, Shuyu, Shuyao, and Huai Shan Yao. It is the tuberous root of Dioscorea opposita Thunb., a plant of the Dioscoreaceae family. It is mainly produced in Henan, with additional production in Hunan and Jiangnan regions. The product from Henan (Huaiking Prefecture) is considered the best quality, hence the name “Huai Shan Yao.” It is harvested in winter when the stems and leaves wither, then the root head is cut off, washed clean, the outer skin and fibrous roots removed, fumigated with sulfur for preservation, and sun-dried. Alternatively, select large, straight, dry yams, soak in clear water until no dry core remains and the tuber is fully permeated, fumigate with sulfur, trim both ends evenly, rub into cylindrical shapes with wooden boards, and sun-dry to produce “Guang Shan Yao.”

[Properties] Sweet in taste, neutral in nature. Enters the Lung, Spleen, and Kidney meridians.

[Actions] Tonifies the Spleen and nourishes the Stomach; generates fluids and benefits the Lung; tonifies the Kidney and secures essence.

[Applications]
1. Used for Spleen deficiency syndromes of the middle burner. For example, to treat Spleen and Stomach weakness with poor appetite, fatigue, abdominal distention, and loose stools, it is commonly combined with Codonopsis, Atractylodes, and Poria, as in the formula Shenling Baizhu San. For pediatric indigestion with poor appetite, abdominal distention, diarrhea, sallow complexion, and emaciation, it is used with Chicken Gizzard Membrane, charred Atractylodes, and fried Dolichos beans. For women with Spleen deficiency and excessive dampness causing continuous white vaginal discharge without odor, it is combined with Euryale seeds, Atractylodes, and lotus seeds, as in Wandai Tang. If the vaginal discharge is yellow, thick, and foul-smelling, indicating damp-heat, it is combined with Phellodendron, Plantain seed, and Ginkgo, as in Yihuang Tang.
2. Used for Lung deficiency and combined Lung and Kidney deficiency cough and asthma. When Lung Qi and Yin are insufficient with cough, shortness of breath, little or no sputum that is sticky, it is combined with Atractylodes, Scrophularia, and Arctium, as in Zisheng Wan. For combined Lung and Kidney deficiency where the Kidney fails to grasp Qi, it is often combined with Cornus, Cordyceps, and Schisandra, as in Qiwei Duqi Wan.
3. Used for Kidney Yin deficiency and Kidney Qi instability causing soreness and weakness of the lumbar region and knees, seminal emission, nocturnal emission, impotence, and premature ejaculation. It is commonly combined with Rehmannia, Cornus, and Moutan bark, as in Liuwei Dihuang Wan. For lower burner cold deficiency causing pediatric enuresis, frequent urination in the elderly, and urinary incontinence, it is combined with Alpinia oxyphylla and Lindera, as in Suoquan Wan.
4. Used for diabetes mellitus. When Qi and Yin deficiency are prominent, it is combined with raw Astragalus, Anemarrhena, and Pueraria, as in Yuye Tang. For Lung and Stomach heat, it is combined with Gypsum, Ophiopogon, and Trichosanthes root.

[Dosage and Administration] Decoction, 15–30 g; or used in pills or powders.

[Cautions] Not suitable for use alone in cases of excessive dampness with fullness or food stagnation.

[Modern Research]
1. Chemical constituents: Contains diosgenin saponins, mucilage, choline, starch, glycoproteins, free amino acids, allantoin, dopamine, dioscorine hydrochloride, polysaccharides, catecholamines, and vitamin C.
2. Pharmacological effects: Demonstrates preventive and therapeutic effects on experimental rat models of vinegar-induced Spleen deficiency; exhibits bidirectional regulation of isolated intestinal motility; prevents and treats experimental diabetes in mice; prolongs lifespan in rabbits. Additionally, it has tonic, digestive aid, antitussive, expectorant, and anti-allergic effects.
3. Clinical reports: (1) Infant diarrhea: Yam powder mixed with water and simmered into a paste with added sugar or glucose. Dosage: newborns 2 g/day, infants under 6 months 4 g/day, 0.5–1 year 6 g/day, 1–3 years 8 g/day, divided into three doses. Results: mild dehydration (70 cases) 78.6% effective within 3 days; moderate dehydration (20 cases) 90.0% effective; severe dehydration (10 cases) 80.0% effective. [Practical Chinese Medicine Journal, 2003, 19(9):478] (2) Eczematous dermatitis: 200 ml of 100% yam injection added to 5% glucose injection, intravenous drip once daily for 5–15 days per course. Treated 13 cases: 8 cured, 4 markedly effective, 1 ineffective. [Shanghai Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1984, 7:22] (3) Oral ulcers: Decoction of 20 g Huai Shan Yao with 30 g rock sugar. Treated 50 cases with satisfactory efficacy. [Shaanxi Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1985, (4):174]