Some clarity on artificial progesterone

by Lance
(Spokane)

The status of progesterone made from the Wild Yam has been a bit ambiguous. So, I put this little history of the development and early sources of artificial progesterone.

A history of artificial progesterone

1934 a German research group discovered the process of converting the plant sterol Stigmasterol, chemically similar to animal cholesterol, into progesterone. Plant steroids share the same 4 carbon rings as human steroids.

1938 Russell Marker figured out how to convert steroids from sarsaparilla root into progesterone. This was very expensive and could produce only small quantities of progesterone.

In 1939 Dr. Percy Julian, while working for Glidden Paint, discovered the process to isolate stigmasterol from the soy bean. He was then able to convert the stigmasterol into progesterone en mass.

In 1940 Russell Marker, while working for Park Davis, found a Yam in Mexico that was much richer in steroids than the soy bean. The Yam contains the steroid diosgenin which is converted into progesterone. Using the Mexican Yam, Marker was able to produce larger quantities of progesterone more easily and economically than was previously made from soy.

In 1944 Russell Marker forms a new company called Syntex to make and supply hormones from the Yam.

Through 1950 both Gliddon and Syntex manufactured most of the world’s supply of artificial sex hormones--including progesterone.

Progesterone creams can contain progesterone converted from the steroids contained in the soy bean (stigmasterol) and or the Mexican Yam (diosgenin). Any cream made just from an extract from the Mexican Yam itself, or Yam crèmes, will contain the progesterone precursor diosgenin, but will not contain any actual progesterone, and since the human body does not have the capacity to convert the progesterone steroidal precursor diosgenin into progesterone, there is no benefit from the yam extracts or crèmes.

I hope this clears things up.