Ube's vibrant purple color has made it trendy for everything these days, from lattes to cakes. But could this true yam from Asia do more than taste good and look pretty? For women in particular. A small study published in 2005 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition had 24 postmenopausal women eat approximately 390 grams of purple yams ( Dioscorea alata) per day for 30 days. After the month was over, researchers found that the women’s hormones had increased, with estrone levels increasing by 26%, estradiol levels by 27%, and sex hormone binding globulin ( SHBG) by 9.5%. All three were unchanged in the control. Yam is one of a few plants containing diosgenin (others include fenugreek, allspice, soy, and bitter melon), a phytoestrogen, which scientists are studying for its hormone-like effects. In a lab diosgenin is synthesized to make horomone therapy. Other Studies Research published in 2007 in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry...