Therapeutic compositions from jamaican bitter yam and methods of making and using same

A composition for treating diabetes or hypercholesterolemia comprising an effective amount of solid Jamaican bitter yam therapeutic product, wherein said solid Jamaican bitter yam therapeutic product comprises fibers and saponins and less than about 0.1% tannins by weight and less than about 0.1% alkaloids by weight, wherein said solid Jamaican bitter yam therapeutic product is obtained by pulverizing Jamaican bitter yam into a powder and soaking the powder with a basic solution to substantially remove tannins, followed by filtration, and wherein said composition is in the form of a capsule, a tablet, a pill, a troch, a cream, a gel, or an emulsion.